The Ramayana (Image: Lana Blinderman) — Project to document — and sometimes protect — Capitol Hill’s midcentury modern apartment buildings gets boost

Though they can’t always agree on what, exactly, a small landlord is, a group of property owners representing what they say is a vital source of Seattle housing is calling for more protections for their industry amid claims that these types of apartment buildings are being wiped out by new development and an avalanche of new tenant laws.

Wednesday morning, the Seattle City Council’s Economic Development, Technology and City Light Committee will hear testimony from participants in a Small Landlord Stakeholder Group convened last year to make recommendations on how best to support alternatives to nationwide developers companies.

Source: Small Landlord Stakeholder Group analysis

According to the group, they are more likely to live in the communities where they own housing, more likely to be personally involved in setting rent and selecting tenants, and more likely to set terms that seek tenant stability over market trends. They are also more fragile than the big companies with much higher personal financial stakes in their investments and are more likely to face personal and legal risks than large developers. Continue reading →