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ORDINANCE N0. ����
AN �RDINANCE OF THE CZTY OF RENTON. DEFINING AND PROtiIBITING UNFAIR
HOUSING PRACTICES I1V THE SALE AND OFFERING FOR SALE AND IN THE RENTAL
AND OFFERING FOR RENT AND IN THE FINANCING OF HOUSING ACCOMI�IODATIONS
WITHIN THE CITY OF RENTON, DEFINING OFFENSES AND PRESCRIBING PENALTIES
AND PROVIDING FOR TtiE ENFORCIIvlENT HEREOF.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE NIAYOR AND THE CI'I`Y COUNCIL OF Z`HE CIT`Y OF RENTON AS FOLLOtaS:
Section 1. Definitions. Definitions as used in this Ordinance, unless addi--
tional meaning clearly appears, from the context, shall have the meaning subscribed:
(1) "Housing Accommodations" shall i.nclude any dwelling, or dwelling unit, rooming
unit, rooming house, lot or parcel of land in the City of Renton which is used� i.ntended
to be used, or arranged or designed to be used as, or improved with, a residential struc-•
ture for one or more human beings.
(2) "Dwelling" includes any building containing one or more dwelling units.
(3) "Dwelling Unit" includes a suite of rooms for oceupancy by one family eon—
taining space for living, sleeping, and preparation of food, and containing toilet and
bathing facilities.
(4) "Rooming Unit" includes one or more rooms within a dwelling unit or rooming
house containing space for living and sleeping.
(5} "Person" includes one or more individuals, partnerships, flr other organizations,
trade or professional associations, corporations, legal representatives, trustees,
trustees in bankruptcy, and receivers.
' (6) "Owners" include persons who own, lease, sublease, ren�, operate, manage, have
charge of, control, or have the right of ownership, possession, management, charge, or
control of the housing accommodation, on their own behalf or on behalf �f another.
C7) "Occupant" ineludes any person who has established residence or has the right
to occupancy in a housing accommodation.
C8) ���ospective Occupant" includes any person who seeks to purchase, lease,
sublease or rent a housing acco�nodation.
C9) "Real Estate Broker" includes any person who for a fee, commission, or other
valuable consideration, Iists f or sale, sells, purchases� exchanges, leases or subleases,
rents, or negotiates or offers or attempts to negotiate the sale, purchase, exchange,
lease, sublease or rental of a housing accomm�dation of another, or holds himself out
as engaged in the business of selling, purchasing, exchanging, listing, leasing, sub—
leasing, or renting a housing accommodation of another, or collects the rental for the
use of a housing accflmmodation of another.
E10) •'Real Est�te Agent, Salesman, or Employee" includes any person employed by or
associated with a real estate broker to perform or assist in the performance of any or
, all of the functions of a real estate broker.
I (11) "Lender" includes any bank, insurance campany, savings or buildmng and loan
associatian, credit union, trust company, mortgage company, or other person engaged
wholly or partly in the business of lending maney for the financing or acquisition, con—
struction, repair, or maintenance of a housing accommodation.
(12) Prospective Borrower" includes any person who seeks to borrow money to finance
the acquisition, construction, repair, or maintenance of a housing accommodation.
(13) "Unfair Housing Practice" means any act prohibited by this ordinance.
C14) "Person Aggrieved" means any person against whom any al3eged unfair housing
practice has been committed.
(15) "Respondent" means any person who is alleged to have committed an unfair
housing practice.
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{Ib) "Cammission" means tfie Fair t;ousing Commission at the City af Renton as
es t ab 1 i s tied k►y {}i�d i nance l�to� 2�.0� a
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Section 2. Ur�fair Kousirkg Practices as hereinafter de�ined i� the sals and
cffering far sale and � the rental and afferiixfg for retut OE YkOti$7.t1� 8C4`Ot�011$'�1Ot18 are
contrary to the public peace, teealth, safety end genera2 welfare and $re hereby pra-
hibited by the Ci�r of Renton in tYte exercise of jts palice paa�x.
Section 3, Unfair Housirr� Practices Farbidden.
tl) No awner, Iessee, sublessee, assignee, real estate braker, real esCate salasman,
managing agent of, ar ather person havirYg the right to se12, rer�t. �ease, subiease,
assign, transFerf or etherwise dispase of a housing accommcdatian shali refuse to sa12,
rent, Ieasef sub2ease, assign, transfer, ar otherwsse deny ta, or witlihold from auy
perso� or graug of p�rsons suah housing aceommodatioz�s, or segregate the use thereof,
ar represent that such ho�sing aaccmmod+dtfans. �re not available for inspect�.on. when i.n
fact they are so available, or expel or evicC an occupant fram a housing accomanodafifan
because of the race, color, religion, ances�ry or raational origia, of such person ar
� persons, or discrimina�e age�ist or aegregate any persoa because o� his race, color,
relfgi.aa, ancestry or natiatsal arigin, in the terms, eotnditions� ar privileges af t3�e
sale, rental, iease� snblease, ass3�gnment, transfer, or aLher dispusitian of any sach
hcus3�ng accommodativns or in the fur�s£shiz�g of faci2ities or services in cont�ectfon
therewith.
(2) A real estate broker, agent, salesman, or employee ahaZl not, becauae o£ race,
color, religicn, at�cestry, or nati.onal origin of an occupant, purchaser, praspective
occupant� or prospective purchaser:
Ca) Refuse ar intentioual2y fafl ta li.st ar discr�afnate� �3,n listing a hcusing
sccy�cdati� �ar sale, renL, lease, or sublease,
tb) xeguse ar intentfonal2.y fai.l to show to a praspective occupeat the
housf.ng accc�modatfon listed �'or sale�, re�ntal, lease, or sttblease.
�; {c) Refuse or intentionally �afZ to accegt amd/or transa�it to an oamer any
reasc►c�ble of�er ta purchase� lease, recit or sublease a hau�ing aecomaodatian.
td} atherwise d�.sarimi�ate agai�nst an flccugant, praspect£ve accupant,
pnrehaser, or propsective purchaser of a tiousing aacc�mmodation.
t3� Na person, bank, bankiag organi�atf oa, arortigage company, it3sttxgpC�3 CompBhYr
or othear finaacial institution or lender, or a�►y agent or employee thereof, to whan
applicatfon is made for �inanciai assistance far the puxchase, lease, 8aquiei�fon� ecm-
. . structfon� retu�bilitatian� repair, or ma3.t�,C�naace o£ any houaf�g accammodatiaa shall --
ta} dtscr£mi�nate aga£rest any perscm or �roup of person►s because af race,
aolor, religiun, aneestry, ar natia�ai origi,� of sach perscn or group cf persot�s or
af the prasp�ct£ve xcupants or tenants oE suah rea3 property sn tbe gratitin�, w�th=
he►Idfng, extending, madifying, ar renewf.ng, or ititthe rates, terms, aonditior�s, or
privileges of, any such fi,nancia2 �ssistat�ce or in the exteasian a�' services in connec-
j ticm thes�aith; or
tb} use 8ny £orrn af app�i.catiot� far such finaaaial assistaace, or awke any
record o� ieYQuiry in conneeCion w�th app2ications for snch £it►encia2 assistaace which
i expresses, direc�ly or indireetly� any limitatians specifi.cation,� or discrimix�atian„
cn Lhe.grat�nd a€ raee, color, religion, ancestry ar natiorra3 origia.
C4a An► amer, persan, rea2 estate broker, aget►t, ealesa►an, employresj or lender
shall not:
Ca3 Reqaire eny infara►atiat�, ma&e, ar keep aay record, ar qse any fqrm af
apgiieat�an eattatni.uug questio�ns or entri.es concernsng raee, ca2or, re2igion, anaestr`Y.
or �ationa2 origi�n iri canrtection w£th the sale, rental, lease, or sublease of any
housi�tg. �+ecaa�aodation,
{b� Publish,circulate, issue, ar dis�play, ar cause to be published, circuleted, '
i.ssued,• or diaplayed, any communication, notice, adverti.sement, or si.ga o�' any kind '�
relatiag to the sale, renta�� lease, sublcsase, ass£gnr�ent� trans�er or liating o£ e
housiz�g aacom�nodatian or accoamnodations whfch indicate any pre£eret►ce, lfnkitati.an,
apecificatian, er disar£minstian based an raca, calor, religiaan, .ancestry, or nat£onal
or�.gi,t3,
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, (c) Aid, abets incite, compet or ` ,coerce the doing of any act �ief ined in tbis
ordinance as an unfair housing practice; or. abstruct or discriminate against a person in
�ny manner because he has complied ar proposes to ecnnply with the provisians of this
ordi�ance or has £i2ed a compl�int, testif ied, or assisted i.tt any groceeding under this
ordinance, or any order issued Lhareunder, or atteaapt� either direct2y or iadirectly,
to commst eny act defined in this ordinanca to be an unfair housing practice or apply
any e�c�nami.c sanctions or deny a�ny membership privileges because af ccmpliance with ttie
pravisians of this ordinance.
S�ctiosi 4. Enfcrcement Prxedures.
(1) Any person claiming to be aggrieved by a vi�Iation of any provision of this
Ordinance, or the Commissi,on on its own arotion, may file with said Commission a compYc�int
in wrfCing which shall state the name and address of the owner or other person or persons
alleged to have com�aitted the violation complained of and aha1l set f orth the particulars
thereof and such otherinformation as may be required by such Commi.ssion. Aay such com-
plaint shall be filed within ninety t90} days after the date of the alleged discr£mi.natory
act. tSpon the f iling of such eomplaint the Commission shall fur:tish a copy thereof to
the persan or persons chergec�. •
{2) Ttue Con�ission sha11 praaptly i.nvestigate all charges fi2ed with it and use its
best efforts wfth a view to conciliate the matter and elixnineting any discriminatory
practices it finds to exist. If, hocaever, after snch inquiry an@ hearings as the Co�is-
sicn considers proper, after due notice of not less than ten t10) days to all parties
affected, the Comdnission determines that no prob�ble cause exists to believe that a
violation under the terms of this Ordinance has xcurred� then the charge shall be dis-
miased hy the Ca�mnission and the parties a�fected thereof notified in writing. �
(3) In case of failure by the Commission to reach an agreement for the elimi.nafi ion
af such unfair practice, and upe�n the entry of writtean fi.ndings to that effect, after
publ�c hearing of the matter the Cominission shall thereupon refer the matter ta the
Mayor af the City far groper enforcement af this Ordinance, or in the alternative, the
Coa�iss£on may, on its oam motian. f ile a canplaiafi in the City's municipal court or any
other couxt having jur�sdiction thereover.
(k) The Coam►ission shall adopt, promulgate� amend and rescind ,suitable rnles and
regulatioas to carry out the provisions of this Ordinance and the policies and practice
of the Cammission. This shall iticlude thQ holding of hearings, the subpoena of wit-
nesses and to require their attendance and to take the testimony of any person under
oath, and in cennectian therewith, to require the producti� for examination of any
books or papers relating to any matter under investigatf.on ar in question be�ore the
Coc�niss ioa. �
Section 5. Fxclusioas. Nothi.ng i� this Ordinance shall:
(1) Apply to the renting, subrenting� leasing or sub2easing of a single family
dwelliag wherein the o�mer or pwners or persons enti.tled to the possession an@ occupancy
thereof narmally maintain or intend to maintai.n hi.s or their residence, hane or abodey
and intendsto occupy the sarae.
(2) Be interpreted to prahibit any person from making a choice �rom amang prospec-
tive purchasers or tenat�ts af propertq an the basis of facfiors or considerations other .
than race, ca].or, religiott, ancestry or national origin. �
Section 6. Penal�y. Any per�on or persons violating any provisf.on of this
Ordinance shall, upon canvicti� thereoE� be fined in a sum of not more than $500.00
or committed to the City Jail for not more than ninety t90) days, or be punished by
both such Piue and ituprisonment.
Seetion 7. Severability. 1'he previsions of this ordinance are severable and
i£ any provision, sentence, clause, section or part thereof is held illegal, invalid
I or unconstitutional or inapplicab2e to anp persan or circumstance, illegality,
i.nvalidsty, unconstitutionality nr inapplicability shall not af£ect or impair any of
the remaining provis�.ons, sentences, clauses, sections or parts of this ordinance or
their applicatioa to other persons or circumstances. It is hereby declared to be the
i.ntent of the City Council that thi.s ordinance would have been adopted if such illegal,
inva2id or unconstitutianal provision, sentence, clause, section or part had not been
included therein, and if the person or circumstences to which ths ordinance or any
part thereoP is i.napplicab2e had bee� specif ically exempte$ therefran.
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Section 8. This ordinance shall be full force and effect from and after its '
,..�sage, approval and legal publication as provided by law.
PASSED BY TFiE CI7.`Y COUNCIL this 'j�day of P�iay, 1968.
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Helmie Nelson, City Clerk ,
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APPROVED BY THE I�iAYOR this �3.� day � Niay, 1968.
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" d�onald 6�1. Custer, I�?ayor
Approved a form:
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Gerard T�3. Shellan, City Attorney �
Date of Publication: MAY 15 1968
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