Washington law expands cooling rights for renters
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Washington State renters gained new rights to install air conditioning under a law signed by Governor Bob Ferguson in March. The law prevents landlords from forbidding or charging for AC units, extending to mobile home residents as well.
However, awareness of the law has not yet reached many farmworkers who could benefit from these protections.
Edgar Franks of Familias Unidas Por La Justicia stated his organization had not heard about the law, and advocate Rosalinda Guillen noted that increased immigration enforcement has hindered outreach to farmworkers. The law is part of a broader trend in the Pacific Northwest and other areas. Oregon, Los Angeles County, New York City, and Arizona have passed similar measures, to address rising temperatures and protect vulnerable populations.
David Morales of the Northwest Justice Project plans to update his organization’s materials to include the new rights for renters and mobile home owners. While employer-provided farmworker housing is regulated to stay below 90 degrees Fahrenheit, advocates say conditions are often hotter and lack air conditioning. A 2021 heat dome in Washington State caused over 400 deaths, and only 66% of homes in the state have cooling systems.
Research indicates that over half of surveyed farmworkers in Washington have felt sick enough from the heat to require medical attention, and nearly 34,000 outdoor workers in the U.S. experienced heat-related illness or injury in the 2010s. The new law places the financial burden of purchasing and powering cooling units on tenants, who may also fear repercussions from landlords or immigration authorities if they assert their rights.
