Finding the right apartment in King County is difficult for anyone, but older renters can face extra challenges – and opportunities. Here’s some advice from Solid Ground’s Tenant Counselors.

Senior housing

First, the good news: As a senior renter, you may be eligible to apply for some apartments that aren’t available to younger renters. At the Seattle Housing Authority, for example, select buildings are reserved for seniors and adults with disabilities under the Seattle Senior Housing Program. 

The King County Housing Authority (KCHA) also has types of subsidized housing for residents who are 55 and older, 60 and older, and 62 and older. To find these apartments, go to the KCHA Housing Search webpage and enter your age. 

Need more help finding an apartment? Go to Solid Ground’s Housing Search resources. 

Disabilities & accommodations

If you have a disability, the first thing to know is that landlords can’t legally discriminate against you because of it. Discrimination may look like: 

• Refusing to rent to you 
• Harassing you 
• Pressuring you to take one unit over another 
• Refusing to allow reasonable modifications (more on that below!) 

If a landlord discriminates against you because of your disability, you should report it within one year to one of the following:

• Washington State Human Rights Commission
• King County Civil Rights Program (for unincorporated King County)
• Seattle Office for Civil Rights

You can also get help from the Fair Housing Center of Washington. 

Under federal law, landlords are required to make reasonable accommodations and modifications for tenants with disabilities. It’s important to know the difference: 

• A reasonable accommodation is a change made to a policy, program, or service that allows a person with a disability to use and enjoy an apartment, including public and common-use areas. (An example might be requesting a parking space closer to your unit.) The landlord pays for accommodations. 
• A reasonable modification is a physical change made to a resident’s living space or to the common areas of a community, which is necessary to enable a resident with a disability to have full enjoyment of the housing. (An example might be installing grab bars in a shower or bath.) The tenants pays for these modifications, except in federally funded housing. 

When requesting accommodations or modifications, you don’t need to disclose the nature of the disability, just that you are disabled. The landlord has the right to ask for verification that the requested exception is related to the disability. You should request any accommodations or modifications in writing and maintain records of all communications with your landlord. 

Learn more

You can learn all about your rights under the latest laws by signing up for a free Rent Smart Webinar with Solid Ground’s Tenant Counselors. Next up on Wednesday, September 27, 2023 at 5pm, Tenant Counselors will host a webinar on Mold & Your Rights. They’ll cover: 

• How to recognize when a house has a mold problem. 
• Owner responsibilities to solve repair problems. 
• What you should do as a tenant. 
• What you can do if your landlord doesn’t fix the problem. 

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Solid Ground’s Tenant Tips provide general information for Washington state renters. People with specific questions should call our Tenant Services Voice Message Line at the number below. You can also visit our For Tenants webpages at any time where you’ll find a wealth of self-help information.