Good News for Washington Renters
Tenants May Install Portable Cooling Devices
Washington's portable cooling access law is now in effect!
The law—SB 6200—protects renters' and mobile home residents' ability to install and use qualifying portable cooling devices. With a hot summer expected, this new law is designed to help households stay safer during extreme heat events and improve access to healthy indoor living conditions.
Extreme heat is causing death and serious illness across Washington. Unlike heating, water, and electricity, landlords do not have to provide cooling—and many tenants are prohibited from using their own air conditioners.
Together we are working to make cooling a basic right for tenants—ensuring that every Washington family stays safe and healthy through extreme heat.
What People Are Saying
“Extreme heat affects us all, but renters are among the most vulnerable. This important bill does at a state level what we did in Spokane in 2024. It ensures that no landlord can prohibit a tenant from install life-saving cooling devices. In our climate changed world, this can be the difference between life and death.”
— Professor Brian G. Henning of Gonzaga University’s Institute for Climate, Water, and the Environment
“The Housing Alliance knows that this bill will save lives and we applaud the legislature for passing it. Renters are too often left without adequate cooling options and as our environment continues to heat up, this bill will ensure that renter households can use a portable cooling device without the threat of eviction or junk fees.”
— Michele Thomas, Director of Policy and Advocacy for the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance
“ESSB 6200 is a practical step to protect Washington renters during extreme heat. No one should be prevented from keeping their home safely cool; cooling isn’t a luxury—it’s a safety issue. Washington tenants deserve the right to protect themselves from dangerous heat.”
—Violet Lavatai, Executive Director of Tenant Organizers and Advocates
Contact Us
Help us advocate for Washington families’ right to cooling. Get in touch!