What does RHA do for its Members? A Legal Opinion

By Chris Benis, RHA Legal Counsel

RHA has members at the extreme ends of the residential property management spectrum. We count among our members large property management and development companies with thousands of apartment units. The majority of our members, however, own just a few rental units. In fact, we have a number of members who live in a single family home which contains an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU, sometimes called a "mother-in-law").

The large management companies have extensive training programs for their property and resident managers. They have the resources and number of units under management to have legal forms tailor made for them. Some firms even have their own "in-house" credit check companies. Our smaller members find it difficult to justify these investments when apartment or rental home ownership is a sideline to another full time job. RHA fills the gap by providing continuing education, legal forms and member services such as our credit check program and online vacancies posting on our website.

Members who own a large number of units and those owning only a few, all benefit equally from one of our programs. It is the service that they may not even know that they use. I am referring to our local governmental affairs efforts.

RHA is an association that encompasses the Puget Sound area and more. In the cities and towns in the Puget Sound region, it is possible that any one of them could adopt local legislation harmful to rental property owners. The cities of Auburn, Burien, Des Moines, Tukwila, SeaTac, Shoreline and others have considered or passed apartment inspection and registration programs.

The RHA staff studies the regular meeting agendas of the local governments (as well as the county itself), meets with city and county council members and reports to our board about any issues which affect us.

The list of our legislative successes is long. For example, who remembers when King County and several cities considered adoption of just cause eviction ordinances similar to that in Seattle? It was RHA that made sure that the ordinance was rejected and which asks every candidate for local office whether they agree with us in opposing just cause eviction ordinances.

While we do not always succeed in our legislative agenda, it is hard to imagine what governments would try to impose if RHA was not watchful and vocal on issues which concern us. Approximately 40% of RHA's budget is derived from membership dues. The balance comes from services to members such as sales of legal forms and the credit check program and advertising by our associate members. Our expenses, however, are directed to providing either direct member service (such as our seminar programs) or to what I like to call "indirect member service." This is the part of our budget which goes to fund our statewide and local government legislative efforts.

Whether you use our direct member services or not, all members benefit from our indirect member services. When it comes time to renew your membership, please remember the benefits you derive every day through participation in RHA. If your friends or business associates inquire about the benefits of RHA membership, remind them about these indirect benefits that all rental property owners, large and small, derive from their membership in RHA.