Nondisclosure agreements in rental leases raise concerns among Washington renters and tenant advocates

Some tenants in Southwest Washington and other parts of the state could face a predicament the next time they sign or renew a lease: either sign a nondisclosure agreement or risk eviction and having to look elsewhere in a tight housing market. The NDAs are being used to prevent tenants from disclosing to others, with the exception of immediate family members, how much they pay in rent, security deposits or other associated fees. According to reporting by The Columbian, the use of NDAs by landlords is raising concerns among tenant advocates that they could be used to discriminate against prospective renters, such as people who use Section 8 federal housing vouchers. Landlords could, for example, advertise properties with high monthly rents and security deposits while reducing those fees through NDAs in contracts they offer higher-income tenants. 

Alexis Weisend, the affordable housing and homelessness reporter at The Columbian, joins us to share more details.