Skagit, Whatcom rental markets worst in state

A recent University of Washington report on apartment availability verifies what many Skagit County residents have experienced for years: The Skagit rental housing market is tied with Whatcom County for the worst in the state.

Rental markets with a rate of below 5 percent vacancy are considered tight, according to the report.

Skagit’s vacancy rate — the percentage of rental units that are vacant at a given time — was 0.4 percent, according to the most recent data from spring 2019.

That number is down from 0.9 percent in spring 2018, according to a previous report from the university’s Washington Center for Real Estate Research. In the same period, the statewide vacancy rate rose from 2.7 percent to 4.3 percent.

Of the 18 most populous counties assessed in the report, only Whatcom County matched Skagit’s numbers.

The result is competition for housing and higher prices. In a constrained market, landlords can be extremely selective, meaning any blemish on one’s rental history can be disqualifying, Schott-Bresler said. Landlords can demand first and last month’s rent up front in addition to a larger deposit, and potential tenants lose the ability to negotiate.