Seattle passed a law that provides a defense of inability to pay for evictions based on non-payment of “rent due during, or within six months after the termination of, the Mayor’s residential eviction moratorium”, currently set to expire December 31, 2020. Not all evictions are for non-payment of rent. Note also that the Seattle ordinance may not apply to tenants who were well behind with rent when the moratorium was enacted, and the landlord is evicting only for the pre-moratorium rent. Once the eviction moratorium ends, this law would not prohibit landlords from serving a notice to pay rent or […]
inability to pay rent
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Seattle has passed new tenant protection laws in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Inability to pay defense. For a six-month period after the mayor’s residential eviction moratorium ends, tenants may raise an inability to pay as a defense. This law does not prevent landlords from starting an eviction action, and the tenant must come to court and raise the defense. This ordinance requires language in the 14-day notice. It is a defense to eviction if this language is not included. Payment plans. For the duration of the state of emergency declared by the mayor, Seattle residential tenants may pay overdue rent […]