new landlord-tenant law

2 posts

Seattle First in Time Law Upheld

The controversial Seattle First in Time law was recently upheld by the Washington Supreme Court. Under the First in Time law, Seattle landlords seeking to fill vacant residential tenancies must provide notice of their rental criteria, screen applications in chronological order, and offer the tenancy to the first qualified applicant, subject to certain exceptions. Notice of rental criteria.  The landlord must first “provide notice to a prospective occupant” of “the criteria the owner will use to screen prospective occupants and the minimum threshold for each criterion,” as well as “all information, documentation, and other submissions necessary for the owner to […]

Good News and Bad in Major New Landlord-Tenant Law

Swiping legislation that will make major changes to landlord-tenant law will be enacted soon. Some of the key provisions include: notice to Pay Rent or Vacate extended from 3 days to 14 days; expansion of public funds to pay landlords past due rent; expanded discretion for courts to reinstate the tenancy, conditioned on payment of rent and in some cases court cost. While the eviction process will take longer, more landlords will actually get the rent they are owed, and in many cases the court costs as well. We have gotten thousands of judgments for residential landlords over the years […]