A new bill in Olympia would impose a state-wide just cause eviction law for residential rentals.[1] Landlords would not be allowed to terminate a tenancy or evict a tenant except for certain enumerated grounds. These would include failure to pay rent, material breach of the rental contract terms, creating waste or nuisance, the owner seeking to sell, the owner seeking to live in the property, and various other specified grounds. The law would require landlords to offer payment plans for tenants with rental debt due to COVID-19 hardship. The payment plan must be “based on the tenant’s finances” and other […]
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A proposed new law would impose mandatory mediation in every eviction case; permanently eliminate eviction show cause hearings for all residential evictions; force a trial date (as opposed to a show cause hearing) for every eviction case; prevent eviction for any unpaid rent accrued during the pandemic unless the tenant refuses or fails to comply with mandatory payment plans; force landlords to return security deposits to all tenant even if the tenant owes the landlord money. Mediation is a settlement conference. A mediator has no power to evict anyone or force either party to do anything. The mediation requirement would […]
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 […]