A couple purchased a property to use as a residential rental. They obtained a license to rent the property as a single family dwelling, but later converted the basement into a second unit—but without required permitting. Only five days after the landlords rented out the basement, code enforcers ordered the tenants to vacate the basement, and limited use of the rental property to a single family dwelling.
relocation assistance
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Pham, a Seattle residential landlord, bought a rental property at foreclosure. It was metered for five units, so he assumed it was properly permitted for five living units. It turned out that the building was only permitted as a triplex. Pham rented Unit 5 to Corbett and Morgan. The tenants often paid rent late or in installments. The tenants complained to the landlord about the rental unit’s condition, including rats, a lack of railings on an outside deck, and leaking water/sewage issues. The tenants stopped paying rent after the lease ended, but remained in possession. The landlord served a notice […]