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The Washington State legislature is considering a bill, SB 5160, that would extend the governor’s eviction ban for two years.
The bill would prohibit landlords from terminating or refusing to renew a rental agreement for two years after expiration of any public health emergency. This would apply to both leases at the end of the term and month-to-month rental agreements unless the owner wanted to sell, would personally occupy the property or if the tenant and landlord resided in the same dwelling unit.
The following clauses are some of those that, if passed, would be in force between March 1, 2020 and the expiration of the final Governor’s Eviction Moratorium.
- Presumes any “no cause” termination notice issued to a tenant for any unpaid rent that accrued during this period to be a reprisal or retaliatory action
- Prohibits landlords from denying tenancy based on unpaid rent or late rent payments that accrued while the moratoriums are in effect.
- Authorizes tenants adversely impacted by COVID-19 to terminate their tenancy with a 20-day written notice.
- Penalizes landlords up to four and one-half times monthly rent with court costs and attorneys’ fees for violations.
- With limitations, authorizes landlords to pursue an eviction action if the tenant knowingly refuses a “reasonable” offer of a repayment plan, fails to respond to an offer, or defaults on an agreed to repayment plan.
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Nothing found herein should be construed as an attempt to offer or render a legal opinion or otherwise engage in the practice of law. You should not rely solely on this information. We encourage our clients to work with a lawyer experienced in commercial and/or residential real estate matters as they can be complicated and confusing.
