Did you know... THE IMPACT OF COVID Both landlords and tenants are suffering during the pandemic.  If the various eviction moratoriums expire as of December 31, 2020 as scheduled, $70 billion in unpaid back rent and utilities will come due, according to estimates by Moody’s Analytics Chief Economist Mark Zandi.  While the estimates of the number of potential tenants affected vary, the […]
Did you know... FAIR HOUSING or UNFAIR HOUSING? That Fair Housing laws overrule homeowners’ association rules?  Many homeowners’ associations (HOAs) have rules and regulations that all community residents must abide by.  However, even a validly enacted, substantively sound covenant can be unenforceable if it discriminates against members of a protected class.  Washington added marital status as a protected class in 1973; marital status […]
Did you know... DELIVERING A “LEGAL” NOTICE That sending a notice via text or email is not enforceable?  There are very specific requirements regarding serving a notice to a tenant.  These include: A copy must be either hand delivered or posted on the door. You must knock on the door before posting. There must be an individual copy for each adult occupant, […]
Did you know... THE RISE AND FALL OF RENTAL RATES That, on average, one-bedroom rental prices are down more than on other properties?  There are several reasons for this, starting with a larger inventory of one-bedroom rentals.  Demand is down because some tenants are moving out of one-bedrooms into two-bedrooms to save money; half of a two-bedroom is less expensive than all of a one-bedroom.  […]
Did you know... CONSIDERING PROPERTY MANAGEMENT? TRUST BUT VERIFY That before hiring a property management company, it’s important to verify that it is licensed with the Department of Licensing?  The AG’s office filed charges against an unlicensed property management company in Auburn and a King County Superior Court Commissioner ordered NW Property Solutions to pay a total of half a million dollars for making […]
Did you know... FALL BACK-CHANGE THE CLOCKS!
Did you know... COVID-19 AND RENTAL PROPERTY RENT That although the local sales market has seen little impact from the pandemic, the rental market has been negatively impacted?  Insurify researched the twenty cities with the most significant decreases in rent costs during the pandemic.  While nationwide rents have been stable with an average change of .0067% between March and September, rents have declined […]
Did you know... LANDLORD SUPPORT OR ?????????? That King County has a program to assist small landlords who have tenants with unpaid rent due to the pandemic?  The Small Landlord Fund assists landlords with nine or fewer tenants who have unpaid rent that became due on or after March 1, 2020. Small landlords with properties in King County are eligible. The funding […]
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Did you know... ANOTHER EVICTION MORATORIUM That during the governor’s press briefing on Thursday, he announced that the eviction moratorium will be extended to the end of the year?  The specifics of the next (#5) eviction proclamation will be given on Monday, October 12th.  Tenants cannot be evicted for non-payment of rent, but rent does continue accruing.  While there are a […]
Did you know... RENT PAYMENT DELAYED – LIVES TURNED UPSIDE DOWN According to Rentec, the number of tenants unable to pay rent in full has increased with each month of the pandemic.  As of September 10th, rent payments received nationwide by property managers and landlords they polled were 35% lower than rent received for the same period in March. At the same time, Brookings Institute researchers […]
Did you know... RESIDENTIAL RENTAL EVICTIONS & COVID-19 That not only does the governor’s proclamation ban evictions, it also bans threatening a tenant with eviction?  The state moratorium bans any action to remove a tenant, with three exceptions.  A tenant may be given a notice to vacate only if the owner wants to sell the property, wants to move in themselves or the […]
Did you know... THE CDC ISSUES EVICTION BAN That the CDC has banned evictions nationwide through the end of the year?  The ban was issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, using authority granted in a 1944 public health law. The purpose is to prevent homelessness and crowded living conditions that could worsen the spread of COVID-19.  The CDC’s order requires tenants who fall […]
Did you know... COVID-19 and unpaid rent in Washington State That there are a number of reasons why a landlord should work with tenants unable to pay rent in full due to the pandemic? The governor’s eviction moratorium requires landlords to provide a “reasonable” payment plan to tenants unable to pay rent. Financial rescue efforts that were largely effective in keeping tenants in their homes, […]
Did you know... FAIR HOUSING AND DISABILITY That fair housing laws require that landlords permit, at the expense of the person with a disability, reasonable modifications of the rental property if necessary, for the tenant’s full enjoyment of the premises? The landlord can require that the tenant restore the property to its original condition when the tenant vacates if the modification will […]
Did you know... WHERE WE ARE – FROM WHERE WE STARTED Since mid-March there have been four proclamations from the governor affecting tenant and landlord rights, two changes to the state Landlord Tenant Act as well as a variety of changes and proposed changes to rental regulations in Seattle. There have been four versions of the state Eviction Moratorium. The most recent version is through October […]
Did you know... LANDLORDS!!! NO EVICTIONS ALLOWED!! That the governor extended the eviction moratorium to October 15th?  This is the third extension and includes prohibitions from previous proclamations: ~Rent cannot be increased, ~Late fees cannot be charged,  ~A “reasonable” payment plan must be offered if tenants are having trouble paying rent, and ~Tenants cannot be required to vacate at the end of […]
Did you know... CITY OF AUBURN WASHINGTON – RENTAL CHANGES????? Auburn is considering a new rental law.  Here are some of the proposed provisions: * The ordinance would require housing providers to provide certain information to the tenant with the screening criteria. * The ordinance would require 120 days’ notice for rent increases of 5% or more and allows the tenant to terminate the rental […]
Did you know... SEATTLE CHANGES OCCUPANCY REGULATIONS That Seattle has a new ordinance about roommates?  Effective July 1st, tenants can more easily add roommates to current leases.  Here are the highlights: Tenants must inform the landlord within 30 days of moving someone into the rental. A non-family roommate can be screened and can be denied occupancy based on screening.  Immediate family can […]
Did you know... INDEPENDENCE DAY – 2020 – Let Freedom Ring!
Did you know... LANDLORD VIOLATIONS – FINES The Residential Landlord Tenant Act (RLTA) has provisions for a variety of penalties for landlords who violate its terms.  For instance, a landlord who violates the source of income clause, can be held liable for up to four and one-half times the monthly rent plus court costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees.  While there is no […]