On April 26th, 2002, Seattle City Council passed an ordinance by a 7-1 vote that changed the regulations for landlords collecting late rent from tenants affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
New rules require landlords to cap repayment payments at one-third of a tenant’s rent, offer tenants a “reasonable schedule” for paying back rent and extend the rent covered the period to six months following the civil emergency.
Before the May 2020 ordinance, renters only had up to six months to make up a late rent payment, and only during public health emergencies in Washington were covered.
The tenant can assert this defense in eviction court if the landlord does not make the offer or does not give the tenant two weeks to accept it.
Read all the details on this KING 5 article and the Seattle Times.
If you are a rental property owner in the Seattle area and find yourself overwhelmed with the laws regarding Seattle rentals, consider hiring Sound Point Property Management to manage your properties.
