Mayor Jenny Durkan signed an emergency order over the weekend to put a temporary moratorium on residential evictions in response to the coronavirus outbreak in the Seattle area.
The moratorium stops all evictions related to the non-payment or partial payment of rent for 30 days. It also stops all late fees or other charges for late rental payments. The moratorium started immediately after it was signed Saturday.
Seattle tenants still need to make rent payments as best they can. If they can’t, they should contact their landlords to work out payment plans, according to the Mayor.
However, the moratorium prevents landlords from assessing late fees. Once the moratorium is over, tenents will be responsible for debts owed and landlords can evict for non-payments.
On Monday, the city council approved the Mayor’s order, but also modified it to extend to 60 days, not 30 days as previously specified. The council version applies to residential evictions to leases that have expired or will expire during the coronavirus emergency. In addition, it asks the King County Sheriff’s Office to stop enforcing evictions during this time.
If you are worried about your own rental properties and would like to discuss how Sound Point Property Management can help you navigate these changes, please contact us.
RESOURCES:
https://seattle.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=8200807&GUID=73C19E2E-9035-4460-A5F1-04486931E4CE
