Seattle Extends Eviction Protections For Renters

SEATTLE, WA — The Seattle City Council unanimously passed extended protections for renters Monday, providing an extra six months of defense against evictions.

Eviction moratoriums on the city and state level will expire on June 4, and the new legislation establishes a legal defense for tenants to use if their landlord takes them to court.

"After the immediate health crisis is over, we know the economic ripple effects will be felt for some time," council President M. Lorena Gonzalez said. "Tenants who have lose their jobs or seen their income significantly dropped during this pandemic need time to find their way back to economic stability."

Seattle's legislation allows residents to use an inability to pay as a legitimate defense against eviction, provided they submit a declaration of financial hardship to the court.

Gonzalez said it is not meant for tenants who have the money to pay.

"Tenants may use this defense if needed, but this bill does not release renters of their contractual obligations to pay their monthly rent," Gonzalez said. "If you are a tenant who can afford to pay your rent in full, you absolutely should."

Gonzalez introduced a second bill Monday that would create a template for payment plans and installment schedules.

In March, the city council passed a non-binding resolution urging President Donald Trump, Congress and Gov. Jay Inslee to cancel rent and mortgage payments during the pandemic, which would forgive — rather than postpone — missed payments.

A bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives and co-sponsored by Rep. Pramila Jaypal is seeking debt cancellations on the federal level, but the legislation has yet to move forward in the process.