Home & Garden
Seattle Releases Guidelines For Paying Back Unpaid Rent
Evictions may be on hold but rent will still be due when the pandemic ends. Now Seattle has released guidelines to help renters pay it back.
SEATTLE, WA — When the pandemic is over, rent will still be due. To help Seattle residents pay back any unpaid rent they may have accrued during the coronavirus outbreak, the Seattle City Council has unanimously passed a new ordinance creating standardized payment plans from renter to landlord.
Council Bill 119788 creates a series of payment plans dependent on how much unpaid rent is owed. Each plan requires payment be made in equal, monthly installments. In essence, this means renters will pay back their unpaid rent in chunks alongside their current rent payments.
The program breaks down as:
| Months of Unpaid Rent | Monthly installments |
| One or less | Three installments |
| Over one and up to two months of rent | Five installments |
| Over two months of rent | Six installments |
Under the legislation, renters do not have to pay late fees or interest on their unpaid rent.
The bill was designed by Council President M. Lorena González, who said she had heard from many constituents worried that they would be unable to pay back all their rent at once when eviction protections expire:
"I’ve heard from many renters that are worried about a lump sum due once moratoriums on evictions are lifted. Coupled with Seattle’s defense for evictions, this legislation gives renters more time to become current on their rent, and clearly spells out payment plans between renters and landlords based on a best practice already being used by the industry," said González in a statement. "Those that are able to pay their rent should, but for those who face financial hardships and are unable to pay their rent, this legislation will ensure that tenants can stay in their homes and landlords can be made financially whole."
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Tenants and landlords can also come up with their own payment plans if both parties agree on an alternative schedule, but if they can't or don't want to the legislation provides a legal framework to give renters time to pay back their debts.
Seattle first halted evictions in mid-March, meaning some renters may have already accrued several months of unpaid rent. At the beginning of May, those protections were extended for an extra six months. The moratorium suspends any residential evictions for non-payment or partial payment of rent.
On Monday the City Council approved the use of $4 million from the CARES act funding to help renters who are behind on their payments because of the pandemic. The money represents almost a third of the $12.7 million in funding Seattle will receive from the CARES act. The money will be distributed through the United Way Homebase Program, city Homelessness Prevention programs and affordable housing providers.
The bill can be read in full on the city of Seattle's website here.
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