Summarized: SB 5160 (Landlord-Tenant Relations)

Effective April 22, 2021, the Washington State Legislature will add or amend sections to RCW 59.18 to provide additional tenant protections during COVID-19.

The biggest sections establish a pilot dispute resolution program (temporary for now), mandate attorneys to represent indigent tenants, and require landlords to submit reasonable repayment plans before filing an eviction matter in court.

More on this legislation after the jump break.

I also did not previously note at least two extensions on the eviction moratorium from Governor Inslee. The current moratorium, as of this post, runs through June 30, 2021.

SB 6378 (Multiple Residential Tenant Protections)

(NOTE: This is the last in a three-part series of blog posts of Washington Landlord-Tenant laws that take effect June 11, 2020.)

The Washington State Legislature added or amend sections affecting Washington landlord-tenant laws to give protections in addition to the two posts I previously covered.

Some of the sections noted below (Sections 5 through 8) took immediate effect upon Governor Inslee's signature, which was April 2, 2020. Sections 1 through 4 will take effect on June 11, 2020. I explain further below.

SB 5600 (14-Day Rent Notices, Staying Writs, Etc.)

View SB 5600, as passed into law, here.

Effective July 28, 2019, sweeping changes to Washington's Residential Landlord-Tenant Act (RLTA) will take effect, including extending the time frame to pay rent. But, as described below, SB 5600 does more than that.