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December 22, 2021                                                      

City of Kenmore Communications
communications@kenmorewa.gov
425-398-8900

City of Kenmore temporary moratorium on residential tenant evictions ends January 15, 2022, but tenant protections related to the COVID-19 pandemic remain in effect

Kenmore, WA – The City of Kenmore’s temporary moratorium on residential tenant evictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic was established in March 2020. The moratorium was most recently extended in September 2020 to allow additional time for procedures to be put into place to implement state and local legislation on tenant protections and give additional time for tenants and landlords to access available funding assistance. The City’s temporary moratorium on residential tenant evictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic will expire January 15, 2022. 

The City’s residential tenant protections and eviction defense provisions related to the COVID-19 pandemic adopted June 14, 2021 (Ordinance 21-0525) remain in effect if the City’s proclaimed emergency (March 5, 2020) due to the COVID-19 pandemic remains in effect. 

The City’s tenant protections related to the COVID-19 pandemic includes the following:

1. Creates a defense to eviction for rental debt accrued due to pandemic hardship;
2. Creates a defense to eviction if a tenant has a rental application in process;
3. Bans late fees for rent that became due during the pandemic;
4. Requires landlords to certify that they have attempted to obtain rental assistance before filing for eviction due to unpaid rent accrued during the pandemic.

State legislation passed in 2021 also includes residential tenant protections. E2SSB 5160 included several residential tenant protections related to the Covid-19 pandemic such as:
1. Requiring landlords to offer tenants a reasonable payment plan for unpaid rent accrued during the pandemic between March 1, 2020 and 6 months after the expiration of the Governor’s temporary eviction moratorium;
2. A landlord may not impose late fees for a tenant’s non-payment of rent between March 1, 2020 and 6 months after the end of the Governor’s eviction moratorium;
3. Creation of a new Eviction Resolution Pilot program; and
4. legal representation of indigent tenants.

ESHB1236 requires landlords to provide a reason to tenants when asking them to leave, which should reduce issues around arbitrary evictions.

See the City of Kenmore website and WA State website for further information.