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Rental Agreement Regulation Ordinance for Seattle Tenants
Please note: this information applies only to tenants who live inside the city limits of Seattle.
Seattle’s Rental Agreement Regulation Ordinance (Ordinance #116843: Chapter 7.24 Seattle Municipal Code) applies to all tenants, all landlords and all rental units in the City of Seattle that are covered under the Washington State Residential Landlord Tenant Act (RCW 59.18). Here are some of the highlights of this ordinance:
Minimum stay requirements are illegal in month-to-month agreements
After September 30, 1993, month-to-month rental agreements with minimum stay requirements or any penalties for the tenant not occupying the unit for a certain amount of time are illegal. Any such language in a month-to-month rental contract signed after September 30, 1993 is null and void. (The rest of the rental agreement is still valid).
Enforcement of this part of the ordinance:
If a tenant with an illegal month-to-month agreement that was executed after September 30, 1993 loses his/her deposit because of the illegal provisions, that tenant is entitled to collect from the landlord double the deposit, plus actual damages incurred and attorney fees and costs. Before a tenant sues in small claims court, the tenant must request that the landlord return the deposit.
Beginning June 4, 1994, if a landlord uses a month-to-month agreement with prohibited provisions, the landlord must pay the tenant a $1000 penalty, plus attorney fees and costs.
Landlords must give tenants a summary of landlord/tenant laws
Landlords are required to provide tenants with a summary of Seattle and State landlord/tenant laws.
- For tenants who established a tenancy before September 30, 1993: Landlords must provide tenants with the summary by October 30, 1993, or as soon as reasonably possible thereafter.
- For tenants who sign rental agreements after September 30, 1993: Landlords must attach the summary to the agreement and both must be given to the tenant.
- For tenants who begin tenancies with verbal agreements after September 30, 1993: Landlords must give the tenants the summary before the agreement is made or as soon as reasonably possible thereafter.
Enforcement of this part of the ordinance:
If a landlord does not provide the summary according to the guidelines above, the tenant is entitled to a $100 penalty from the landlord. If a landlord deliberately fails to give the tenant the summary, the tenant is entitled to $200.
Tenants enforce this ordinance
Who enforces this ordinance? You do. Tenants are required to file civil court actions to collect penalties from landlords who do not meet the requirements of the ordinance. The City of Seattle does not enforce this ordinance. Small Claims Court is the best place to file a civil action; it’s simple, you do not need a lawyer, and it’s inexpensive.
How and when did the law get passed?
Tenants in Seattle organized, joined the Tenants Union, and proposed solutions. The Seattle City Council responded by passing the law on August 30, 1993.
Last Updated: 12/09/04
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The Tenants Union cannot act as your attorney, and its staff members are not attorneys. The Tenants Union makes no representations, expressed or implied, that the information contained in or linked to its web site can or will be used or interpreted in any particular way by any governmental agency or court. As legal advice must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case, and laws are constantly changing, nothing provided herein should be used as a substitute for the advice of competent counsel.