Housing (Renters)

SB 6139 requires landlords to accept checks (except for tenants with recent bounced checks) and provide receipts for cash or non-cash payments. It clarifies that partial rent payments made during an eviction case do not restart a lease, stop eviction proceedings, or change the five-day deadline for full payment. The bill directly affects tenants facing eviction and landlords handling rental payments in court disputes. Tenants must still pay the full rent amount by the court deadline to avoid eviction, regardless of partial payments.

SB 5678 creates a state task force to study Washington's residential landlord-tenant laws and imposes a 36-month moratorium on new local rental regulations. The task force, composed of landlords, tenants, housing advocates, and local government representatives, will examine issues like rent limits, evictions, security deposits, and tenant screening. Local governments (cities, towns, counties) cannot enact new rental rules during the moratorium period, which begins when the bill takes effect. The task force must report its recommendations to the legislature by July 2027, with the bill expiring in 2029.

HB 1088 creates a task force to study Washington's residential landlord-tenant laws and recommends updates, while imposing a 36-month moratorium on new local regulations governing rental relationships. The task force - composed of landlords, tenants, housing advocates, and local government representatives - will examine issues like rent limits, evictions, and security deposits, with recommendations due by July 2027. The moratorium prevents cities, towns, and counties from enacting new ordinances or policies regulating landlord-tenant matters for 36 months. This bill directly affects local governments, landlords, and tenants by halting new local rules during the study period. It aims to create a consistent state-level framework for housing regulations, addressing disparities caused by varying local ordinances.

SB 5661 creates statewide consistency in housing by preventing cities and counties from enacting local rent control or landlord-tenant regulations that conflict with Washington’s state law. It directly affects landlords, tenants, and local governments in areas like Seattle, King County, and Tacoma, which have previously imposed conflicting rules (e.g., requiring extra notices for criminal activity or mandating 30-day notices). The bill amends state law to explicitly state that cities and counties cannot regulate rent amounts or tenant agreements (except for low-income housing under specific joint public-private programs), overriding local ordinances. This aims to eliminate regulatory confusion, encourage rental housing investment, and support Washington’s goal of building 1.1 million new homes over 20 years.