SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle is extending the city’s coronavirus moratorium on evictions through Sept. 30.
Initially established in March 2020, the moratorium is an attempt by the city to stave off evictions of people who lost jobs because of the pandemic and fell behind on their rent payments. The Seattle Times reports the extension announced on June 18 is the fifth Mayor Jenny Durkan has ordered.
Seattle’s moratorium applies to residential, nonprofit and small-business tenants, with small businesses defined as those with 50 or fewer employees.
Most evictions are prohibited for those tenants, including evictions for nonpayment of rent, though tenants remain obligated to pay rent and can accumulate debt.
Seattle is requiring landlords to offer payment plans and has banned late charges and interest. Evictions can be sought in dangerous situations.
A similar, statewide eviction moratorium is slated to expire June 30.
Landlords have objected to extensions of eviction bans.
“Where is the rental assistance? Literally millions of dollars have been allocated to help cover housing costs and no one is getting a dime yet,’’ the Rental Housing Association of Washington and the Washington Multi-family Housing Association said in a joint June 18 statement.