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Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections <br />Seattle Municipal Tower, 700 Fifth Ave., Suite 2000, P.O. Box 34019, Seattle, WA 98104-4019 www.seattle.gov/sdci <br />SDCI complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Accommodations for people with disabilities provided on request. <br />This summary of Washington state and City of Seattle landlord/tenant regulations must be provided to tenants by owners of <br />residential rental property located in Seattle on at least an annual basis. Please note that City and State laws may not be iden- <br />tical on any particular topic; therefore, both sets of laws should be consulted. For legal advice, please consult an attorney. <br />December 2017 <br />Seattle Landlord-Tenant Laws <br />OBLIGATIONS OF LANDLORDS <br />Building owners must provide safe, clean, secure liv- <br />ing conditions, including: <br />• Keeping the premises fit for human habitation and <br />keeping common areas reasonably clean and safe <br />• Controlling insects, rodents and other pests <br />• Maintaining roof, walls and foundation and keeping <br />the unit weather tight <br />• Maintaining electrical, plumbing, heating and other <br />equipment and appliances supplied by the owner <br />• Providing adequate containers for garbage and <br />arranging for garbage pickup <br />• When responsible for providing heat in rental units, <br />from September through June maintaining daytime <br />(7:00 a.m.-10:30 p.m.) temperatures at 68oF or above <br />and nighttime temperatures at not less than 58oF <br />• In non-transient accommodations, providing keys <br />to unit and building entrance doors and, in most <br />cases, changing the lock mechanism and keys <br />upon a change of tenants <br />• Installing smoke detectors and instructing tenants <br />in their maintenance and operation <br />Owners are not required to make cosmetic repairs <br />after each tenancy, such as installing new carpets or <br />applying a fresh coat of paint. <br />OBLIGATIONS OF TENANTS <br />Tenants must maintain rental housing in a safe, clean <br />manner, including: <br />• Properly disposing of garbage <br />• Exercising care in use of electrical and plumb- <br />ing fixtures <br />• Promptly repairing any damage caused by them or <br />their guests <br />• Granting reasonable access for inspection, mainte- <br />nance, repair and pest control <br />• Maintaining smoke detectors in good working order <br />• Refraining from storing dangerous materials on <br />the premises <br />THE JUST CAUSE EVICTION ORDINANCE <br />This ordinance requires landlords to have good cause <br />in order to terminate a month-to-month tenancy. It <br />specifies the only reasons for which a tenant in Seattle <br />may be required to move, and requires owners to <br />state the reason, in writing, for ending a tenancy when <br />giving a termination notice. A property owner cannot <br />evict a tenant if the property is not registered with the <br />City of Seattle. Unless otherwise noted, an owner must <br />Seattle Landlord-Tenant Laws <br />Obligations of landlords ...................................................... 1 <br />Obligations of tenants ......................................................... 1 <br />The Just Cause Eviction Ordinance ................................. 1 <br />Actions considered to be harassment or retaliation .......... 3 <br />The Rental Agreement Regulation Ordinance......................4 <br />Other City ordinances that affect tenants and <br />landlords ......................................................................... 7 <br />Washington State Law <br />Rights of All Tenants .......................................................... 8 <br />Types of Rental Agreements ............................................. 8 <br />Illegal Discrimination ........................................................... 8 <br />Liability ................................................................................ 9 <br />Illegal Provisions in Rental Agreements ............................. 9 <br />Privacy —Landlord's Access to the Rental ........................ 9 <br />Deposits and Other Fees .................................................. 9 <br />Landlord's Responsibilities ................................................ 9 <br />Tenant's Responsibilities .................................................... 10 <br />Threatening Behavior by a Tenant or Landlord ................. 10 <br />Making Changes to Month-to-Month Agreement ............... 10 <br />Making Changes to Leases ............................................... 10 <br />How to Handle Repairs ...................................................... 11 <br />Illegal Landlord Actions ....................................................... 11 <br />Ending the Agreement ........................................................ 12 <br />Return of Deposits ............................................................ 12 <br />Evictions ............................................................................. 13 <br />Abandonment ..................................................................... 13 <br />Receipts ........................................................................... 15 <br />Copies of Documents .......................................................... 15 <br />Voter Registration ............................................................. 15 <br />Table of Contents <br />Information for Tenants <br />TRANSLATIONS <br />For copies of this document in Amharic, Cambodian, Chinese, <br />Korean, Laotian, Oromiffa, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, <br />Thai, Tigrinya and Vietnamese, visit SDCI's website at <br />www.seattle.gov/dpd/rentinginseattle or call (206) 684-8467.