Washington state extends eviction protections through end of October

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D)  announced on Thursday that the state’s eviction protections will remain in place through Oct. 31, The Associated Press reported.

Inslee’s announcement comes days after Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan (D) shared that her city’s own eviction moratorium will remain in place until Jan. 15, 2022. 

Under the previous eviction moratorium bridge, landlords were prohibited from evicting tenants for past-due rent owed from Feb. 2020 and July 2021, according to the AP. 

The new extension will help counties that haven’t received federal and state COVID-19 relief funds intended for rental assistance under the now-expired moratorium. 

Renters were expected to pay their full rent amount unless they negotiate a lesser amount with their landlord or seek rental assistance. 

Tenants must also disclose which services and support are available to them, with landlords offering a reasonable payment plan before starting the eviction process, the AP reported. 

About 57,000 households in the state are currently not paying rent, and 147,000 residents shared they have no confidence to pay next month’s rent, according to a Census Plus Survey.

The survey also found that 49,000 residents shared that they will be evicted within the next two months.