Washington State
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research
BILL
ANALYSIS
Housing, Human Services & Veterans Committee
SSB 5749
Brief Description: Concerning rent payments made by residential and manufactured housing community tenants.
Sponsors: Senate Committee on Housing & Local Government (originally sponsored by Senators Trudeau, Salomon, Hasegawa, Nobles and Wilson, C.).
Brief Summary of Substitute Bill
  • Requires a landlord to accept a personal check, cashier's check, or money order for rent payments.
  • Requires a landlord to allow tenants to submit rent payments by mail or at an accessible, on-site location.
  • Prohibits a landlord from including in the rental agreement a provision in which the tenant agrees to make rent payments through electronic means only.
Hearing Date:
Staff: Serena Dolly (786-7150).
Background:

The Residential Landlord-Tenant Act (RLTA) regulates the relationship between residential landlords and tenants, including the duties of tenants and landlords and remedies for violations of those duties. With some statutory exceptions, the rental of a dwelling unit for living purposes is generally covered under the RLTA.  Under the RLTA, a rental agreement may not include provisions in which the tenant agrees to certain items, such as agreeing to waive rights or remedies available under the RLTA.

 

The Manufactured/Mobile Home Landlord-Tenant Act (MHLTA) governs the legal rights, remedies, and obligations arising from any rental agreement between a landlord and a tenant regarding a mobile home lot within a mobile home park where the tenant has no ownership interest in the property or in the association that owns the property.  Under the MHLTA, a rental agreement may not include provisions in which the tenant agrees to certain items, such as agreeing to waive rights or remedies available under the MHLTA.

 

Under the RLTA, a landlord may refuse to accept cash for any payment of rent made by a tenant.  Under both the RLTA and the MHLTA, a landlord must provide a receipt for any payment made by a tenant in the form of cash and must also provide, upon the request of a tenant, a written receipt for any payments made by the tenant in a form other than cash.
Summary of Bill:

A landlord must accept a personal check, cashier's check, or money order for payment of rent by a tenant.  In addition, a landlord must allow a tenant to submit a rental payment by mail or at an accessible, on-site location.  A landlord may not include any provision in a rental agreement that allows a tenant to pay rent though electronic means only.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Not requested.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed. ?