AN ACT
Relating to tenant duties under the landlord-tenant act; amending RCW
59.18.130, 59.18.180, and 59.18.075; adding new sections to chapter 59.18 RCW;
adding a new section to chapter 63.29 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 7.48
RCW; prescribing penalties; and providing an effective date.
BE IT
ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 1. A new
section is added to chapter 59.18
RCW to
read as follows:
The
legislature recognizes that tenants have a number of duties under the
residential landlord tenant act. These duties include the duty to pay rent and
give sufficient notice before terminating the tenancy, the duty to pay drayage
and storage costs under certain circumstances, and the duty to not create a
nuisance or common waste. The legislature finds that tenants are sometimes
threatened by other tenants with firearms or other deadly weapons. Some
landlords refuse to evict those tenants who threaten the well-being of other
tenants even after an arrest has been made for the threatening behavior. The
legislature also finds that some tenants who hold protective orders are still
subjected to threats and acts of domestic violence. These tenants with protective
orders must sometimes move quickly so that the person being restrained does not
know where they reside. Tenants who move out of dwelling units because they
fear for their safety often forfeit their damage deposit and last month's rent
because they did not provide the requisite notice to terminate the tenancy.
Some tenants remain in unsafe situations because they cannot afford to lose the
money held as a deposit by the landlord. There is no current mechanism that
authorizes the suspension of the tenant's duty to give the requisite notice
before terminating a tenancy if they are endangered by others. There also is
no current mechanism that imposes a duty on the tenant to pay drayage and
storage costs when the landlord stores his or her property after an eviction.
It is the intent of the legislature to provide a mechanism for tenants who are
threatened to terminate their tenancies without suffering undue economic loss,
to provide additional mechanisms to allow landlords to evict tenants who
endanger others, and to establish a mechanism for tenants to pay drayage and
storage costs under certain circumstances when the landlord stores the tenant's
property after an eviction.
Sec.
2. RCW
59.18.130 and 1991 c 154 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
Each
tenant shall pay the rental amount at such times and in such amounts as
provided for in the rental agreement or as otherwise provided by law and comply
with all obligations imposed upon tenants by applicable provisions of all
municipal, county, and state codes, statutes, ordinances, and regulations, and
in addition shall:
(1)
Keep that part of the premises which he or she occupies and uses as
clean and sanitary as the conditions of the premises permit;
(2)
Properly dispose from his or her dwelling unit all rubbish, garbage, and
other organic or flammable waste, in a clean and sanitary manner at reasonable
and regular intervals, and assume all costs of extermination and fumigation for
infestation caused by the tenant;
(3) Properly
use and operate all electrical, gas, heating, plumbing and other fixtures and
appliances supplied by the landlord;
(4)
Not intentionally or negligently destroy, deface, damage, impair, or remove any
part of the structure or dwelling, with the appurtenances thereto, including
the facilities, equipment, furniture, furnishings, and appliances, or permit
any member of his or her family, invitee, licensee, or any person acting
under his or her control to do so. Violations may be prosecuted under
chapter 9A.48 RCW if the destruction is intentional and malicious;
(5)
Not permit a nuisance or common waste;
(6)
Not engage in drug-related activity at the rental premises, or allow a
subtenant, sublessee, resident, or anyone else to engage in drug-related activity
at the rental premises with the knowledge or consent of the tenant.
"Drug-related activity" means that activity which constitutes a
violation of chapter 69.41, 69.50, or 69.52 RCW;
(7)
Maintain the smoke detection device in accordance with the manufacturer's
recommendations, including the replacement of batteries where required for the
proper operation of the smoke detection device, as required in RCW
48.48.140(3); ((and))
(8) Not
engage in any activity at the rental premises that is:
(a)
Imminently hazardous to the physical safety of other persons on the premises;
and
(b)(i)
Entails physical assaults upon another person which result in an arrest; or
(ii)
Entails the unlawful use of a firearm or other deadly weapon as defined in RCW
9A.04.110 which results in an arrest, including threatening another tenant or
the landlord with a firearm or other deadly weapon under section 5 of this
act. Nothing in this subsection (8) shall authorize the termination of tenancy
and eviction of the victim of a physical assault or the victim of the use or
threatened use of a firearm or other deadly weapon; and
(9)
Upon termination and vacation, restore the premises to their initial condition
except for reasonable wear and tear or conditions caused by failure of the
landlord to comply with his or her obligations under this chapter:
PROVIDED, That the tenant shall not be charged for normal cleaning if he or
she has paid a nonrefundable cleaning fee.
Sec.
3. RCW
59.18.180 and 1988 c 150 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:
If the
tenant fails to comply with any portion of RCW 59.18.130 or 59.18.140, and such
noncompliance can substantially affect the health and safety of the tenant or
other tenants, or substantially increase the hazards of fire or accident that
can be remedied by repair, replacement of a damaged item, or cleaning, the
tenant shall comply within thirty days after written notice by the landlord
specifying the noncompliance, or, in the case of emergency as promptly as
conditions require. If the tenant fails to remedy the noncompliance within
that period the landlord may enter the dwelling unit and cause the work to be
done and submit an itemized bill of the actual and reasonable cost of repair,
to be payable on the next date when periodic rent is due, or on terms mutually
agreed to by the landlord and tenant, or immediately if the rental agreement
has terminated. Any substantial noncompliance by the tenant of RCW 59.18.130
or 59.18.140 shall constitute a ground for commencing an action in unlawful
detainer in accordance with the provisions of chapter 59.12 RCW, and a landlord
may commence such action at any time after written notice pursuant to such
chapter. The tenant shall have a defense to an unlawful detainer action filed
solely on this ground if it is determined at the hearing authorized under the
provisions of chapter 59.12 RCW that the tenant is in substantial compliance
with the provisions of this section, or if the tenant remedies the noncomplying
condition within the thirty day period provided for above or any shorter period
determined at the hearing to have been required because of an emergency:
PROVIDED, That if the defective condition is remedied after the commencement of
an unlawful detainer action, the tenant may be liable to the landlord for
statutory costs and reasonable attorney's fees.
If
drug-related activity is alleged to be a basis for termination of tenancy under
RCW 59.18.130(6), 59.12.030(5), or 59.20.140(5), the compliance provisions of
this section do not apply and the landlord may proceed directly to an unlawful
detainer action.
If
activity on the premises that creates an imminent hazard to the physical safety
of other persons on the premises as defined in RCW 59.18.130(8) is alleged to
be the basis for termination of the tenancy, and the tenant is arrested as a
result of this activity, then the compliance provisions of this section do not
apply and the landlord may proceed directly to an unlawful detainer action
against the tenant who was arrested for this activity.
A
landlord may not be held liable in any cause of action for bringing an unlawful
detainer action against a tenant for drug-related activity or for creating an
imminent hazard to the physical safety of others under this section, if the
unlawful detainer action was brought in good faith. Nothing in this section
shall affect a landlord's liability under RCW 59.18.380 to pay all damages
sustained by the tenant should the writ of restitution be wrongfully sued out.
Sec.
4. RCW
59.18.075 and 1988 c 150 s 11 are each amended to read as follows:
(1)
Any law enforcement agency which seizes a legend drug pursuant to a violation
of chapter 69.41 RCW, a controlled substance pursuant to a violation of chapter
69.50 RCW, or an imitation controlled substance pursuant to a violation of
chapter 69.52 RCW, shall make a reasonable attempt to discover the identity of
the landlord and shall notify the landlord in writing, at the last address
listed in the property tax records and at any other address known to the law
enforcement agency, of the seizure and the location of the seizure of the
illegal drugs or substances.
(2)
Any law enforcement agency which arrests a tenant for threatening another
tenant with a firearm or other deadly weapon, or for some other unlawful use of
a firearm or other deadly weapon on the rental premises, or for physically
assaulting another person on the rental premises, shall make a reasonable
attempt to discover the identity of the landlord and notify the landlord about
the arrest in writing, at the last address listed in the property tax records and
at any other address known to the law enforcement agency.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 5. A new
section is added to chapter 59.18 RCW
to read as
follows:
If a
tenant notifies the landlord that he or she, or another tenant who shares that
particular dwelling unit has been threatened by another tenant, and:
(1)
The threat was made with a firearm or other deadly weapon as defined in RCW
9A.04.110; and
(2) The
tenant who made the threat is arrested as a result of the threatening behavior;
and
(3)
The landlord fails to file an unlawful detainer action against the tenant who
threatened another tenant within seven calendar days after receiving notice of
the arrest from a law enforcement agency;
then the
tenant who was threatened may terminate the rental agreement and quit the
premises upon written notice to the landlord without further obligation under
the rental agreement.
A
tenant who terminates a rental agreement under this section is discharged from
payment of rent for any period following the quitting date, and is entitled to
a pro rata refund of any prepaid rent, and shall receive a full and specific
statement of the basis for retaining any of the deposit together with any
refund due in accordance with RCW 59.18.280.
Nothing
in this section shall be construed to require a landlord to terminate a rental
agreement or file an unlawful detainer action.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 6. A new section
is added to chapter 59.18 RCW
to read as
follows:
If a
tenant is threatened by the landlord with a firearm or other deadly weapon as
defined in RCW 9A.04.110, and the threat leads to an arrest of the landlord,
then the tenant may terminate the rental agreement and quit the premises
without further obligation under the rental agreement. The tenant is
discharged from payment of rent for any period following the quitting date, and
is entitled to a pro rata refund of any prepaid rent, and shall receive a full
and specific statement of the basis for retaining any of the deposit together
with any refund due in accordance with RCW 59.18.280.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 7. A new
section is added to chapter 59.18 RCW
to read as
follows:
If a
tenant notifies the landlord in writing that:
(1) He
or she has a valid order for protection under chapter 26.50 RCW; and
(2)
The person to be restrained has violated the order since the tenant occupied
the dwelling unit; and
(3)
The tenant has notified the sheriff of the county or the peace officers of the
municipality in which the tenant resides of the violation; and
(4) A
copy of the order for protection is available for the landlord;
then the
tenant may terminate the rental agreement and quit the premises without further
obligation under the rental agreement. A tenant who terminates a rental
agreement under this section is discharged from the payment of rent for any
period following the quitting date, and is entitled to a pro rata refund of any
prepaid rent, and shall receive a full and specific statement of the basis for
retaining any of the deposit together with any refund due in accordance with
RCW 59.18.280.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 8. A new
section is added to chapter 59.18 RCW
to read as
follows:
(1) A
landlord may, upon the execution of a writ of restitution by the sheriff, enter
and take possession of any property of the tenant found on the premises and
store the property in any reasonably secure place. If, however, the tenant or
the tenant's representative objects to the storage of the property, the
property shall be deposited upon the nearest public property and may not be
moved and stored by the landlord. If the tenant is not present at the time the
writ of restitution is executed, it shall be presumed that the tenant does not
object to the storage of the property as provided in this section. RCW
59.18.310 shall apply to the moving and storage of a tenant's property when the
premises are abandoned by the tenant.
(2)
Property moved and stored under this section shall be returned to the tenant
after the tenant has paid the actual or reasonable drayage and storage costs,
whichever is less, or until it is sold or disposed of by the landlord in
accordance with subsection (3) of this section.
(3)
Prior to the sale or disposal of property stored pursuant to this section with
a cumulative value of over fifty dollars, the landlord shall notify the tenant
of the pending sale or disposal. After forty-five days from the date the
notice of the sale or disposal is mailed or personally delivered to the tenant,
the landlord may sell or dispose of the property, including personal papers,
family pictures, and keepsakes.
If the
property that is being stored has a cumulative value of fifty dollars or less,
then the landlord may sell or dispose of the property in the manner provided in
this section, except for personal papers, family pictures, and keepsakes.
Prior to the sale or disposal of property stored pursuant to this section with
a cumulative value of fifty dollars or less, the landlord shall notify the
tenant of the pending sale or disposal. The notice shall either be mailed or
personally delivered to the tenant. After seven days from the date the notice
is mailed or delivered to the tenant, the landlord may sell or dispose of the
property.
The
landlord may apply any income derived from the sale of the tenant's property
against moneys due the landlord for drayage and storage of the property. The
amount of sale proceeds that the landlord may apply towards such costs may not
exceed the actual or reasonable costs for drayage and storage of the property,
whichever is less. Any excess income derived from the sale of such property
shall be held by the landlord for the benefit of the tenant for a period of one
year from the date of the sale. If no claim is made or action commenced by the
tenant for the recovery of the excess income prior to the expiration of that
period of time, then the balance shall be treated as abandoned property and
deposited by the landlord with the department of revenue pursuant to chapter
63.29 RCW.
(4)
Nothing in this section shall be construed as creating a right of distress for
rent.
(5)
When serving a tenant with a writ of restitution pursuant to RCW 59.12.100 and
59.18.410, the sheriff shall provide written notice to the tenant that: (a)
Upon execution of the writ, the landlord may store the tenant's property; (b)
if the property is stored, it may not be returned to the tenant unless the
tenant pays the actual or reasonable costs of drayage and storage, whichever is
less; (c) if the tenant objects to storage of the property, it will not be
stored but will be placed on the nearest public property; and (d) if the tenant
is not present at the time of the execution of the writ, it shall be presumed
the tenant does not object to storage of the property.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 9. A new
section is added to chapter 63.29 RCW
to read as
follows:
Intangible
property held by a landlord as a result of a sheriff's sale pursuant to section
8 of this act that remains unclaimed for a period of one year from the date of
the sale is presumed abandoned.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 10. A new
section is added to chapter 7.48 RCW
to read as
follows:
The
unlawful use of a firearm or other deadly weapon by a person
in, or
adjacent to his or her dwelling, that imminently threatens the physical safety
of other people in the adjacent area, so as to essentially interfere with the
comfortable enjoyment of their residences, is a nuisance and may be abated, and
the person who unlawfully used the firearm or deadly weapon is subject to the
punishment provided in this chapter. This section does not apply unless the
person who unlawfully used the firearm or other deadly weapon is arrested for
this activity.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 11. This
act shall take effect June 1, 1992.
