S-1048.3  _______________________________________________

 

                         SENATE BILL 5784

          _______________________________________________

 

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

 

By Senators Kline, Kohl‑Welles, Prentice, Fraser and Costa

 

Read first time 02/02/2001.  Referred to Committee on Judiciary.

Requiring that interest on tenant security deposits be paid to the tenant.


    AN ACT Relating to tenant security deposits; and amending RCW 59.18.270.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

 

    Sec. 1.  RCW 59.18.270 and 1975 1st ex.s. c 233 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

    All moneys paid to the landlord by the tenant as a deposit as security for performance of the tenant's obligations in a lease or rental agreement shall promptly be deposited by the landlord in ((a)) an interest-bearing trust account, maintained by the landlord for the purpose of holding such security deposits for tenants of the landlord, in a bank, savings and loan association, mutual savings bank, or licensed escrow agent located in Washington.  ((Unless otherwise agreed in writing, the landlord shall be)) The tenant is entitled to receipt, on each anniversary of the deposit, of interest paid on such trust account deposits, unless the tenancy is terminated sooner, in which case the tenant shall be immediately entitled to such interest.  The landlord shall provide the tenant with a written receipt for the deposit and shall provide written notice of the name and address and location of the depository and any subsequent change thereof.  If during a tenancy the status of landlord is transferred to another, any sums in the deposit trust account affected by such transfer shall simultaneously be transferred to an equivalent trust account of the successor landlord, and the successor landlord shall promptly notify the tenant of the transfer and of the name, address and location of the new depository.  The tenant's claim to any moneys paid under this section shall be prior to that of any creditor of the landlord, including a trustee in bankruptcy or receiver, even if such moneys are commingled.

 


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