CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT

ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2535

Chapter 177, Laws of 2020

66TH LEGISLATURE

2020 REGULAR SESSION

PAST DUE RENT--TENANT GRACE PERIOD

EFFECTIVE DATE: June 11, 2020

Passed by the House March 7, 2020 Yeas 73 Nays 24 LAURIE JINKINS Speaker of the House of Representatives Passed by the Senate March 3, 2020 Yeas 48 Nays 1 CYRUS HABIB President of the Senate	CERTIFICATE I, Bernard Dean, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2535 as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth. BERNARD DEAN Chief Clerk Chief Clerk
Approved March 27, 2020 2:19 PM	FILED March 27, 2020
JAY INSLEE Governor of the State of Washington	Secretary of State State of Washington

ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2535

AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE

Passed Legislature - 2020 Regular Session

State of Washington

66th Legislature

2020 Regular Session

ByHouse Civil Rights & Judiciary (originally sponsored by Representatives Kirby, Pollet, Ormsby, and Santos)

READ FIRST TIME 02/04/20.

AN ACT Relating to providing for a grace period before late fees may be imposed for past due rent; and amending RCW 59.18.170 and 59.18.230.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 59.18.170 and 1973 1st ex.s. c 207 s 17 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) If at any time during the tenancy the tenant fails to carry out the duties required by RCW 59.18.130 or 59.18.140, the landlord may, in addition to pursuit of remedies otherwise provided by law, give written notice to the tenant of said failure, which notice shall specify the nature of the failure.

(2) The landlord may not charge a late fee for rent that is paid within five days following its due date. If rent is more than five days past due, the landlord may charge late fees commencing from the first day after the due date until paid. Nothing in this subsection prohibits a landlord from serving a notice to pay or vacate at any time after the rent becomes due.

(3) When late fees may be assessed after rent becomes due, the tenant may propose that the date rent is due in the rental agreement be altered to a different due date of the month. The landlord shall agree to such a proposal if it is submitted in writing and the tenant can demonstrate that his or her primary source of income is a regular, monthly source of governmental assistance that is not received until after the date rent is due in the rental agreement. The proposed rent due date may not be more than five days after the date the rent is due in the rental agreement. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prevent a tenant from making a request for reasonable accommodation under federal, state, or local law.

Sec. 2. RCW 59.18.230 and 2011 c 132 s 11 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Any provision of a lease or other agreement, whether oral or written, whereby any section or subsection of this chapter is waived except as provided in RCW 59.18.360 and shall be deemed against public policy and shall be unenforceable. Such unenforceability shall not affect other provisions of the agreement which can be given effect without them.

(2) No rental agreement may provide that the tenant:

(a) Agrees to waive or to forgo rights or remedies under this chapter; or

(b) Authorizes any person to confess judgment on a claim arising out of the rental agreement; or

(d) Agrees to the exculpation or limitation of any liability of the landlord arising under law or to indemnify the landlord for that liability or the costs connected therewith; or

(e) And landlord have agreed to a particular arbitrator at the time the rental agreement is entered into; or

(f) Agrees to pay late fees for rent that is paid within five days following its due date. If rent is more than five days past due, the landlord may charge late fees commencing from the first day after the due date until paid. Nothing in this subsection prohibits a landlord from serving a notice to pay or vacate at any time after the rent becomes due.

(3) A provision prohibited by subsection (2) of this section included in a rental agreement is unenforceable. If a landlord deliberately uses a rental agreement containing provisions known by him or her to be prohibited, the tenant may recover actual damages sustained by him or her, statutory damages not to exceed five hundred dollars, costs of suit, and reasonable attorneys' fees.

(4) The common law right of the landlord of distress for rent is hereby abolished for property covered by this chapter. Any provision in a rental agreement creating a lien upon the personal property of the tenant or authorizing a distress for rent is null and void and of no force and effect. Any landlord who takes or detains the personal property of a tenant without the specific written consent of the tenant to such incident of taking or detention, and who, after written demand by the tenant for the return of his or her personal property, refuses to return the same promptly shall be liable to the tenant for the value of the property retained, actual damages, and if the refusal is intentional, may also be liable for damages of up to five hundred dollars per day but not to exceed five thousand dollars, for each day or part of a day that the tenant is deprived of his or her property. The prevailing party may recover his or her costs of suit and a reasonable attorneys' fee.

In any action, including actions pursuant to chapters 7.64 or 12.28 RCW, brought by a tenant or other person to recover possession of his or her personal property taken or detained by a landlord in violation of this section, the court, upon motion and after notice to the opposing parties, may waive or reduce any bond requirements where it appears to be to the satisfaction of the court that the moving party is proceeding in good faith and has, prima facie, a meritorious claim for immediate delivery or redelivery of said property.

Passed by the House March 7, 2020.

Passed by the Senate March 3, 2020.

Approved by the Governor March 27, 2020.

Filed in Office of Secretary of State March 27, 2020.

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