Washington State
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research
BILL
ANALYSIS
Housing, Human Services & Veterans Committee
HB 2105
Brief Description: Concerning service of notice on landlords and tenants.
Sponsors: Representatives Gilday, Chapman, Walen, Barkis and Sutherland.
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Allows any notice required by the Manufactured/Mobile Home Landlord-Tenant Act to be served by electronic mail if certain conditions are met.
Hearing Date: 2/1/22
Staff: Serena Dolly (786-7150).
Background:

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 or manufactured housing community where the tenant has no ownership interest in the property or in the association that owns the property.

 

Notices served from a landlord to a tenant under the MHLTA must be:

  • personally delivered to the tenant; or
  • if the tenant is not at the mobile or manufactured home, affixed in a conspicuous place on the home with a copy mailed to the tenant at the tenant's last known address.

 

Notices served from a tenant to a landlord under the MHLTA must be:

  • personally delivered to the landlord; or
  • mailed to the landlord at the address provided in the rental agreement.
Summary of Bill:

A landlord may serve a notice to a tenant by sending a copy to the electronic mail (e-mail) address provided by the tenant with another copy sent by mail to the tenant's last known address if:

  • the rental agreement or other signed document executed by the tenant specifies in bold type that notices will be given to the tenant by e-mail;
  • the tenant agrees to receive notices by e-mail;
  • the landlord provides the tenant with the e-mail address from which notices will be sent and directs the tenant to modify e-mail settings to allow e-mail from that address to avoid any filtration systems; and
  • the landlord notifies the tenant of any change in the e-mail address from which notices will be sent prior to the address change.

 

A tenant may serve a notice to a landlord to the e-mail address provided by the landlord if the landlord agrees to receive notices by e-mail.

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.