Washington Gov. Jay Inslee extended the state’s eviction moratorium to December 31 as COVID-19 continues to impact the finances of Washingtonians statewide. A key modification to the extension clarifies that tenant behavior which is imminently hazardous to the physical safety of others on the premises is now included among the existing permissible reasons for seeking to evict a tenant.

The moratorium also directs the governor’s staff to continue working with stakeholders over the next 30 days to consider additional amendments to the moratorium to ensure that the moratorium’s protections for non-payment of rent apply narrowly to those persons whose ability to pay has been directly or indirectly materially impacted by the COVID-19 virus.

Among the other modifications to the prior moratorium included in this latest extension are:

– Authorizing landlords and property owners to send advance notices of future rent increases in limited circumstances, as long as the notice clearly provides that the rent increase will not go into effect until after the moratorium expires.
– Establishing clearer guidance on permissible communications between landlords and tenants.
– Requiring that any 60-day notice to vacate if an owner intends to occupy or sell the premises must be in the form of an affidavit signed under penalty of perjury.