Governor Inslee has signed another bill to make it more burdensome to be a landlord in Washington State. The bill requires that low income tenants facing eviction be represented by an attorney. There are already tenant rights unions and other groups providing free assistance to tenants who do not pay their rent but no free help for landlords providing vital housing.
Washington State has had a moratorium on evictions from March 2020 that continues through to June 30, 2021. However, the state believes that the burden of increased unemployment due to state lockdowns should fall more heavily on landlords than it has already. Tenants who didn’t pay rent for over a year need more protections from landlords who went over a year without receiving rent, according to Washington State’s elected officials.
The bill also bars landlords from denying housing based on missed rent payments during the pandemic and prohibits landlords from charging late fees on rent for six months after the eviction moratorium ends. In other words, don’t discriminate against tenants who decided to use their stimulus checks on new phones instead of on rent.
With President Biden’s plans to roughly double capital gains taxes, it may be a good time for Washington State landlords to consider selling and to replace rental properties in a state that values private property rights at least a little bit. These kinds of bills have the effect of encouraging small landlords to leave the business, or leave the state, and will cause more housing shortages. Those who stay in the business may see higher rents due to less competition, but will face an increased risk of loss and more difficultly evicting.
States that are considered to be the most landlord-friendly, (or least anti-landlord) are:
- Indiana
- Georgia
- Kentucky
- Texas
- Arizona
- Florida
- Alabama