OLYMPIA, Washington (AP) – After more than 18 months of pandemic-induced immigration restrictions, Washington governor Jay Inslee he said he would allow the latest version of the Washington moratorium on evictions to expire on Sunday.
The move will open the door to an influx of new eviction cases and test key tenant protections for the first time since a pandemic halted legal proceedings last year.
“We have to end the moratorium. You finally can’t have an economy where no one pays rent, ”Inslee told a press conference this week for the Seattle Times. reported.
Shortly after the coronavirus outbreak, Inslee used its emergency powers to stop most evictions. This fall, Inslee relaxed the rules. He replaced the moratorium by declaring a “bridge,” which still stopped some evictions for non-payment of rent in certain parts of the country, but allowed evictions for other reasons.
The expiration of this policy on Sunday will mean landlords will be able to demand more evictions of tenants who were lagging behind in rent during the pandemic, provided landlords take new necessary steps, such as offering the tenant a payment plan.
Most evictions will still be stopped in Seattle, Burien and Kenmore, where local lawmakers have adopted their own moratoriums on evictions, which will last until early 2022.
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