Lisa Gardner, City Council Communications Director, 509.625.6226
Tuesday, August 22, 2023 at 9:10 a.m.
During Monday’s Legislative Session, City Council voted unanimously to amend Ordinance No C36417 on Residential Rental Housing Regulations to update Spokane Municipal Code (SMC) 18.08 and repeal any obsolete provisions.
In January 2022, City Council adopted SMC 18.08 as the pandemic and statewide regulations on tenant evictions were still evolving. SMC 18.08 has since become obsolete after termination of the statewide eviction moratorium and the July 1, 2023, termination of related rental assistance programs.
“While initially essential during the pandemic, provisions of SMC 18.08 needed to be reevaluated following the termination of the statewide eviction moratorium and related rental assistance programs,” said Council Member Michael Cathcart. “Today's vote ensures that landlords and tenants alike have clear guidelines that reflect our current situation. We've preserved protections for unpaid rent accrued during the pandemic while aligning our code with the present reality. This is about fairness, responsiveness, and ensuring that our city's housing regulations serve the needs of all residents.”
The ordinance illustrates that as of May 1, 2023, landlords are no longer required to offer tenants a repayment plan for any unpaid rent accrued on or after May 1, 2023, but must still offer tenants a repayment plan for any unpaid rent accrued between March 1, 2020, and April 30, 2023. As of July 1, 2023, landlord participation in the Eviction Resolution Pilot Program is no longer a pre-requisite to filing court eviction proceedings for non-payment of rent.
The adopted ordinance also includes new sections that give instructions on the following:
The City Council has declared that an urgency and emergency exist such that this ordinance is needed for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, and/or for the immediate support of City government and its existing public institution.
For more information on the Residential Rental Housing Regulations, please reference the “Frequently Asked Questions” under Items of Interest on our website.
About the Spokane City Council
The City Council is the legislative body of the City of Spokane, which is home to more than 220,000 people and is located in the heart of the Inland Northwest. The City’s 2,000 employees strive to deliver efficient and effective services that facilitate economic opportunity and enhance the quality of life for all our citizens. For more information, visit SpokaneCity.org/CityCouncil/ and follow us @SpokaneCityCouncil on Facebook.
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