Title
Consideration of an Ordinance Adding a New Chapter to 5.82 to Title 5 of the Olympia Municipal Code regarding a Rental Housing Code
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Move to forward a recommendation to City Council to take emergency action to adopt these regulations on first and final reading as soon as possible.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to approve the Land Use and Environment Committee recommendation.
Report
Issue:
Whether to forward a recommendation to the City Council for consideration on an Ordinance adding a new chapter 5.82 to Title 5 of the Olympia Municipal Code related to rental housing.
Staff Contact:
Keith Stahley, Assistant City Manager 360.753.8227
Presenter(s):
Amy Buckler, Strategic Projects Programming and Planning Supervisor
Background and Analysis:
Consider a draft Ordinance Creating a Rental Housing Code in OMC Chapter 5.82. This ordinance protects tenants who have fallen behind in rent due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
King County adopted a similar ordinance in June of 2020. The King County ordinance extends Covid-19 protections to renters in King County until March 1, 2021. The draft ordinance included for the Land Use and Environment Committee's review would extend protections until July 1, 2021.
The ordinance authorizes a defense that a tenant may assert in court during a show cause hearing as to why the landlord should not be granted a writ of restitution restoring the landlord to the rental premises and evicting the tenant. It also provides a defense if a landlord refuses a tenant's request to enter into an installment repayment plan for unpaid rent due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tenant has until October 1, 2021 or the sunset date of the ordinance, whichever occurs first, to pay the landlord in full for back rent. Late fees, interest and other charges are suspended and do not accrue commencing on the effective date of the ordinance until its sunset date.
The ordinance provides that the tenan...
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