Governor Inslee’s September Bridge Proclamation has come to an end as of October 31, 2021. The emergency proclamation by the Governor replaced the state’s Eviction Moratorium and allowed for some evictions to take place in certain circumstances, excluding non-payment of rent.

The expiration of the Bridge Proclamation means that landlords are once again able to pursue eviction actions against tenants for unpaid rent, however, there are a few extra steps involved that are different than the pre-pandemic eviction process.

New resources have been made available to tenants and landlords with the goal of preventing an influx of evictions from occurring all over the state as a result of COVID-19 hardships. Before a landlord can bring an eviction action in court for non-payment of rent, they must first offer a payment plan in writing to the tenant, make them aware of tenant resources, and attempt to engage in mediation with the tenant to resolve the issue outside of court. The Whatcom County Eviction Resolution Pilot program has been created to assist in coordination with the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center to mediate these matters.

A landlord may seek court intervention for an eviction based on non-payment of rent only if they have done what is required of them as set forth in Washington Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5160 and were unable to come to a resolution with their tenant despite their efforts.

If you are a property owner interested in discussing your legal rights and options with regard to your rental properties, you are welcome to call Limitless Law PLLC at 360-685-0145 to schedule a consultation with an attorney to learn more.