Tenants can’t be evicted in winter months

Flipper/Rehabber · Seattle, WA · Member since 2015 · 333 posts · 459 votes

Dateline Seattle. Kshama Sawant,

a Seattle City council member, is trying to make it a law that tenants can’t be evicted November through March - our winter months.

Has anyone heard of anything like this anywhere else in the known universe?

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Keith A.

Rental Property Investor · TX · Member since 2019 · 236 posts · 392 votes

@Jerry Lucker

My word I would never invest in these socialist run areas. Completely anti landlord. I just figure if the county is blue, then forget investing there. Red counties = quick evictions, no bs rent control and lower property taxes.

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Theresa HarrisPro Member
Member since 2019 · 15k+ posts · 11k+ votes
6y
@Jerry Lucker If a tenant fails to pay the rent, they can be evicted regardless of the time of year. What does this council member think will happen? come Nov, a bunch of people stop paying their rent for 5 months of the year??
5 Reply
Jerry Lucker
OP
Flipper/Rehabber · Seattle, WA · Member since 2015 · 333 posts · 459 votes
6y
@Theresa Harris
My thoughts exactly. Socialists - Communists only see one side of the coin.
The scary thing is they are reproducing.
27 Reply
Terrell Garren
Rental Property Investor · Concord, NC · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 3k+ votes
6y
Incredible. So why not include making it illegal for Harris Teeter to charge for food during the winter. Just another angle to get reelected versus being responsible.
5 Reply
Michael HaasBusiness Member
Real Estate Agent · Redmond, 🌧️ Seattle Investor-Agent | 🤑 Helped 400+ Clients Invest in Real Estate | 🏘️ Owns 23 WA Rentals & Airbnbs | 🏗️ Built 5 DADU's | 📈 You Can Do It Too · Member since 2016 · 724 posts · 3k+ votes
6y
Theres actually legal precedent for this- I believe Alaska has a similar statute but don’t quote me on it. Most solvent tenants won’t want to risk an eviction on their record, even if it doesn’t happen until spring.
[email protected]408-439-7873
HouseHack Seattle | Michael Haas & Team572 Reviews
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6 Reply
Dean H.
Rental Property Investor · Salem, OR · Member since 2016 · 202 posts · 305 votes
6y
@Jerry

@Jerry Lucker When I seen the headline I thought it was Oregon. These crazy west coast rules are doing the exact opposite that the politicos intend. Soon no one will build rental housing at all let alone anything remotely affordable to the very people they are trying to help.
Portland councilor proposed a couple days ago requiring new construction to include a " extended public rest area " add that into the budget for the west coast pursuit of housing for the masses.
Grumpy
3 Reply
Chris S.Business Member
Property Manager · Anchorage, AK · Member since 2017 · 175 posts · 160 votes
6y
Alaska does not have a statute on this, at least not state wide, possibly a city ordinance somewhere.
3 Reply
Account Closed
Member since 2019 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
6y
In Canada some utility providers won’t discontinue service in winter months.
1 Reply
Keith A.
Rental Property Investor · TX · Member since 2019 · 236 posts · 392 votes
6y
@Jerry Lucker
My word I would never invest in these socialist run areas. Completely anti landlord. I just figure if the county is blue, then forget investing there. Red counties = quick evictions, no bs rent control and lower property taxes.
9 Reply
Mary M.
Rental Property Investor · Portland OR · Member since 2018 · 2k+ posts · 3k+ votes
6y
Originally posted by :
@Jerry

Portland councilor proposed a couple days ago requiring new construction to include a " extended public rest area " add that into the budget for the west coast pursuit of housing for the masses.
Grumpy

You mean a bench?
I found this article re winter evictions....https://www.citylab.com/equity...

0 Reply
Sam Shueh
Real Estate Agent · Cupertino, CA · Member since 2016 · 4k+ posts · 1k+ votes
6y
Several times at court.
0 Reply
Parker Eberhard
Contractor · Seattle, WA · Member since 2019 · 339 posts · 325 votes
6y
@Jerry Lucker Sawant is the single worst thing that has happened to Seattle in years
1 Reply
Oscar Cardenas
Real Estate Agent · Salem, OR · Member since 2019 · 86 posts · 60 votes
6y
Jeez lets hope that doesn't pass, doubt it will. Crazy things get proposed all the time so I wait to get mad until it gets close to passing haha.
0 Reply
Larry Alexander
Fort Collins, CO · Member since 2019 · 158 posts · 117 votes
6y
“[Housing is] never going to be a constitutional right [in the U.S.], but it’s certainly possible to have states change their constitutions or their statutory recognition as housing as a human right. That in turn will provide funded mandates for cities. Once you create a legal framework, it has budgetary implications—and states can respond in a meaningful way.”
-MIT’s Rajagopal
Cities already have the option to provide free housing for the homeless, but they don't. They find it cheaper and easier (I guess?) to invest in the homeless in other ways. Now if a city could pass a ordinance the put landlords on the hook for providing housing for the homeless; genius!

Human rights - My top ten lest: (feel free to add to the list)
1.) Food
2.) Clothing
3.) Education
4.) Housing
5.) Transportation
6.) Entertainment
7.) Birth Control
8.) Healthcare
9.) Holiday/Birthday Gifts
10.) Beverage

1 Reply
Jess Haas
Realtor · Seattle, WA · Member since 2019 · 117 posts · 165 votes
6y
@Michael Haas According to a recent Seattle Times article, France has something similar but the government compensates the landlord. Sawant is not proposing such. Which is typical for her. She gets people rallied over a seemingly good idea but in reality it has no spine to hold it up. But the typical voter doesn’t actually care about the nitty gritty details. All they hear is the headline.
2 Reply
Jerry Lucker
OP
Flipper/Rehabber · Seattle, WA · Member since 2015 · 333 posts · 459 votes
6y
@Jess Haas
Many landlords with financed properties would be homeless without half a year’s rents.
Then all the indigents could squat on the properties for free, without utilities of course. It would add nicely to the ambiance already in place - Seattle is turning into a sewer.
8 Reply
Roy N.Pro Member
Rental Property Investor · Fredericton, New Brunswick · Member since 2013 · 7k+ posts · 4k+ votes
6y
Originally posted by @Account Closed:
In Canada some utility providers won’t discontinue service in winter months.

I've yet to encounter one where that is "official" mandated, even if attempted in practise.

I've seen publicly owned utilities be pretty lenient an go out of their way to work with struggling customers, but if you were delinquent and not making an effort to settle your account, they will pull the plug.
1 Reply
Account Closed
Member since 2019 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
6y
@Roy N.
Saskpower. They reduce to 15A total service and do not kill it completely. Official policy
0 Reply
Roy N.Pro Member
Rental Property Investor · Fredericton, New Brunswick · Member since 2013 · 7k+ posts · 4k+ votes
6y
Originally posted by @Account Closed:
@Roy N.
Saskpower. They reduce to 15A total service and do not kill it completely. Official policy.

A few utilities use load limiters, but you generally have to agree to a repayment schedule during the process of getting one and have to actually make an effort to fulfil your commitment to keep it.

Despite an operational practice of not disconnecting during winter, SaskPower's Terms of Service indicates they reserve the right to suspend service to any customer for a variety of reasons inclusive of financial arrears.
1 Reply
Karen F.
Investor · San Diego, CA · Member since 2015 · 435 posts · 421 votes
6y
If that policy were instituted in my state, I would restructure my leases thusly: Annual rent is X. Rent is to be paid as O.2X each month in April, May, June, July, and August. Along with the highest deposit my state allows, I should be okay. If they pay in April - August, they've paid the year's rent. Since they often get a big tax refund in March, shouldn't be much trouble getting people in in April under such a deal. So no rent due during winter. And if they don't pay during the summer, there's plenty of time to evict them before winter. It's like the student housing around colleges, where they have to pay the entire rent in 9 months of the year, and then summer is free. If they think that landlords are going to stand for this, and risk having to let a tenant stay for free all winter, they've got another thought coming. All these laws that are meant to protect tenants only make it harder and harder for people to find housing. Landlords would prefer to see units sit empty than rent to a tenant with less than perfect credit, plus no one wants to build new rental housing in such tenant-friendly areas.
3 Reply
Lynnette E.
Rental Property Investor · TN · Member since 2018 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
6y
Originally posted by @Larry Alexander:
“[Housing is] never going to be a constitutional right [in the U.S.], but it’s certainly possible to have states change their constitutions or their statutory recognition as housing as a human right. That in turn will provide funded mandates for cities. Once you create a legal framework, it has budgetary implications—and states can respond in a meaningful way.”
-MIT’s Rajagopal
Cities already have the option to provide free housing for the homeless, but they don't. They find it cheaper and easier (I guess?) to invest in the homeless in other ways. Now if a city could pass a ordinance the put landlords on the hook for providing housing for the homeless; genius!

Human rights - My top ten lest: (feel free to add to the list)
1.) Food
2.) Clothing
3.) Education
4.) Housing
5.) Transportation
6.) Entertainment
7.) Birth Control
8.) Healthcare
9.) Holiday/Birthday Gifts
10.) Beverage

You left off tattoos. It should be a human right to tattoo and pierce oneself. Heck, they can even do that in prison!
0 Reply
Tyler Mullen
Investor · Kirkland, WA · Member since 2017 · 310 posts · 271 votes
6y
What's wrong with adjusting the rent schedule such that 12 months of rent is due during 8 months, March through October, similar to how teachers were once paid during the school year and not the summer months?
0 Reply
Jim K.
Handyman · Pittsburgh, PA · Member since 2018 · 5k+ posts · 13k+ votes
6y
Realistically speaking, for those of us who have been through the process up in colder climates, you will know that judges are invariably far more hesitant to evict in winter months if alternative housing looks like it can't be arranged. And before we get all up in arms about landlords paying a horrible tax in this manner to support indigents, if you're a landlord with some volume and you run multiple cases through the same court, you will likely see, as I have, that while the court is going to demand that you are more lenient in the winter, if you bring in the same sort of case six months later in the summer the same magistrate will evict with alacrity. Are we landlords at the mercy of the weather in colder climates? Sure. A law would only formalize this obvious reality. It looks really bad for an elected district judge when people die of exposure in cars or on park benches in their district because they were evicted. This reality does not take a razor-sharp legal mind to grasp.

You simply have to work with the courts if you're going to be running C and D-class apartments with tenants who don't worry about the damage being done by an eviction to their credit and legal record. It's a fact of the life and a business relationship you need to be on top of. Working with the courts is a whole hell of a lot better than throwing people out yourself and getting sued into bankruptcy.
4 Reply
Pat L.
Rental Property Investor · Upstate, NY · Member since 2012 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
6y
Originally posted by @Jim K.:
Working with the courts is a whole hell of a lot better than throwing people out yourself and getting sued into bankruptcy.

Back in the 80's I remember how most of my fellow investors took care of it. They'd remove of all the tenants stuff 'carefully stacked on the front porch' regardless of the weather, with a subsequent lock change. Sometimes they would disable the electrical panel as well.
I distinctly remember one of my colleagues who did it just because the rent check bounced & he retired a very wealthy man with a lot of 'doors'.
I currently have a tenant who was locked out of his previous apartment (place was sold with promised vacant possession). The 'landlord'/seller' broke in through an upper window & screwed the entry door shut, but this landlord/seller is a city employee. Meanwhile 'un-permitted' rehab work has begun on the other units & apparently that was reported, but still no resolution.
maybe times HAVE NOT changed.

2 Reply
Jim K.
Handyman · Pittsburgh, PA · Member since 2018 · 5k+ posts · 13k+ votes
6y
@Pat L.

The biggest slumlords of course have to belong to the biggest gang.

1 Reply
Pat L.
Rental Property Investor · Upstate, NY · Member since 2012 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
6y
Originally posted by @Jim K.:
@Pat L.

The biggest slumlords of course have to belong to the biggest gang.

You got it. I bought a property for my daughter & immediately after possession we got the assessor at the door for a walk through. She couldn't believe we got it so cheap as she wanted it for her son. Then the bldg., inspector shows up during the inside cleanup, carpets paint etc. Wants permits for everything including the old windows that he insists we installed. I showed him the dust & corrosion on the window Al capping & he was still not convinced. Then he says "...must be nice to buy your kid a home...". He was a constant cause of trouble & nailed us for permit after permit. So, we re-roofed the entire place on a weekend, no permit.

My daughter sold it 5 years later for double what we paid+rehab & the buyer went $16k over asking.

1 Reply

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