Mayor Harrell to end Seattle eviction moratorium Feb. 28

Mayor Bruce Harrell has announced a final two-week extension for Seattle’s eviction moratorium, which will officially come to an end Feb. 28.

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The city-level moratorium on residential and commercial evictions was initially scheduled to end on Monday, Feb. 14, after Harrell announced a previous 30-day extension in January. Prior to that, it was set to expire on Sept. 30, 2021. Then-Mayor Jenny Durkan later extended it to Jan. 15 in the wake of the delta variant-fueled surge in COVID-19 cases. A statewide moratorium expired at the end of July 2021, while a “bridge” period for renters and landlords expired two months later.

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Despite the numerous extensions since the temporary moratorium was first enacted in March of 2020, Harrell expects this two-week delay to conclude it once and for all, with some caveats.

“With COVID cases steadily declining, the time has come for the City to move on from the broad approach of the eviction moratoria and instead drive more deliberate and focused efforts to support those most in need,” he said in a Friday press release, emphasizing that renters in need “will continue to have enhanced eviction protections.”

That means residential tenants “who demonstrate enduring financial hardship preventing them from paying rent” will continue to be protected from evictions for “at least six months” following Feb. 28. Conversely, landlords will again be able to move forward with “just cause evictions” in all other cases.

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