Comments On: Is My Landlord Being Honest Here? by Marti Jonjak http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/02/01/is-my-landlord-being-honest-here Comments On: Is My Landlord Being Honest Here? by Marti Jonjak en-us Copyright 2013 The Stranger. All rights reserved. This RSS file is offered to individuals, The Stranger readers, and non-commercial organizations only. Any commercial websites wishing to use this RSS file, please contact The Stranger. webmaster@thestranger.com (The Stranger Webmaster) Sat, 25 May 2013 00:00:01 -0700 Sat, 25 May 2013 08:45:00 -0700 Foundation http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss <![CDATA[Re: Is My Landlord Being Honest Here?]]> Posted by stalin]]> Sun, 03 Feb 2013 18:17:16 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: Is My Landlord Being Honest Here?]]> Posted by warren terrah]]> Sun, 03 Feb 2013 16:14:10 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: Is My Landlord Being Honest Here?]]>
The RLTA is written by landlords, for landlords. Judges are more likely to be landlords than tenants. But that said, there are protections written into the law, and Seattle is pretty tenant-friendly compared to the rest of the State.

First rule is that the landlord is under no obligation to do anything unless or until you tell him in writing what the problem is. That triggers his duty to make repairs. Landlords can't turn off water or electricity for longer than repairs take. If this landlord is making your tenancy so bad that he convinces you it is cheaper and easier to leave rather than put up with his shortcomings then he wins.

Please review RCW 59 18 085, the whole thing. Section 3 was added in 2009, it changes the entire tone of the sub-statute. Seattle *adds* an additional two month's rent to the statutory damages payable to the tenant. There is no low-income requirement in RCW 59 18 085.
Posted by E Powell]]> Sun, 03 Feb 2013 11:07:52 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: Is My Landlord Being Honest Here?]]> Posted by Mike McGinn & Nick Licata]]> Sat, 02 Feb 2013 21:37:09 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: Is My Landlord Being Honest Here?]]>
Here's your "fancy" mathematics:

While previous rates for its studios and one-bedroom units ranged from $600 to $900 a month, the new owners are jacking up rents an extra $315 to $670 a month. That's 45 to 90 percent

Posted by keshmeshi]]> Sat, 02 Feb 2013 17:43:47 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: Is My Landlord Being Honest Here?]]> Posted by Mike McGinn]]> Sat, 02 Feb 2013 17:02:44 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: Is My Landlord Being Honest Here?]]> Posted by fetish]]> Sat, 02 Feb 2013 14:25:10 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: Is My Landlord Being Honest Here?]]> Posted by Mike McGinn]]> Sat, 02 Feb 2013 10:10:35 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: Is My Landlord Being Honest Here?]]> Posted by lisalouh]]> Sat, 02 Feb 2013 09:59:13 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: Is My Landlord Being Honest Here?]]>
It sounds probable that you're facing constructive eviction. Meaning, the landlord is making your residence untenable (ruining your food, cutting utilities). But check with the T.U., they'll be able to point you in the right direction.
Posted by NatL]]> Sat, 02 Feb 2013 07:15:10 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: Is My Landlord Being Honest Here?]]> Landlord Tenant Information. The "Info for Tenants" and "Housing and Building Maintenance Code" docs are helpful in cases like this. Also the Tenants Union has a lot of helpful information too.

This landlord is not honest, but they are smart enough to not outright violate the Just Cause Eviction & Tenant Relocation Assistance Ordinances. If they had, DPD would force them to comply.

Other actions, like allowing your power to be cut for several hours, may be violations of SMC 22.206.180 (Prohibited Acts by Owners). Landlords are allowed to cut utilities for a "reasonable time" for repairs, but it doesn't sound like your power was cut for a reasonable time or for repairs for your unit. You should call DPD about that; according to their website SPD enforces this code.

Even if DPD / SPD can't help you with the power outage, it's a failure of your landlord's duties under both state and city laws. You can always take them to court - small claims court - but you should have documentation to back you up. DPD & the Tenants Union have a lot of info on their websites.

The landlord-tenant relationship is a contract; the landlord has a duty to maintain the dwelling unit according to minimum standards. If they fail to meet these standards, but not to the level of your apartment being dangerous / uninhabitable, first notify your landlord in writing of the violations and negotiate. If you do not come to an agreement, then your recourse is to take them to court.
Posted by asteria]]> Fri, 01 Feb 2013 23:35:18 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: Is My Landlord Being Honest Here?]]> Posted by Amalink]]> Fri, 01 Feb 2013 22:53:50 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: Is My Landlord Being Honest Here?]]> Posted by StuckInUtah]]> Fri, 01 Feb 2013 19:49:59 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: Is My Landlord Being Honest Here?]]> Hopefully this will put an end to the destruction of once desirable single-family neighborhoods for developer / landowner greed.
Posted by auntie grizelda]]> Fri, 01 Feb 2013 19:26:30 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: Is My Landlord Being Honest Here?]]>
http://www.seattleweekly.com/1998-09-23/…

basically landlords can excessively raise the rent or do disruptive renovation work to make renters leave "voluntarily" so that they can avoid the requirements of the tenant relocation assistance ordinance (TRAO).

on the excessive rent increase loophole: the legislative fixes we've looked at would runafoul of the state prohibition against rent control. this is the loophole i've seen used most over the years.

on the excessive renovation loophole: "substantial renovation" to trigger TRAO is a vague term and is defined as: "extensive structural repair or extensive remodeling which requires a building, electrical, plumbing or mechanical permit, and which cannot be done with the tenant in occupancy." the use of excessive renovation to push renters out is, to me, a relatively new TRAO-avoidance strategy. there may be a way to tighten this language up legislatively. but doing so wouldn't help these tenants now, but could possibly help others in the future.
Posted by lisalouh]]> Fri, 01 Feb 2013 18:47:31 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: Is My Landlord Being Honest Here?]]>
I mean, it's nice that the pool of knowledge is deep in a way that lets each new e-reader get properly evaluated within the spectrum of those devices, but.
Posted by gloomy gus]]> Fri, 01 Feb 2013 17:17:23 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: Is My Landlord Being Honest Here?]]>

Posted by merry]]> Fri, 01 Feb 2013 16:55:12 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: Is My Landlord Being Honest Here?]]>
MOVE YOUR ASS OUT OF THE CITY IF YOU CAN'T AFFORD IT. OR HAS MUDEDE THREATENED TO RAPE ANY STRANGER STAFF WHO LEAVE HIS BELOVED GHETTO?
Posted by Stranger'sWorstNightmare]]> Fri, 01 Feb 2013 16:23:57 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: Is My Landlord Being Honest Here?]]> Posted by lisalouh]]> Fri, 01 Feb 2013 15:50:08 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: Is My Landlord Being Honest Here?]]> Posted by treehugger]]> Fri, 01 Feb 2013 15:13:45 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: Is My Landlord Being Honest Here?]]> Also, like #31 said, if they didn't give you advance warning about the power outtage, you deserve compensation.

In all seriousness, if this is true, could someone provide me with a link to the specific law? My landlord pulls this shit in all their buildings on a regular basis, and it would be nice to have legal recourse the next time they do it to me.

I don't, however, have much hope, because, as I noted in #35, you guys seem to be operating under the incorrect belief that the law protects renters.
Posted by keshmeshi]]> Fri, 01 Feb 2013 15:10:14 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: Is My Landlord Being Honest Here?]]> Posted by McGee]]> Fri, 01 Feb 2013 15:09:35 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: Is My Landlord Being Honest Here?]]>
Posted by bigyaz]]> Fri, 01 Feb 2013 14:53:18 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: Is My Landlord Being Honest Here?]]>
You're welcome.
Posted by keshmeshi]]> Fri, 01 Feb 2013 14:43:49 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: Is My Landlord Being Honest Here?]]> Posted by Madskillz80]]> Fri, 01 Feb 2013 14:42:52 -0800 The Stranger