(1)(a) Except as provided in (b) of this subsection, a local government may adopt and implement a crime-free rental housing program within its jurisdiction in accordance with this chapter.

Terms Used In Washington Code 35.106.020

  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • person: may be construed to include the United States, this state, or any state or territory, or any public or private corporation or limited liability company, as well as an individual. See Washington Code 1.16.080
(b) A crime-free rental housing program adopted and implemented by a county is applicable only to unincorporated areas of the county.
(2) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, a crime-free rental housing program must be voluntary.
(3)(a) A local government may require a landlord to participate in a crime-free rental housing program upon exceeding a reasonable threshold of instances of criminal activity on the premises if the landlord has not made a good faith effort to deter the criminal activity.
(b) A good faith effort may include, but is not limited to:
(i) Service of notice on the tenant to comply or quit as allowed by law or the commencement of an unlawful detainer action against the tenant; and
(ii) Attendance and completion of a landlord training program approved by the local government.
(4)(a) As a prerequisite to subsection (3) of this section, upon the occurrence of criminal activity on the premises, the local police department must send a notice to the landlord setting forth the following:
(i) The date and location of the occurrence;
(ii) The nature of the occurrence; and
(iii) The name of the person who engaged in the occurrence.
(b) Notice is deemed properly delivered when it is either served upon the landlord or a property manager of the rental property, or is delivered by first-class mail to the last known address of the landlord.
(5) This section does not prevent a local government from charging a fee for participation in a crime-free rental housing program.
(6) This section does not affect a local government’s authority to enforce existing law in regard to rental housing, except in regard to a crime-free rental housing program.
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