Washington State’s Tenancy Preservation Program (2019 amendments to RCW 59.18.410(3) and 43.31.605(c)) became effective on June 29, 2019. The program reduces homelessness by providing relief to low-income tenants facing eviction for non-payment of rent. Commerce will issue a zero-interest loan to landlords to preserve tenancy when a court finds the tenant eligible. Tenants must repay the loan in full to be eligible for future access to this program.
Who can submit a claim?
All private market landlords that offer rental housing within the State of Washington with the claimed tenant(s) currently occupying the rental unit can qualify for the Tenancy Preservation Program.
How to qualify for claim
A court order of eligibility is required to submit a claim application successfully. To obtain a court order of eligibility, both landlord and tenant must appear in person at the Superior Court in the rental property’s district and request either of the following:
- Order of Eligibility
- Stay Action (if a Writ of Restitution is ordered)
An Order of Eligibility is a document showing that the Judge has found the tenant to be low-income, limited resourced or under financial hardship yet capable of repayment of the amount of the judgment.
A Stay Action prevents the landlord from acting on an awarded Writ of Restitution if certain conditions are met. If met, the landlord is required to dismiss the Writ of Restitution.
Required documents for claim submission
The following documents and information are required for claim submission. Please collect all documents before attempting to submit a claim:
- Statewide Vendor Identification Number (Payee)
- Executed and current rental agreement
- Court documents:
- Finding of eligibility, and
- Judgment for landlord showing amount owed, and either
- Stipulated Payment Agreement, or
- Writ of Restitution with Stay Action
- Commerce forms:
- Tenant ledger showing all charges included in the Judgement.
Resources
- Homelessness Response
- Multifamily Rental Housing
- Income-Based Legal Assistance for Tenants
- Statewide Vendor Identification Number
- Authorizing Statute: RCW 43.31.605
- Public Disclosure Act, Chapter 42.56
Landlord Mitigation Metrics Dashboard
Review the information provided on our information dashboard to learn more about the financial assistance provided through the Landlord Fund.