I own and manage rental property in your area. I urge you not to vote for the suspension and/or forgiveness of rental payments from tenants to landlords due to the Covid-19 lockdown. The lockdown is unfortunate for everyone but the economic ramifications should not be disproportionately carried by landlords.  

As housing providers our responsibilities have not gone away— providing a place to live that meets the city’s stringent Rental Registration & Inspection Ordinance (RRIO) requirements, paying Seattle Public Utility bills, paying property taxes, and paying mortgages. In fact, our responsibilities continue to increase. As an example, this year my property taxes went up by 21%. I must collect a full 2 months rent just to pay the property taxes.  

I have read that banks are delaying mortgage payments for 3 months but this does not mean the banks are forgiving the mortgages — the missed mortgages are due as a balloon payment at the end of the 3 month period. I contacted the city and was told that my property taxes are not being suspended and are still due by April 30th. 

As housing providers we entered into binding agreement with our residents. Both sides were aware of their responsibilities and agreed to the terms of the leases. Now both sides need to follow through. As a housing provider I rely on rent in order to meet my obligations. Please vote down any suspension or forgiveness of rent in Seattle. Without your help the housing crises will only get worse as landlords will be increasingly unable to meet the city’s RRIO criteria and will be unable to pay utility bills, property taxes and mortgages.  

Thank you for your consideration.