A bill in the Washington state legislature this session would require landlords to inform renters, even those simply considering signing a lease, if a rental property is located in an area that may flood.
The Washington state Senate passed Senate Bill 6237 on Wednesday with 46 of the 50 members of the upper chamber voting in favor of the bill and three voting against. The legislation adds new language to Washington state’s Residential Landlord-Tenant Act that requires landlords to inform renters if their building is located in a “special flood hazard area” or otherwise has a high risk of flooding.
During the bill's first hearing in the Senate Housing Committee, the bill's prime sponsor and chair of the committee, state Sen. Jessica Bateman, D-Olympia, spoke on the bill. The state senator urged support for the bill pointing out that states like California, Oregon and Texas have similar laws that require disclosure to renters that properties may flood. She added that a recent Seattle Times article published during recent flooding in the state pointed out that many flood victims in Washington that rent homes are unaware that their homes may flood.
“Many of us, including me, were shocked by the extent of the flooding in our state last December,” Bateman said. “Even though my district wasn’t as heavily affected, it was clear that state government needed to learn lessons and respond to protect us better for the future. One thing we can do for better housing policy is pass this bill, ensuring renters get the same notice and warning about known flood risks that someone buying a home does. That just seems fair to me.”
The bill requires that landlords disclose flood risks to their property and inform tenants both of where to find flood information with the local county government, and that the landlords insurance does not cover the loss of a tenant's personal possessions.
According to a news release from Bateman and her team, current state law does require sellers to disclose known facts about a property to the buyer, including whether it’s located in a designated flood hazard zone or has experienced prior flooding, but it appears that those rules do not apply to the landlord-tenant relationship.
After passing through the Senate, the bill will now advance to the Washington state House of Representatives, where it will be referred for a committee hearing in the coming weeks.
