Bill would require landlords to keep payment portals open during evictions, but tenant groups say it removes judicial discretion
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Summary
Sponsor says the bill would let tenants make partial payments during unlawful detainer proceedings while preserving landlords’ right to continue eviction; tenant advocates and some housing-reform witnesses oppose removing judges’ discretion and warn of unintended harm.
Senator Drew Hansen told the Senate Housing Committee that Senate Bill 6,139 would require landlords to continue to accept previously agreed payment methods and to keep payment portals open during the pendency of an unlawful detainer action, while clarifying that a partial payment "does not constitute nor may it be construed as a reinstatement of the lease" and does not stop an eviction proceeding.
Hansen said the bill grew from repeated courtroom examples a King County Superior Court judge flagged: tenants who could scrape together a partial payment but whose landlords refused to accept it, leaving tenants with no path short of paying the full balance. "This sounds like something that we could actually solve legislatively so you don't have to do it case by case," Hansen said.
Tenant advocates urged caution or opposition. "Please do not pass 6139 as written," said Daniel Lugo, who testified that Washington recorded about 23,000 eviction filings in 2024 and argued the bill would strip judges of a critical discretion that can protect tenants. Carrie Burnside of the Bellingham Tenants Union called the measure "a trap" that encourages partial payments but then allows eviction to proceed, warning it would accelerate housing loss rather than stabilize families.
Housing providers and property managers said they support the bill's intent but pressed for statutory clarity to avoid operational problems. Crystal Perkey of the Washington Multifamily Housing Association said the industry appreciates the sponsor's work but warned that requiring payment portals to stay open could create liability and technical issues. Jim Henderson of the National Association of Residential Property Managers recommended a written receipt that makes clear any accepted payment "does not cure the notice," and flagged case law that currently creates automatic procedural effects when payments are accepted.
Committee members asked how often partial payments are actually offered; witnesses said partial payments are uncommon but that a better system might reduce large judgments and re-filing costs, which witnesses estimated at roughly $3,500–$5,000 per unlawful detainer proceeding. The bill drew sharply different views about balancing a tenant's ability to pay and a landlord's operational and legal protections.
The committee closed the public hearing on SB 6,139 and proceeded to other agenda items.
