Tenant and landlord horror stories took center stage at a Monday meeting as the Spokane City Council debated establishing a new eviction prevention program.
The ordinance, which passed by a vote of 5-2, directs the city administration to create a new eviction prevention program by June 1, 2026, with a webpage that collates rental assistance programs and legal defense resources like attorneys who will represent tenants for free. It also requires landlords to notify their tenants of the program when they sign or renew leases, any time landlords give tenants notice to pay or vacate and when they raise the rent.
Before landlords evict tenants solely for nonpayment of rent, they must now engage in the eviction prevention program, sharing city resources and waiting for at least 30 days before submitting a demand for payment. This only applies to tenants who can’t pay the rent; landlords can still evict people who’ve damaged or committed crimes in the rental, or compromised the health and safety of other tenants…