This bill reenacts and amends RCW 59.18.060 to restate and expand landlord duties. It requires landlords to keep rental units fit for human habitation, comply with applicable codes, maintain structural components and building systems (electrical, plumbing, heating, weathertight elements), keep shared areas safe, provide pest control at tenancy start and for non–single-family residences during tenancy except when tenant-caused, supply locks and keys, provide adequate heat and water, make necessary repairs other than ordinary wear, and provide waste collection for non–single-family residences. The section clarifies there is no duty to repair defects caused by the tenant or when the tenant unreasonably denies access. The bill creates procedural protections about utility disconnection during heat alerts: landlords may not involuntarily terminate electric or water service on days when the National Weather Service issues a heat-related alert for the area. A tenant whose service was disconnected for nonpayment can request the landlord reconnect service on such a day; the landlord must promptly make a reasonable attempt to reconnect and may require a repayment plan. Repayment plans must aim to pay the past due balance by the following May 15 (or as soon as possible after that date if needed to keep monthly payments at or below 6% of the tenant’s monthly income), may not require monthly payments exceeding 6% of the tenant’s monthly income unless the tenant agrees to a higher amount, and a tenant making at least 6% payments will not be considered in default; the landlord must inform tenants of the reconnection right in disconnection notices. The bill also adds notice and disclosure duties: landlords must provide a signed written notice that units are equipped with the required smoke detection device and inform tenants of maintenance responsibility and related penalties; non–single-family landlords must disclose building fire safety features, smoking policy, and emergency plans (multifamily buildings may use a checklist with an evacuation diagram), and these must be given when a lease is signed. For leases entered into after December 31, 2026, landlords must disclose flood risk information, that landlord insurance does not cover tenants’ personal property, and that county sources can provide hazard information. Landlords must provide Department of Health–approved information about indoor mold health hazards and control methods to new tenants; landlords are immune from civil liability for failing to provide the mold information unless the failure is knowing and intentional. Landlords must identify their name and address for service, update tenants of changes, designate an in-state county agent if the owner does not reside in-state, and certain rules for service and 60-day appearance deadlines for out-of-state owners are specified. The amendment cites RCW 43.44.110 and reenacts RCW 59.18.060. The extracted text appears limited to this amended section and related notices and procedures; the full bill may contain additional sections, definitions (for terms like “single-family residence,” “special flood hazard area,” and “tenant’s monthly income”), enforcement provisions, or effective dates that are not included in these facts.

If enacted, landlords will face clearer, expanded day-to-day obligations: keep units habitable and weathertight, handle routine repairs and pest control, provide locks and utilities (including adequate heat and hot water), and give tenants written notices about smoke detectors, fire safety features in multifamily buildings, and mold health information produced with the Department of Health. For any rental agreements signed after December 31, 2026, landlords must also tell tenants if the property may be in a flood-prone area and warn that landlord insurance won’t cover tenants’ belongings. On days the National Weather Service issues a heat-related alert, landlords may not involuntarily cut off electric or water service and must try to reconnect service if asked; they can require a repayment plan but payments generally must be capped at six percent of the tenant’s monthly income and aim to pay past-due balances by the following May 15th. The people and agencies most affected are landlords (especially owners of multifamily buildings and out-of-state owners who must name in-state agents), tenants (who gain new protections and informational rights), the Department of Health (which must produce mold materials with landlord input), and county governments (as sources for flood-hazard information). Landlords will likely see added administrative and operational costs for notices, recordkeeping, repairs, pest control, and reconnecting utilities under repayment-plan limits; tenants gain options to avoid disconnection on heat-alert days and clearer hazard information. The text omits some definitional details and broader enforcement or penalty rules and may have other related provisions elsewhere in the full bill, so implementation timing and some obligations are uncertain.