The Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections shall educate renters of their
right to counsel free of charge, including materials made available in languages commonly
spoken by Seattle residents. Owners must provide notice to the tenant of their right
to counsel in any notice required by Chapter 22.205, subject to the Department's rulemaking. The Department shall adopt a rule or rules
to enforce this subsection 22.206.195.D. Failure to include the required language
on any notice issued pursuant to Chapter 22.205 shall be a defense to eviction.
E.
Nothing in this Section 22.206.195 shall be construed to require persons served with an unlawful detainer suit to accept
counsel provided by the City. The City is not responsible for paying any legal fees
associated with representation other than that authorized by the contracts described
in subsection 22.206.195.C.
F.
Nothing in this Section 22.206.195 is intended to require representation by an attorney that would violate the Washington
State Court Rules of Professional Conduct.
G.
The attorney organization with whom the Director contracts shall report the number
of cases and estimated attorney hours spent on court proceedings beyond or in lieu
of representation at a show cause hearing or first appearance. The Council intends
to consider this information in determining whether to amend this Section 22.206.195.
(Ord. 126301, § 1, 2021.)