Harassment Protections

Seattle protects against unlawful harassment when there is unwelcome, unwanted, offensive behavior that happens because of a protected class. The behavior must have been very bad or lasted a long time. Finally, you must have known about it and failed to act.

If you receive a complaint about harassment from a tenant, investigate right away and take action if necessary.

Seattle offers protection against illegal retaliation. Retaliation happens when an applicant or tenant exercises their fair housing rights by filing a claim of discrimination, helping someone else file a claim of discrimination, or participating in a discrimination investigation and you retaliate against them. Examples of retaliation include eviction or receiving a 10-day notice to comply or vacate. 

It may be the case that your tenant has not paid rent in months, so a notice or eviction is the proper course of action. It's important that you understand the potential retaliation claim and have evidence to support the action. Additionally, the new Fair Chance Housing Ordinance has a retaliation claim that is different compared to other fair housing laws.

If you have questions about how to comply with discrimination laws, contact the Seattle Office for Civil Rights for technical assistance.