SEATTLE — A landlord in Seattle is beyond frustrated over tenants who pose a danger to other renters in his building yet remain insulated from eviction for a year or more due to city ordinances and backlogs in the King County court system.
Osho Berman formerly owned an apartment complex along Aurora Avenue where many of the problems occurred. Berman said he had tenants who physically threatened him and even assaulted their neighbors, but he was unable to get them permanently removed from his property.
Berman said he initially started renting properties because he wanted to provide stable housing for people who were trying to get back on their feet but faced barriers that other landlords wouldn’t accommodate.
Due to changes in city ordinances in recent years, and lengthy backlogs in the courts, Berman said he is no longer able to effectively “manage out dangerous and disruptive tenants,” and that can have impacts on all the other tenants who live at the same property…