Longtime landlord takes out full-page ad to decry eviction moratorium

A longtime landlord says he is fed up with surly tenants and politicians who don’t know what it’s like to own property.

That is why he took out a full-page ad in the Seattle Times to say it.

He says he has owned more than 100 rental properties in Kelso, Washington, over the last 40 years.

But pretty soon, he says he will be mostly out of the landlord business.

The full-page newspaper ad shows he is not leaving quietly.

“To all landlords, please refuse to rent anything during October as a way of protesting the illegal ‘No Eviction’ rule,” said Don Cullen, as he read from the newspaper ad that he says set him back $4,200.

It’s money he was willing to pay because he is so angry about yet another announcement from Governor Jay Inslee, delivered this time on Thursday, that the state’s eviction moratorium won’t expire now until the end of October. The governor says the extension will help tenants access federal money to pay back rent.

Cullen says it is a wrong-headed move.

“The politicians have never owned property,” said Cullen. “Many of them have never owned property. So, they have no idea about the maintenance and the things are required.”

He is not alone. Landlords are becoming more vocal about their opposition to a decision that they say is taking money out of their pockets. But their voices appear to be drowned out by tenants, especially in cities like Seattle, where the mayor has extended the eviction moratorium until early next year. Cullen says the Governor’s act will ultimately hurt the tenants he wants to help.

“He has single-handedly ruined the credit rating of hundreds of people in this state, if not thousands,” Cullen said. “Who’s going to rent to a non-payer?”

Now he hopes his ad will spur landlords to join his protest to show how the eviction moratoriums are hurting them. If so, they may have to do it without him.

“I’m getting out,” he declared. “Oh, I only have a few houses left. I’m fed up.”

Cullen says he has paid another $4,200 to run this ad again next Monday.

But that’s not all. He is planning to pay for a third ad — he plans to ask the Times for a price break.

He says he hopes that landlords will evict tenants who don’t pay, as soon as they can.

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