Need Help with Rent?
If you live in King County or the City of Seattle, you may be eligible to get help with your rent. We’re working hard to help King County residents with much-needed rental assistance. Fill out the Client Intake Form for United Way’s Rental Assistance and Eviction Prevention Program below to get started.
Please note that submitting a Client Intake Form does not guarantee assistance through the program.*
*Due to limited funding, the program is not able to serve everyone that submits a Client Intake Form and submission of this form does not guarantee you will receive rental assistance. Eligible households will be randomly selected on a weekly basis. If you are not selected, you have a chance to be selected the following week.
How It Works
At our heart, we believe that everyone deserves a safe place to call home. We know the need is great. That brings us to work every day—to secure funds and ensure housing stability for as many of our neighbors as we can.
Step 1: Submit your Client Intake Form. If eligible, neighbors are randomly chosen for assistance from this program to ensure fairness.
Step 2: Check your phone/email for communication from us about your eligibility.
Step 2a: If you are eligible, you’ll be entered into a pool of potential rent help recipients. As funding becomes available, we select eligible recipients like you from this pool. If your name is picked, we’ll contact you with next steps. If you haven’t heard back, know that we’re working hard to secure more funds. You continue to remain in the pool for eligible assistance.
Step 2b: If you’re not eligible to receive rent help from this program, you will receive an email with additional resources for eviction assistance.
Step 3: If selected, you’ll receive a formal email invitation to the Connect Portal. A case manager will help you complete your application process and work with your landlord to collect required documentation. Once approved, your landlord will receive rent payment within 2-3 weeks.
You’re Eligible for This Program if…
- Households must have a CURRENT address in King County, WA
- Households MUST reside and owe back rent at your current address
- Households at risk of homelessness:
- Households have been notified that your right to occupy current living situation will be terminated within 21 days
- Households have a missed rent payment and currently owe at least part of a rent payment (current or past)
- Household income must not exceed 80% Area Median Income (AMI) for household size
- Landlord should be willing to participate in the program
Note: Eligibility for this program does not guarantee assistance.
Additional Support
Online Support Form
Questions? Please review our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) below. If they don’t answer your query, fill out this form. Note that response time is slower due to the high need for assistance in our community.
Leave a Message for the Rent Team
Call us at (206) 865-4994 and leave a voicemail at the Community Services: Rental Assistance Phone Line.
P.S. This rent help line is reserved for renters that do not have Internet access. Please use the Online Support Form above if you can.
Landlords: Send a Refund
If you need to send a full or partial refund for a rental assistance payment to United Way of King County, please include a filled out Online Support Form and completed Reimbursement Document with your check. This gives United Way the authority to track payment details of the original check and ensure program compliance.
FAQ for Renters
When will the application be available and how do I apply?
If you are behind in rent, you can complete this one-minute interest form and we will contact you if you are selected to formally apply to receive rent assistance. At that time, we will send you information about the next steps you will have to complete to be considered for eligibility of rental assistance.
Visit King County’s website to stay updated on current information.
I completed the interest survey posted on United Way of King County’s website before the program launched. Do I still need to complete the application?
Yes, you still need to complete an application for rent assistance. The survey was used for notification purposes only.
What are the eligibility requirements to receive assistance?
The following must apply to you:
- Your income is at or below the 80% median area income.
- You have at least one month of unpaid rent between March 2020-present.
- You have been financially impacted by COVID-19 (including job loss, reduction of income, sickness of yourself or a household member, or loss of childcare services).
What information do I need to complete the application?
You will need the following information:
- Your landlord/property managers name, phone number and email address.
- Basic information about your household such as your address, monthly rent amount, types of income sources and income amount.
Tenants will need to document their income and housing instability, but an agency staff member can help with self-attestations if the tenant is unable to provide proof of this information. Tenants will not be exclude from assistance if they can’t document their income and housing instability.
You will not be required to provide your Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). There are no citizenship requirements to receive assistance.
How many months of assistance am I eligible to receive?
The amount of assistance you receive is determined by what your household owes. Our program is able to provide up to 15 months of rental assistance, which could include up to 3 months of future rent, if you are eligible.
What information do you need from my landlord/property manager?
Your landlord/property manager will need to provide a lease, written documentation of the charges and payments to your rental account (rent ledger) and W-9 for payment processing. Other documentation may be required as needed. This will be resolved by the case manager processing your assistance.
You do not have to contact your landlord/property manager for these documents; that is the responsibility of your case manager.
Do I have to pay this assistance back? Is it a loan?
No, rental assistance funds are provided by the federal government as a grant. They are NOT a loan and do not have to be paid back.
How will I know if I am chosen to receive assistance?
You will be contacted by a case manager if you are selected to receive rent assistance funds. Monitor the email address and phone number you provided on your application; check your spam/junk folders.
Once approved, how long will it take for my landlord/property manager to receive the payment?
We encourage all landlord/property managers to opt into receiving payments via direct deposit, so funds can be received within the week of approval. However, if a payment is mailed, the landlord/property manager should receive the payment within two weeks of approval.
My landlord/property manager will not participate in this program. What can I do?
If you are selected for rental assistance and your landlord/property manager refuses to participate or refuses to accept the terms of assistance, talk to your case manager.
FAQ for Landlords/Property Managers
What terms are associated with accepting rent assistance through this program?
Full terms can be found in this document.
Landlord/property manager must agree to the following:
- You accept the rent assistance offer as full satisfaction for all balances through the agreement date.
- You agree to waive all late fees through the agreement date.
- You will not evict, refuse to renew the lease, or raise the rent for this unit the date listed on the payment agreement form.
What information do I need to provide to complete this process?
You must provide a rent ledger (or proof of payments/charges for unit), a lease and a completed W9. You will also be required to sign a formal rent assistance offer once your case manager determines the tenant’s assistance amount.
Will I/why do I have to forgive any past-due rent/charges that the assistance does not cover?
Possibly. If your tenant owes more rental arrears than our assistance can cover, you will be required to forgive that excess amount owed in order to receive rental assistance funds. This is done to ensure that tenants are brought to a current ($0) for the current month and will be less likely to face eviction.
Why is the payment standard less than the tenant’s monthly rent amount?
The payment standard for each unit is determined by fair market rent under HUD guidelines. This allows the program to stretch its dollars and ensure that the maximum number of tenants and landlords/property managers are served.
Will I have to report this income to the IRS when I file my taxes?
All rental assistance funds you receive must be reported to the IRS as income and you will receive a 1099 in the mail next tax season. Please note that any rent balances you forgive may also be claimed on your taxes as a business deduction/loss.
What do I do if it has been more than 2 weeks since approval and I still have not received my payment?
Contact the case manager that you worked with and fill out the Support Form on this page. They will be able to check the status of your payment/resolve any delays.
Who should I contact if I have questions/concerns after my tenant and I have been served?
Contact the case manager that you worked with. Or you can fill out the Support Form on this webpage.
Do you have any mortgage assistance programs/referrals?
This program is specifically for rent assistance. For mortgage resources and assistance, visit https://dfi.wa.gov/homeownership.
More Housing Resources
Everyone deserves a safe place to call home. And we’re working with community agencies to support your housing stability. Click below to check out other helpful information, resources, and other free, confidential community services.