Navigating Tacoma’s Eviction Moratoriums During the Holiday Season
As winter arrives and the holiday season settles in, many Tacoma landlords face an annual challenge that has nothing to do with gift shopping or travel plans: the city’s overlapping eviction moratoriums. These protections can pause nonpayment evictions for months at a time, and landlords who are not aware of the timing often discover, too late, that their hands are tied until spring.
Understanding how Tacoma’s Cold Weather Moratorium and School-Year Moratorium work is essential for protecting your rental property while still extending grace and goodwill during the holidays.
This guide breaks down both moratoriums, explains what landlords can still do during the winter freeze, and offers practical, legally sound strategies for working with tenants without becoming stuck in months of delay.
- Tacoma’s Cold Weather Eviction Moratorium: Nov. 1 – April 1
As temperatures drop, Tacoma places a freeze on most residential evictions for nonpayment. Between November 1 and April 1, eviction actions cannot proceed to completion.
Here’s how the cold-weather rules break down:
A. You CAN Serve Notices During the Winter
Tacoma’s moratorium does not prohibit the service of notices.
Landlords may serve:
14-Day Pay or Vacate Notices
30-Day or 90-Day termination notices
Notices for noncompliance
This is not only permitted, it is often essential for protecting your timeline going into spring.
B. You Generally CANNOT File an Unlawful Detainer Until After April 1
The courts will not move a standard nonpayment eviction forward during the moratorium. If you attempt to file, the case will be stayed or rejected until the freeze lifts.
C. Courts Rarely Issue Writs in Winter and the Sheriff Will NOT Enforce Them
Even if a landlord were to obtain a judgment:
Tacoma courts typically decline to issue writs of restitution during winter unless a serious health and safety threat is proven.
Even if a writ is issued, the sheriff will not enforce it until after April 1 due to both state law and local practice.
In effect, no physical evictions occur during this period.
2. Tacoma’s School-Year Eviction Moratorium
(Applies If Any Household Member Is Under 18)
Separate from the winter freeze, Tacoma also blocks nonpayment evictions during the school year when the home includes any child under age 18, regardless of whether the child attends Tacoma schools.
This moratorium:
Prohibits filing
Prevents issuance of a writ
Prohibits sheriff enforcement
Because it overlaps heavily with the cold-weather period, a landlord may inadvertently lose the ability to file for six to ten months, simply by granting a tenant a little extra time in the fall or winter.
Holiday Timing Tip:
A tenant requesting “just a bit more time” in September, October, or December may unintentionally (or intentionally) push the landlord straight into the school-year moratorium period.
- How to Be Generous During the Holidays Without Becoming Legally Stuck
Most small landlords want to work with tenants; especially during the holiday season. Don’t let Tacoma’s moratoriums make your heart cold and prevent cooperation. You will need to engage in thoughtful planning though.
Below are practical ways to extend grace while protecting your legal position:
A. Serve Notices on Time: Think of It as Seasonal Preparation
Serving a notice on time does not mean you refuse flexibility; it simply preserves your ability to act when moratoriums lift.
You can still give a tenant:
An extra week
A short payment extension
A holiday grace period
But the notice ensures you don’t lose months of procedural time.
B. Put Extensions in Writing
A simple message will do, for example: “You may have until __ to pay. The notice remains valid.”
This keeps communication clear and your rights intact.
C. Watch for Strategic Timing
Tenants who request multiple small extensions may unknowingly, or strategically, be heading toward a moratorium window.
Awareness now prevents months of delay later.
D. Prepare Your Case During the Moratorium
While you cannot file, you can prepare:
Organize ledgers
Gather lease documents
Compile communications
Draft your UD packet
Confirm service dates
Preparation now means readiness on April 1.
- After April 1: The Filing Rush Begins
When Tacoma’s moratorium lifts, every landlord who has been waiting since fall or winter tries to file at once. As a result:
Court calendars fill quickly
Process servers are backed up
The sheriff’s office (already short-staffed) may take 30–45 days to execute a writ
This delay is unavoidable, but being ready on Day 1 dramatically improves your position.
- A Holiday Checklist for Tacoma Landlords
- Serve notices promptly (even during the holidays). This preserves your rights.
- Offer extensions in writing.
Grace plus clarity. - Track tenant timing requests.
Late-fall extensions may trigger moratorium protections. - Understand both moratoriums.
Cold Weather: Nov 1 – Apr 1
School Year: Applies if anyone under 18 lives in the home - Prepare your unlawful detainer packet ahead of time. Being ready allows you to file immediately.
- Expect sheriff delays of 30–45 days. Plan accordingly.
- Balance compassion with compliance. You can be generous and still protect your investment.
Final Thoughts
The holiday season encourages generosity, and many Tacoma landlords reflect that spirit by offering payment plans, extensions, and patience. But understanding the city’s moratoriums is essential for ensuring that kindness does not turn into a months-long legal delay.
Serve notices on time.
Document extensions.
Know the moratorium timelines.
Prepare for spring now.
With the right strategy, you can support your tenants during the holidays while safeguarding your rights as a landlord…both this season and beyond.
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!
Sadity Esq 
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