7.25.030 - Prohibited billing practices.
A.
It is a deceptive and fraudulent business practice for any landlord or third party
billing agent to bill tenants separately for utility services except as permitted
in this chapter.
B.
It is a deceptive and fraudulent business practice for a landlord to engage, retain,
or authorize, and a landlord shall be liable for the actions of, a third party billing
agent that does not comply with the requirements of this chapter.
C.
As of the effective date of this ordinance, no landlord may disclose to a third party
billing agent a tenant's personally identifiable information under any circumstances,
provided, however, that nothing in this chapter shall prevent a landlord from disclosing
a tenant's name and address to a third party billing agent for the purpose of engaging
in permitted billing practices.
D.
A third party billing agent who prior to the effective date of this ordinance has
obtained any tenant's personally identifiable information (other than name and address)
shall not use, sell, convey, or otherwise disclose that personally identifiable information
to any other person, except as expressly permitted in this chapter, and must destroy
all such information upon a tenant's request, when the tenancy terminates and the
account is paid, or when the landlord terminates the third party billing agency relationship.
E.
No third party billing agent may inform a credit reporting agency of a claim against
a tenant except as expressly permitted in RCW Chapter 19.16, regardless of whether
the third party billing agent is licensed by the state pursuant to that chapter.
(Ord. 121320 § 1, 2003.)