State Representative Gael Tarleton (D-Ballard) introduced the measure after hearing Dana Widrig’s story.
Widrig was brutally beaten and raped in her apartment complex three years ago. Her attacker was a maintenance employee who worked at Widrig’s apartment complex. He gained access to a spare set of keys to her rental unit because they weren’t properly secured by the landlord.
Under current law, there is no legal requirement for a landlord to safely secure spare or master keys to rental units. HB 1647 looks to fix that oversight in the Landlord-Tenant Act by requiring landlords to safely secure spare keys to their rental units.
This is Tarleton’s first year representing the 36th Legislative District. HB 1647 is her first bill to be signed into law.