Washington eviction laws
Notices, deadlines, court and tenant rights in Washington — in plain English.
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Overview
- The court case
- Unlawful detainer action
- Court
- Superior Court of Washington for the county where the property is located
- Main laws
- Residential Landlord-Tenant Act, RCW 59.18 (esp. 59.18.057, 59.18.365, 59.18.650); Unlawful Detainer, RCW 59.12.030-.040
Just-cause protection
Statewide law
Washington has a statewide just-cause law. A landlord may end a tenancy only for a reason listed in RCW 59.18.650(2), each with its own minimum notice. Fixed-term leases turn into month-to-month when they end unless one of the narrow end-of-lease exceptions applies. Every termination notice must state the reason and the facts behind it. (RCW 59.18.650)
Notices before filing, by reason
What a landlord must serve before filing — and what a tenant should expect to receive.
Unpaid rent — 14-Day Notice to Pay or Vacate
Serve the state's 14-day notice to pay or vacate using the exact form in the statute. If the tenant pays everything listed within 14 days (plus 5 days if served by mail), the landlord must accept it and cannot evict for that rent.
14-Day Notice to Pay or Vacate
- Notice period
- 14 days
- Counting
- Count 14 calendar days after service; the day of service is not counted. If served by posting-and-mail or leaving with an adult plus mail, add 5 more days before filing (RCW 59.12.040). If the last day falls on a weekend or legal holiday, use the next business day.
- Tenant can fix it?
- Yes, within the notice period
- Must include
- Must be substantially in the form in RCW 59.18.057 (use the state form)
- Itemized amounts due: monthly rent, utilities, and other recurring charges named in the lease; no late fees, attorney fees or damages can be demanded
- Total amount due and the date by which payment must be made
- Where and how payment can be made, including by nonelectronic means
- Statutory statements about legal aid, the right to an attorney, the dispute resolution center, rental assistance and interpreter/translation resources
- Warning that failure to pay or vacate may lead to a court eviction
- How to serve
- Hand it to the tenant in person; Leave it with an adult who lives there (and mail a copy if required); Post it on the door and mail a copy. Hand it to the tenant; or leave it with a person of suitable age and discretion at the home AND mail a copy; or, if no one is there, post it in a conspicuous place AND mail a copy. When served by mail, allow 5 extra days before filing. Service by mail counts as complete when deposited in the mail in Washington.
- Official form
- 14-Day Notice to Pay or Vacate (statutory form in RCW 59.18.057; Attorney General / WashingtonLawHelp version)
- Law
- RCW 59.18.057; RCW 59.12.030(3); RCW 59.18.650(2)(a); RCW 59.12.040
- Before filing for nonpayment, landlords must meet state requirements such as the eviction resolution/rental assistance steps that apply in their county (RCW 59.18.660). Double-check with the court: current status of the Eviction Resolution Pilot Program in your county.
- Tenants may be eligible for appointed counsel (RCW 59.18.640); the summons must say so.
- A landlord who accepts all rent owed after serving the notice generally waives the eviction for that rent.
The tenant broke the lease or rules — 10-Day Notice to Comply or Vacate
For a lease breach other than rent, serve a 10-day notice to comply or vacate that states the violation. If the tenant fixes it within 10 days, the tenancy continues. Four or more violations in 12 months with written warnings can support a separate 60-day notice.
10-Day Notice to Comply or Vacate
- Notice period
- 10 days
- Counting
- Count 10 calendar days after service (day of service not counted); add 5 days if served by a method that includes mailing. If the last day falls on a weekend or legal holiday, use the next business day.
- Tenant can fix it?
- Yes, within the notice period
- Must include
- The specific lease term or duty violated and the facts, with enough detail for the tenant to respond and prepare a defense
- Demand to comply within 10 days or move out
- The date by which the tenant must vacate if not corrected
- Landlord name, contact and signature
- How to serve
- Hand it to the tenant in person; Leave it with an adult who lives there (and mail a copy if required); Post it on the door and mail a copy. Personal delivery; or leave with a person of suitable age at the home and mail; or post conspicuously and mail. Add 5 days when mail is part of service.
- Law
- RCW 59.18.650(2)(b), (6); RCW 59.12.030(4); RCW 59.12.040
- For four or more violations within 12 months, RCW 59.18.650(2)(n) allows a 60-day termination, but only if a written warning was given for each violation at the time, with specific required statements.
The lease ended and the tenant stayed — 60-Day Notice of Termination at End of Fixed Term
In most cases a fixed-term lease simply becomes month-to-month when it ends, and the landlord still needs a listed cause. The landlord may end it at the end of the term only if (a) the first lease was 6 to 12 months and the landlord gave at least 60 days' written notice before it ended, or (b) the first lease was 12 months or longer (or back-to-back 6-month-plus leases) and the tenancy never became month-to-month, again with 60 days' notice. A tenant who refuses a reasonable new lease offered at least 30 days before the old one ends may also be ended.
60-Day Notice of Termination at End of Fixed Term
- Notice period
- 60 days
- Counting
- Must be served at least 60 days before the last day of the lease term; add 5 days if served by a method that includes mailing. The termination date must be the end of the term.
- Tenant can fix it?
- No
- Must include
- Statement that the tenancy ends at the end of the fixed term and the date
- Which RCW 59.18.650(1) exception applies (initial 6-12 month lease or 12+ month / successive leases)
- The date by which the tenant must vacate
- How to serve
- Hand it to the tenant in person; Leave it with an adult who lives there (and mail a copy if required); Post it on the door and mail a copy. Serve as in RCW 59.12.040 (personal; adult at home plus mail; or post plus mail).
- Law
- RCW 59.18.650(1)(a)-(b)
- If the 60-day notice was not given before the lease ended, the tenancy is month-to-month and can only be ended for a listed cause.
Ending a month-to-month tenancy (no fault) — not allowed as a reason
Washington does not allow ending a month-to-month tenancy without a listed reason. Allowed 'no-fault' causes include: owner or immediate family moving in (90 days), sale of a single-family home (90 days), demolition, substantial rehabilitation or change of use (120 days), property condemned (30 days), shared housing with the owner (20 days), or other legitimate economic or business reason (60 days). Each notice must state the cause and supporting facts.
Notice of Termination for Cause (owner move-in or sale)
- Notice period
- 90 days
- Counting
- At least the listed number of days before the termination date; add 5 days if served by a method that includes mailing. 90 days for owner move-in or single-family sale, 120 days for demolition/conversion/substantial rehab, 60 days for other good cause, 20 days for shared housing with owner, 30 days for condemnation.
- Tenant can fix it?
- No
- Must include
- The specific cause under RCW 59.18.650(2) and the facts supporting it
- The date the tenancy ends and the date to vacate
- For owner move-in: who will live there; for sale: that the owner will list the home for sale within 30 days after the tenant leaves
- Any certification required by the city or county
- How to serve
- Hand it to the tenant in person; Leave it with an adult who lives there (and mail a copy if required); Post it on the door and mail a copy. Serve as in RCW 59.12.040.
- Law
- RCW 59.18.650(2)(d)-(m), (6)
- There is a legal presumption of bad faith if the owner does not move in for 60 days after an owner-move-in termination, or does not list/market the home after a sale termination.
- Relocation assistance may be owed for demolition, conversion or substantial rehabilitation (RCW 59.18.440 and local ordinances).
Illegal activity, violence or serious damage — 3-Day Notice to Quit (waste, nuisance or unlawful activity)
For waste, nuisance (including drug-related activity) or unlawful activity that affects others, serve a 3-day notice to quit. The tenant has no right to cure.
3-Day Notice to Quit (waste, nuisance or unlawful activity)
- Notice period
- 3 days
- Counting
- Count 3 calendar days after service; add 5 days if served by a method that includes mailing. If the last day falls on a weekend or legal holiday, use the next business day.
- Tenant can fix it?
- No
- Must include
- The specific waste, nuisance or unlawful activity and facts (dates, what happened) with enough detail to prepare a defense
- Demand to move out and the date by which to vacate
- How to serve
- Hand it to the tenant in person; Leave it with an adult who lives there (and mail a copy if required); Post it on the door and mail a copy. Serve as in RCW 59.12.040.
- Law
- RCW 59.18.650(2)(c); RCW 59.12.030(5)
- Victims of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking have protections and cannot be evicted for being a victim (RCW 59.18.580).
How a tenant responds
The summons gives a specific deadline to respond (at least 7 and no more than 30 days after service). The tenant must deliver a written response (notice of appearance / answer) to the landlord or landlord's attorney by that date, by the method in the summons, and may also file it with the court. If the tenant does not respond, the landlord can get a default judgment. Tenants with low income may be appointed a lawyer.
Deadline: 7 days after being served · Form: Unlawful Detainer Answer (WashingtonLawHelp / Washington Courts form) · RCW 59.18.365; RCW 59.18.640
City and local rules
- Seattle: Just Cause Eviction Ordinance (SMC 22.206.160) adds its own list of causes and stricter rules; winter eviction ban (Dec 1 - Mar 1) for many households, school-year protection for households with children or educators, and relocation assistance for some terminations. Notices must include Seattle-specific information.
- Tacoma, Burien, Kenmore, Federal Way, King County and other cities have additional notice, rent-increase or relocation rules. VERIFY local ordinances before serving.
- Statewide rent stabilization law (2025, HB 1217) limits many rent increases and requires 90 days' notice; it does not change the eviction notices above.
Official court forms
Sources
- RCW 59.18.650 Just cause
- RCW 59.18.057 14-day notice form
- RCW 59.12.040 Service of notice
- RCW 59.18.365 Summons
- WashingtonLawHelp - Eviction
Checked 2026-09. General information, not legal advice; laws change and courts differ. We strive for accuracy but don’t guarantee it.