Do I now have to give 60 days notice in Washington state to end a tenants tenancy?

Question

My properties our outside of Seattle, not in the city limits. I only lease month to month, and do so with the "right to occupy ends after month of tenancy".

The laws for good cause evictions have become confusing. This is a wall of text that I don't understand. It seems like if they don't have 4 violations of the lease, I have to provide them a 60 days written notice to get them to move out, even on a month to month tenancy. Can anyone clarify?

https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/def...

Michael Haas · Answer

@Jack B. - yes, its confusing stuff. I'm not as up-to-date on the new rental regulations, and that's an intentional decision. We used to self manage our rentals, but given there's now not only state and county rules but every individual CITY has decided they want their own rental regulations its no longer worth trying to keep up with the regs. Your job as an investor is to find good opportunities, and I've found that once you get past 1-2 properties the burden of property management slows your ability to find those opportunities. We're at 13 properties now, and property management has been huge for us as we're infinitely scalable now.

I know I didn't answer your question haha, but still wanted to give my two cents from my experience. If you want a referral to a great property manager just shoot me a message, happy to share mine. Good luck!

Nik Moushon · Answer

@Jack B.Yes you are correct. 60 day notice. On top of that, if I remember correctly, they can push back against even that. They can also try and force you to work out a plan for them to stay. I don't remember all the details of the new laws....they came into effect Jan 1, 2022 if I think. Anyways, after I sat through a 2 hr seminar on the new changes back then, I just remember coming out of it and making the easy decision to never rent m2m again. Even my 12m lease does not roll over into m2m. I make everyone resign a new 12m lease.

Sherief Elbassuoni · Answer

@Jack B., yes, if there is no violations, you need a min of 60 days notice!

Besides the RCW link you have, you can also keep this table in your bookmark https://www.rhawa.org/covid-19

It has a high-level nice summary for rental rules in WA!

Melanie Thomas · Answer

In Washington state, landlords must provide a 60-day notice to terminate a month-to-month tenancy for no cause. However, landlords may terminate a month-to-month tenancy with a 20-day notice if the tenant has violated the terms of the rental agreement, committed a nuisance, or engaged in certain criminal activities.

Under the state's "just cause" eviction law, which applies to tenancies in Seattle and some other cities, landlords may only terminate a tenancy for specific reasons, such as nonpayment of rent, violation of the lease agreement, or a landlord's desire to sell or occupy the property. In these cases, the landlord must provide a 60-day notice for tenancies of less than one year and a 90-day notice for tenancies of one year or more.

However, it's important to note that the "just cause" eviction law does not apply to all cities in Washington state, and may not apply to your specific location. It's important to check with your local government and consult with an attorney to determine what laws apply to your rental property.

Overall, it's important to carefully review and understand the laws and regulations governing landlord-tenant relationships in your area to ensure that you are in compliance and to protect your rights as a landlord. Good luck & happy investing!

Henry T. · Answer

Sorry I spoke to soon. Steve Vaughan is correct. The terminating lease must have a 60 day notice. If you re-sign, then you do again,  and don't miss that 60 day notice. It's tedious, and you need a fail safe way to make sure you don't miss those notices. This is the only way you can control your tenancies....This is mostly statewide, but in Seattle you don't have this option, Seattle is mandatory renewal, landlord cannot quit.

Henry T. · Answer

You're all wrong for WA state. 60 day notice ONLY applies if you have a lease that is set to terminate on a specific date. For that termination date to be enforced, you MUST notify him 60 days before the end of the lease that the end is coming. Failure to send that 60 day notice ON TIME removes your opportunity to regain your property with no cause.. You said you are month to month? Therefore that 60 day notice does not apply to you. You are stuck with him. You cannot terminate his tenancy unless for one of 16 just cause reasons. Welcome to Washington.

Steve Vaughan · Answer

Me too, Nick.  Only 6 month or 12 month leases for me after the seminar on it we went to. I had to tell my PM to stop doing all mtm.

Even with 6 or 12 m leases we still need 60 days notice.   90 days notice if selling no matter what.  An old friend just told me he gave his tenant a 20 day. Good luck with that.  It's on us to know what we need to do, Jack.

Nathan Gesner · Answer

Talk to local investors or an attorney. I can normally review laws for different states and figure out the answer, but I haven't the time or inclination to deal with this one.

I can find a lot of websites, handbooks, and other resources for Seattle, but you claim to be outside of their jurisdiction so I don't know if you follow the general laws of the State or if you fall under something else. Best to talk to a pro.

Do I now have to give 60 days notice in Washington state to end a tenants tenancy?

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