What are the PROs and CONs of going month to month

[Doris Moore]

I am on the hunted for my first multi family property with my sister as my partner in the state of Washington. We are seeing a lot of properties with tenants that are on "month to month" leases. Is this a growing trend due to the COVID moritorium on evictions? Should we keep practicing the leasing pattern going forward? 

[Michele Fischer]

It may be because the tenant landlord laws are so tenant friendly in Washington and particularly Seattle.

Landlords often like leases because they assume they can breathe easy that the place is rented for awhile and that they can contol when month tenants move (not near the hoolidays, etc).  But we prefer M2M because we think it gives us more flexibility.  More flexibility to adjust rent amounts, and in most of WA the ability to end the contract with 20 days notice if things aren't working.  Tenants are going to leave whenever they need to leave regardless of the paperwork,so the longer time period benefits tenants more than landlords.

You should research the laws and ensure that Kirkland doesn't fall under Seattle rules and that King County does have more restrictive laws than WA.