The landlord gave 30 days notice, the tenant asserted he was supposed to give 90 days notice.  

Don't be afraid to be assertive and demand high quality.

In other words, it asserts, landlords could be breaking the law when they refuse to rent to black ex-cons with long rap sheets — even if they have no intention of discriminating — because such a policy would likely have a disproportionate impact on them.So now landlords, real estate agents and property managers will think twice before turning away drug dealers and thieves, even rapists, who are members of this “protected class” — even though barring high-risk tenants serves a legitimate, nondiscriminatory purpose.This puts landlords in a terrible legal bind.To protect themselves from federal action, they would be wise to avoid even inquiring about the criminal records of prospective tenants.

The RCW further states:The landlord is also barred in any action brought by the tenant to recover the deposit from asserting any claim or raising any defense for retaining any of the deposit unless the landlord shows that circumstances beyond the landlord's control prevented the landlord from providing the statement within the fourteen days or that the tenant abandoned the premises as defined in RCW 59.18.310.which is the case in my circumstance.

This thread is dizzying, so forgive me if I've missed something or am just throwing a curveball here...Your assertions are correct when accounting for mortgage payments only.

Rather it  asserted that  the typical late fee clause in most leases (mine included) probably is.The upvote was made in error but no mind.

That's just good business.So, your assertion is that when choosing customers, good business would dictate that landlords should adhere to the same standards as medical professionals?

That seems to indicate the opposite of what you're asserting.

I don't want a hostile relationship with neighbor (s) - though I know asserting ones property rights can be a tad tricky, especially if the neighbors are accustomed to no one being there.

These things often escalate for some reason, and one potential reason is that the tenant may be setting up for a tenant's assertion and purposefully making matters worse.