JUST CAUSE OR NO CAUSE?

Washington State is now a “Just Cause” Eviction state?  Prior to the passage of the Mandatory Lease Renewal bill last year, Washington was a “No Cause” Eviction state.  This meant that a landlord could require a tenant to vacate at the end of a lease term without stating a reason or cause.  For tenants on a month-to-month rental agreement, a 20-day notice was all that was required to terminate the tenancy.

Now, with very limited exceptions, all tenancies can only be terminated for cause.  The law specifies the allowed reasons or causes and specifies the amount of time required for each.  The amount of notice time varies from three days to 120 days.

This means that even if the lease term is coming to an end, tenancy doesn’t automatically end.

We are here to help you and your clients with all aspects of the rental market. Please contact us for further assistance!

Nothing found herein should be construed as an attempt to offer or render a legal opinion or otherwise engage in the practice of law. You should not rely solely on this information. We encourage our clients to work with a lawyer experienced in commercial and/or residential real estate matters as they can be complicated and confusing.