Critical maintenance issues have to be addressed even if a tenant is behind in rent.  For example, a tenant who is being evicted for non-payment of rent still has the right to a working heating system.  Furthermore, while the Washington State Residential Landlord Tenant Act restricts the actions a tenant can take to force a landlord to make general repairs if the rent is not current, the tenant may claim that the rent hasn’t been paid because the work wasn’t done.

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

There are no warranties, express or implied, including fitness for a particular purpose, made with respect to this communication. 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 obtain the advice of an attorney well versed in these matters.

Washington State law requires a twenty day notice telling a tenant they have to vacate the premises and a thirty notice to raise the rent.  This is the minimum notice; the lease or local ordinance may require additional notice.  (Notices in Seattle, for instance, may need to be served as much as 90 days in advance.)  The notice must be received by the tenant the requisite number of days prior to the beginning of the next lease term.  If the tenant is on a month-to-month rental agreement or if there is no written agreement, think of each monthly period as a lease term.

Each signatory to the lease must receive a separate notice, even if they are married.  Emailed notices do not fulfill the requirements.

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

There are no warranties, express or implied, including fitness for a particular purpose, made with respect to this communication. 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 obtain the advice of an attorney well versed in these matters

Tenants have the right of quiet enjoyment, which includes the right to have house guests. The landlord, on the other hand, has the right to approve any changes in occupancy.  So if a houseguest wants to become an occupant, the landlord has the right to require written permission prior to occupancy.  Some leases define when a visit becomes occupancy but many, do not.  When a tenant must have permission to add an occupant therefore usually falls under the “reasonable” rule.  The guidelines have been less clear in recent years because we are seeing a significant increase in family members from other countries visiting, often for long periods of time.

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 obtain the advice of an attorney well versed in these matters.

The prohibition of discrimination against families with children includes not applying “overly restrictive” rules on children under 16.  HUD recently charged an apartment in Texas with this violation*.  HUD alleges that the apartment:

“Discriminated against families by prohibiting children under the age of 16 from being in their home without an adult, using the laundry facilities without an adult present, using the pool without an adult present, or using their scooters or bikes on the street and parking lots without an adult.”

Per HUD, imposing rules that limit the activities of daily life for children violates Fair Housing, even if the motivation is to protect children.

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

There are no warranties, express or implied, including fitness for a particular purpose, made with respect to this communication. 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 obtain the advice of an attorney well versed in these matters.

http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/press/press_releases_media_advisories/2015/HUDNo_15-137

The owner has the right to show the rental property to prospective buyers or tenants with 24 hours’ notice.  On the other hand, the tenant also has the right of quiet enjoyment.  These may be competing rights.  The tenants also have the right to reasonably say no to showings.

The Landlord Tenant Act does not address lockboxes, signs or open houses.  These should all be discussed with the tenant by the owner and listing broker prior to listing the property.

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

There are no warranties, express or implied, including fitness for a particular purpose, made with respect to this communication. 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 obtain the advice of an attorney well versed in these matters.

We don’t handle furnished rentals?  In our experience the additional rent doesn’t justify the additional expenses and hassles.  For instance:

• We cannot begin to charge enough of a deposit to cover the potential loss or damage of personal property;
• By definition furnished rentals are short term (defined as less than 6 month lease) so more frequent turn overs, increased vacancy and costs and
• Greater risk of someone moving out in the middle of the night if they don’t have “stuff” holding them down.
• Everything included has to be inventoried and condition noted at move in and move out and everything must be maintained by the owner.  So if the coffee pot dies, the owner has to repair or replace it.
• Tenants in furnished rentals tend to have much higher expectations of service.  This is typically more like what is offered in apartments than your normal single rental.

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 obtain the advice of an attorney well versed in these matters.

There are more state laws regulating rentals than just the Residential Landlord Tenant Act, RCW 50.18.  For example, Title 19 requires that hot water heaters be set no higher than 120 degrees when the tenants move in.

RCW 19.27A.060. Upon occupancy of a new tenant in a residential unit leased or rented in this state, if hot water is supplied from an accessible, individual water heater, the water heater shall be set by the owner or agent at a temperature not higher than one hundred twenty degrees Fahrenheit.

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

There are no warranties, express or implied, including fitness for a particular purpose, made with respect to this communication. 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 obtain the advice of an attorney well versed in these matters.