Updated June 02, 2023
A Washington eviction notice is a form used by a landlord to initiate the eviction process with a tenant due to a violation of the lease agreement. The notice includes a description of the violation committed by the tenant and how they can cure the issue. If the tenant refuses, the landlord can file an Unlawful Detainer Action in the Superior Court.
By Type (4)
3-Day Notice to Quit (Illegal Activity)– This notice is given to tenants if they engage in illegal activity. Once delivered to the tenant, the landlord must wait three days before proceeding with an eviction.
Download: Adobe PDF, MS Word (.docx), OpenDocument
10-Day Notice to Quit (Non-Compliance) – This form is used when a tenant is breaching the lease for reasons other than the non-payment of rent or for illegal activity. A landlord must give the tenant 10 days to rectify the problem before eviction proceedings can begin.
Download: Adobe PDF
14-Day Notice to Quit (Non-Payment)– This notice form is used when a tenant fails to pay rent when it is due. The landlord must give the tenant 14 days to pay before moving forward with the eviction.
Download: Adobe PDF, MS Word (.docx), OpenDocument
Lease Termination Letter (Month-to-Month Tenancy) – If the tenant and landlord have a month-to-month tenancy, and one of them wants to terminate it, they have to provide the other party with the adequate notice.
Download: Adobe PDF
Table of Contents |
Eviction Laws
- Rent Grace Period: No laws.
- Non-Payment of Rent: 14 days. § 59.12.030(3)
- Non-Compliance: 10 days. § 59.12.030(4)
- Illegal Activity: 3 days. § 59.12.030(5)
- Termination (Month-to-Month Lease): 20 days if served by tenant (§ 59.18.200(1)(a)). Notice requirements vary if served by landlord.
- Eviction Lawsuit: Forcible Entry and Forcible and Unlawful Detainer. § 59.12.010 – 59.12.230
Court Forms
Landlords may obtain the paperwork needed for an eviction lawsuit from the Superior Court in the area where the leased property is located.
Complaint for Unlawful Detainer – Completed by the landlord and filed with the Superior Court to begin the process of evicting a tenant from a rental property.
Eviction Summons – To be filed by the landlord at the same time that their eviction complaint is submitted to the court. The summons form will be served to the tenant to explain the ways in which they must proceed if they wish to defend themselves from being evicted.
Order to Show Cause – Establishes a hearing date upon which both the landlord and tenant must appear in court to settle the eviction lawsuit.
Notice of Appearance or Answer – Used by the tenant to render an official response to the claims made against them by the landlord.
Writ of Restitution – Commands the sheriff’s department to remove the tenant and restore possession of the property to the landlord.
When is Rent Due
In Washington State, rent is due on the date set forth in the lease between the tenant and the landlord and is considered late if it is not paid by that date. At that point, the landlord can provide notice to the tenant that rent is due and the tenant would have fourteen (14) days to pay before the landlord could seek redress from the court.
How to Evict (Process)
Step 1 – The first step in evicting a tenant in Washington is to provide notice to the tenant that there is a problem and seeing if the tenant will rectify the problem before you need to get the courts involved. Depending on the situation, you may use one of the following forms:
- 3-Day Notice to Quit (Illegal Activity)
- 10-Day Notice to Quit (Non-Compliance)
- 14-Day Notice to Quit (Non-Payment of Rent)
- Lease Termination Letter (Month to Month Tenancy)
Step 2 – If the tenant fails to respond to the notice in a way that either rectifies the problem or by moving out, the landlord may seek redress in the Superior Court that has jurisdiction over the area in which the property is located. The landlord would then file what is called an Unlawful Detainer Action by filing a Summons and Eviction Complaint.
Step 3 – A copy of the Summons and Complaint must be served on the tenant by someone other than the landlord. The person serving the tenant will have to certify that the tenant was properly served by filing the Certificate of Service with the court. The tenant will have a minimum of six days to respond using the Answer Form.
Step 4 – If the tenant doesn’t respond, the court will issue a default judgment and the landlord can apply for a Writ of Restitution. If the tenant does answer, the landlord will have to file a motion for an Order to Show Cause, in which case the court will set a hearing date. If the landlord prevails at the hearing, the court will issue a Writ of Restitution which authorizes the sheriff to move the tenant out of the premises.
Video
How to Write (Notice to Quit)
1 – Access the Required Information
The “Washington Notice To Quit” may be viewed by selecting the image on the right. When you are ready, choose the “PDF,” “ODT,” and “Word” button to download the format version of your choice. Save this file. It is recommended that when ready to fill out this form a valid copy of the Lease Agreement this document will refer to be available for reference.
2 – Provide Recipient Roster
Each individual this Notice is intended to effect must be reported on the first blank line of this form.
3 – Transcribe Facts On Lease
All of the information required for the Introduction of this Notice should be available on the Leased Agreement.
The City, State, and Zip Code where the Property Street Address is located must be reported using the first three spaces in the statement opening with the words “The Premises…” This sentence will also require the specific Building Number and Street of the Property. The last blank area of this sentence has been provided so that you may report the Apartment Number.
The statement introduced by the term “In accordance,” calls for the Day, Month, and Year recorded as the Signature Date on the Lease to be reported.
4 – Set Forth Terms of Notice
The next area contains five separate checkboxes, (“Nonpayment,” “Noncompliance,” “Illegal Activity,” and the two Landlord/Tenant “Month To Month Tenancy” statements). Select the Notice stating the Terms you wish to issue to the Recipient by checking the applicable checkbox.
If you require the Recipient to pay an Overdue Rent or vacate the Leased Property in Fourteen (14) Days, select the first checkbox (“Nonpayment”). Define the Identity of an Authorized Agent to accept such a payment, the Total Sum of Money owed by the Tenant, the Minimum Payment which must be submitted, and the Time Period this Minimum Payment is applied to on the blank spaces provided.
If you require the Recipient to comply with a Lease Term that he or she has violated or release the Property to the Landlord within Ten Days then, select the second check box (“Noncompliance”). Report the delinquent actions in the space provided.
If you require the Recipient to release possession of the Property in Three Days as a result of Illegal Activity, then choose the third checkbox (“Illegal Activity”). Report the specific Illegal Activity(ies) in the available space.
If the Recipient is a Tenant in a “Month To Month Tenancy” that needs to be notified his or her Monthly Lease Agreement shall terminate (at least) Twenty Days from the next Calendar Day the Rent is due, then select the fourth box. You must use the blank space here to provide the exact Date the Month To Month shall end.
If the Recipient is a Landlord in a “Month To Month Tenancy” that needs notification of his or her Tenant’s intention to move out and relinquish possession of the rented property when Twenty (or more) days have passed from the next Calendar Rent Payment, then check the fifth checkbox. List when the Termination Date is by entering the Calendar Day, Month, and Year.
5 – Verify Intent
The intent of a Landlord or Landlord Agent is summarized in the paragraph near the end of this document. A Landlord/Agent generating this document for delivery to the Recipient must Sign his or her Name on the Signature line provided.
6 – Declaring Delivery Date, Recipient, and Method
The Delivery of this paperwork will need to be solidified with a Date and a Recipient by the individual who is serving this document. Locate the heading “Certificate of Delivery,” then report the Date this document was delivered and the Recipient it was delivered to.
In the next area, choose one of the three checkboxes to declare if this document was handed to the intended recipient, a second party (defined in the statement), or mailed First Class using the United States Postal Service. This section must be declared true with a binding Signature supplied by the Delivery Agent on the Signature Line.
