Updated January 23, 2023
A Washington lease termination letter provides adequate notice of an upcoming end to a periodic tenancy. Either the landlord or tenant may serve the other party this notice to indicate the termination of their periodic tenancy, such as those for an indefinite period on a month-to-month basis or prior fixed-term tenancies that have since converted to a month-to-month. The number of days’ notice will depend heavily on which party serves the letter and the circumstances surrounding the cause for termination.
Laws – RCWA 59.18.650
Served By Tenant (RCWA 59.18.200(1)(a), 59.18.650(1)(f)) – Tenants may end a periodic tenancy by providing their landlord written notice of at least twenty (20) days before the end of the period. Tenants are not required to have cause for termination. Tenants may instead use the 20-Day Notice to End a Tenancy (Letter to Landlord).
Served By Landlord (RCWA 59.18.650) – Landlords must typically provide cause for ending a periodic tenancy, and the number of days’ notice required by law varies, given a landlord’s cause. In most cases, a landlord may not evict a tenant, refuse to continue a tenancy, or end a periodic tenancy, except for one of the causes listed in RCWA 59.18.650(2). There are essentially fifteen causes, each with its designated notice period. Below are some, but not all, of the most common causes. Defer to RCWA 59.18.650(2) to review the entire for-cause regime.
- Tenant fails to pay rent (14-Day Notice to Quit).
- Tenant violates lease terms (10-Day Notice to Quit).
- Landlord intends to occupy the leased property for themselves or their immediate family. 90 days’ notice required.
- Landlord intends to sell the leased property, provided it is a single-family residence. In this case, the landlord or owner must:
- Give the tenant 90 days’ notice; and
- Make reasonable attempts to sell the property 30 days after the tenant has vacated.
- The landlord and tenant share bathroom or kitchen access. 20 days’ notice required.
Some landlords may end a tenancy without cause if the tenancy began with an initial, fixed term of between 6 and 12 months and provides for a continuation on a month-to-month or another periodic basis. In this case, the landlord must issue 60 days’ notice before the end of the initial, fixed term, i.e., before the tenancy converts and continues on a periodic basis. There are also other, less common exceptions to the cause requirement (see RCWA 59.18.650 and Residential Landlord Tenant Act).