Washington 20 Day Notice to Vacate

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Landlords should use the Washington 20 Day Notice to Vacate to properly terminate a month to month tenancy only when the following circumstances apply:
•Tenant or the landlord sharing a dwelling unit (house or apartment), kitchen or bathroom and,
•The landlord believes you have made unwanted sexual advances towards or sexually harassed the property owner, a manager, or another tenant, in violation of the lease, or
•The landlord believes you have harassed the landlord, an employee or another tenant on the basis of race, gender or another protected status.

If these do not apply then WA Landlords should consider the 14 Day Notice to Vacate as well as verify with their local and state requirements for proper eviction process.

Document Last Modified: 5/7/2023

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In the state of Washington, there are specific procedures to follow in order to terminate a month to month tenancy. Unless you are ending a tenancy in Seattle, there is no cause needed to terminate a month to month arrangement. This means that there needs to be no reason at all to end the lease. However, proper notice must be served to the tenant who holds possession of the rental unit, and it must be provided to that tenant AT LEAST twenty days prior to the next time rent is due.

For instance, JOE TENANT (fictitious name) lives at 45 Main St in Apartment 12. You, the landlord, wish to have the property back so that your mother-in-law may live there. JOE TENANT is on a month-to-month lease or tenancy where his rent is due to be paid on or before the first of each month. His next rent due is June 1st. You must provide JOE TENANT the 20-day notice on or before June 11th. This fulfills the notice requirement of at LEAST twenty days.

Once the tenant receives the notice, he must move out of the apartment or home he rents from you before the expiration of the 20-day period. If the tenant does not move, then off to the local courthouse you go to file the necessary paperwork to have your tenant forcibly removed. A landlord should never take it upon himself to use illegal measures such as changing the locks, shutting off utilities or anything that could be construed as removing the tenant by illicit force, hence the word illegal. Not following specific legal procedures and going through the court to evict a tenant in Washington can put a Washington landlord in a bad situation.

This notice can be provided to the tenant by either handing it to him personally, leaving it with someone “of age” at the rental unit plus sending it first-class mail, or posting it in an obvious space outside of the property.

Washington Rental Forms and Templates

We know that the Lease Agreement isn’t the only form that Landlords need. That’s why we have forms for the entire Landlord Lifecycle - from move in to move out and everything in between!

Washington Rental Application Disclosure: This form is required any time a Landlord charges a screening fee or an application fee.
Washington Smoke-Free Lease Addendum: This Washington-specific form establishes a no-smoking policy for rental units and provides all rules regarding smoking anywhere on the property.
Tenant Welcome Letter: This customizable Welcome Letter helps Landlords share key information with renters and ensures they’re ready to take good care of their new home from day 1.
Rent Ledger: The rent ledger makes it EZ for Landlords to stay organized and provides key documentation should a Tenant ever miss any rent payments.
Washington 10 Day Notice to Comply or Vacate: This Notice is used for Tenants that violate a Lease Agreement for reasons other than nonpayment of rent.
Washington 14 Day Notice to Pay Rent or Vacate: This Notice is for Tenants that have missed rent payments.

Pro Tip: It’s a required first step in the eviction process.

Washington Landlord/Tenant Rights Summary: This pamphlet serves as a good resource for Landlords and highlights some key Landlord-Tenant laws.
Washington State Landlord/Tenant Act: This resource summarizes the state’s Landlord and Tenant laws in a way that is readable and EZ to understand.

Pro Tip: Landlords need a variety of forms when managing a rental property. Save time by getting them all in one place. We have over 450 Landlord forms in our library, including over 200 free forms!

State-Specific Forms