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Washington Eviction Notice

Landlords make Washington Eviction Notices as a means of notifying renters of the legal action that will be taken if they are not willing to comply with the agreed-upon terms of their lease or do not vacate the premises. By making this official legal notice, you can exercise your rights, while still giving your tenant a chance to fix the matter within an allotted amount of time. That said, in some cases, there isn't any resolution, and going to court is unavoidable. Suited for any residential property type, this Eviction Notice for Washington can be used by property owners with tenants in Tacoma, Spokane, Seattle, and in all other cities and municipalities within the Evergreen State.

Under normal circumstances, yes, and you may use a Washington Eviction Notice (specifically called a 14-Day Notice to Pay Rent or Quit) to kick off the process. That said, due to the pandemic, some protections have been put in place for tenants who have been unable to pay rent. While the federal eviction moratorium was extended and then struck down, the state of Washington and individual municipalities have the authority to maintain their own rules for residential evictions. Keep up with the current developments for your state or consult a lawyer, if you are still unsure.

In order to remove a tenant from your Washington rental property, you should always serve them a Notice of Eviction first. Some of the most common reasons behind why you may need one are:

• The tenant is habitually late to pay their rent or they are behind on payments
• The tenant is using the property illicitly
• The tenant adopts a pet and the lease agreement contains a no-pets clause
• The tenant sublets your property against the rental terms
• The tenant has caused material damage to the property
• The tenant creates a nuisance or disturbs the quiet enjoyment of their neighbors

In addition to these examples, a tenant typically can be evicted by a landlord due to reasons that are not related to their own conduct, such as when the owner wishes to move in. Please keep in mind the list shown above is not fully exhaustive and that the lawfully acceptable reasons for eviction may be different based on your particular city or municipality, among other determining factors. If you've got any doubts or hesitations about Washington eviction laws, you can talk to an attorney.

When ready, you can click the button labeled "Make document" to take a closer look at the Washington Eviction Notice sample and see what information you'll need to provide to build your eviction letter. In order to complete your WA Notice to Vacate, you generally will need the following details:

• The location and description of the property
• The full name of each occupant
• Which lease provisions have not been met
• How long the notice period will last
• How many past due rent payments should be made (if applicable)

Of course, if your tenants aren't in the wrong, you are able to provide more context. Using the document tool, you have the ability to add further custom alterations, as necessary. You will want to confirm that any policies and terms that you mention in the Eviction Notice are actually present in your rental contract.

Laws can change over time and the actual eviction process can be quite nuanced. In certain cases, there may be different notice periods or other requirements depending on the reason for evicting the tenant and how long they have been in the unit. Consequently, it is recommended that you contact a local eviction attorney when planning to deliver a Notice of Eviction to any tenant.

Fortunately, you do not have to reinvent the wheel when making your document. With Rocket Lawyer, any property owner should feel empowered to create Washington Eviction Notices online with ease. Your notice is built section by section so you can be certain that it contains all of the relevant information. This route will often be notably less expensive than hiring your average attorney.

If you wish to understand the complete cost of eviction, you'll need to consider the cost of filing court documents, attorney fees, the value of unrecovered payments, storage and/or cleaning fees, and finally, the time and money you will spend looking for replacement tenants. The great news is you will not need to pay hundreds of dollars to create a Notice of Eviction. In reality, Rocket Lawyer offers much more than other eviction form providers that you may come across elsewhere. As a Rocket Lawyer member, you can get up to 40% in savings when hiring an attorney from our network.

The duration of the eviction process for Washington depends on the amount of notice required, in addition to the volume of proceedings that are occurring concurrently. Here is a generalized explanation of Washington notice periods:

• Past-due rent: 14-day notice
• Non-compliance with lease: 10-day notice
• No cause: 20-day notice

When the notice period is over, the eviction itself may take anywhere from 1 to 3 months. It is important to note that with particular types of housing, including where rent payments are subsidized, the mandated notice period is often longer.

While it is possible to make an Eviction Notice without support, many rental property owners who end up going to court have legal representation. Depending on whom you approach, some lawyers will not even accept requests to review your document if they weren't the author. A better approach might be through the On Call network of attorneys. If you become a Premium member, you have the ability to ask for guidance from an experienced lawyer or send other legal questions about your WA Eviction Notice. Rocket Lawyer is here to help.

After creating your Washington Eviction Notice on Rocket Lawyer, you'll have the ability to retrieve it from your account anytime, anywhere. As a Rocket Lawyer member, you can edit it, save it in PDF format or as a Word file, copy it, or print it out as necessary. You must sign and date the notice before it is served on the tenant(s). Your Washington Eviction Notice includes a proof of service so that you can have clear documentation of its delivery. You have a few options for serving the notice:

• Deliver it personally
• Work with a process server
• Send it via certified mail (if also posted to the door or given to someone else in the house)

Please remember that "self-help" or "DIY" evictions are illegal in Washington. Landlords must not shut off utilities, replace the locks, throw out personal belongings, or otherwise harass and threaten tenants in an effort to remove them. Taking the appropriate lawful actions before and throughout the eviction process will put you in the best position to remove tenants successfully with a final judgment from the court.

If the tenant does not comply with the notice, you can file an Unlawful Detainer Action by filing a Summons and Eviction Complaint with the Superior Court located where the rental property is located. You cannot deliver the Summons and Eviction Complaint to the tenant, you must hire a professional server or have an adult other than yourself do it for you. You'll need to file a Certificate of Service (Proof of Service) with the court to show that the document was delivered properly and when. If the tenants respond, you'll need to file a motion for an order to show cause. If the tenant doesn't respond or attend court, you'll be awarded a Writ of Restitution by default. The Writ of Restitution authorizes the sheriff to remove the tenants if necessary.