Every residential eviction in Washington must begin with a written notice, often referred to as an eviction notice or predicate notice.

Laws at various levels--state, federal, and local--dictate the precise language in the eviction notice and the time and manner of service of the notice. Failure to comply with all applicable laws may result in the landlord's eviction case being dismissed in court. A landlord must comply with all applicable laws–state, local, and federal–to evict a tenant. Local and federal laws apply in some situations in addition to state laws.

The terms of the lease may impose additional requirements.

State Law

Washington state landlord-tenant law limits eviction to certain enumerated good cause grounds. Without statutorily defined good cause a landlord may not evict a tenant. There is no longer a simple "20-day" notice option in residential tenancies in Washington (with a narrow exception when the owner shares their own housing unit with a tenant).

Local Law

Local laws may require additional language in the notice, additional information to be served with the notice, and/or require longer time periods than state law.

Some local jurisdictions (for example, unincorporated King County) have mandatory forms that residential landlords must use.

In some local jurisdictions, the landlord must have a business license and/or have the property registered for inspection before serving any eviction notice.

Federal Law 

The federal CARES Act applies to many residential properties and requires 30 days' notice even if state or local law allows a shorter period. It is not always clear and courts do not always agree on whether the CARES Act applies in a given situation.

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) applies when the landlord participates in certain programs. VAWA when applicable requires additional documents to be served with the predicate eviction notice.

The information on this website is not a substitute for legal advice.  Consult with an eviction lawyer for more information.