Washington Month-to-Month Lease Agreement

Required Landlord Disclosures (9)

1. Lead-based paint and hazards: Landlords nationwide must provide tenants with a disclosure form and an EPA pamphlet to disclose potential lead-based paint hazards in homes built before 1978.
2. Fire safety and protection: Washington landlords must provide written notice of safety features (alarms, sprinklers, detectors, evacuation plans, etc.) (RCW 59.18.060.12a), and Seattle landlords must disclose whether or not working fire alarms and sprinklers exist in multi-family units.
3. Landlord identification: Washington landlords must inform tenants of their or the property manager’s identity through a written notice or conspicuous posting within the property (RCW 59.18.060.15).
4. Mold health hazards: Landlords must provide tenants with information from the Department of Health regarding mold risks and control procedures through a written notice or posting within the rental community (RCW 59.18.060.13).
5. Security deposit checklist and receipt: To collect security deposits, landlords must provide tenants with a condition report checklist describing the rental property’s condition and a document with the name and address of the financial institution holding the deposit (RCW 59.18.260.2 and RCW 59.18.270).
6. Nonrefundable fees: Washington landlords must clearly state all nonrefundable fees within the lease agreement (RCW 59.18.285).
7. Voter pamphlet: Seattle landlords must provide tenants with a voter registration pamphlet (SMC 7.24.080), and Tacoma landlords must provide tenants with Tacoma’s Tenant Bill of Rights pamphlet.
8. Occupancy: Tacoma leases must disclose the number of allowed occupants and describe any uninhabitable spaces (attics, garages, etc.) (TMC 1.95.037).
9. Notarization: Washington leases exceeding 12 months require notarization.

Required Notice to Terminate Month-to-Month Agreement

Because month-to-month rental agreements lack a defined end date, Washington law governs termination procedures.

Required notice for landlord: In most cases, state law requires landlords to have a legally valid reason (just cause) to terminate a month-to-month tenancy, even if that tenancy began after a lease expired and the tenant remained with the landlord’s consent (RCW 59.18.650).

If the landlord is terminating the tenancy due to a change in building use or policy, they must give tenants a minimum of 90 days’ notice (RCW 59.18.200).

If the landlord terminates the tenancy to convert the property to a condominium, they must give tenants a minimum of 120 days’ notice (RCW 59.18.200).

If the landlord is terminating the tenancy due to demolition or substantial rehabilitation of the property, they must give tenants a minimum of 120 days’ notice (RCW 59.18.200).

Certain cities, such as Vancouver, Bellingham, and Tacoma, have ordinances allowing landlords to give 60 days’ notice for no-fault lease terminations.

Required notice for tenant: Tenants must provide written notice of lease termination at least 20 days before the end of the rental period (which ends the day before rent is due).

Military personnel (including their spouses and dependents) who receive permanent change of station or deployment orders requiring them to vacate with less than 20 days’ notice may provide shorter notice (RCW 59.18.200(1)(a)).

Legal note: Because Washington landlord-tenant law regarding terminating month-to-month leases is complex, always check current laws and local ordinances before taking action to end a lease.

Rent Increase Laws

Washington State law prohibits rent control, meaning cities and counties cannot enact ordinances limiting how much landlords can increase rent (RCW 35.21.830). The state legislature passed the law in 1981, preventing rent control or stabilization.

Landlords must give month-to-month tenants 60 days’ written notice before increasing rent. The required notice period for subsidized tenancies is 30 days (RCW 59.18.140(3)).

Seattle requires that landlords give tenants a 180-day written notice before increasing rent.

Always check local ordinances to see if your city or county has similar regulations regarding rent increases.

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