New Washington State Law - Landlords Must Give a "Good" Reason to End a Tenancy or Not Renew a Lease - Extended Version

Sep 15, 2026

Uploaded by Fez

Guidance on Washington State eviction and lease nonrenewal law updates effective May 10, 2021, requiring landlords to provide a “good” or legal reason and to state it in a written notice. Explains how fixed-term and month-to-month (periodic) tenancies are treated differently, and outlines the approved grounds for ending a rental agreement or evicting a tenant. Covers wrongful eviction risk, notice service expectations, and where to find legal help.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLetters

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time4 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Update and key guidance

Tenants in Washington State: Read this!

When the new law applies

Reasons a Landlord Can Evict a Tenant

Legal reasons

Getting a Lease Termination Notice

What to do after receiving a notice

Where to find more about laws affecting tenants

Get Legal Help

New Washington State Law: Landlords must give a “good”reason to end a tenancy or not renew a lease (Extended Version) Table of Contents: Introduction ..................................................................................... 2 Tenants in Washington State: Read this! ..........................................................2 I rent my home. Does this new law apply to me? .............................................3 Month-to-month and other tenants with periodic tenancies: ..............................3 Tenants with fixed term written leases or rental agreements: ...........................3 Reasons a Landlord Can Evict a Tenant ....................................... 4 What are the legal reasons a landlord end a rental agreement or evict a tenant? ..............................................................................................................4 Falling behind on rent ........................................................................................4 Lease violation: a “substantial breach of a material term”.................................4 “Waste or nuisance”which is unlawful or substantially or repeatedly interferes with neighbors ...................................................................................................5 The tenant harasses the landlord or another tenant ..........................................5 The tenant gives false information on the application........................................5 The landlord wants to move into the rental unit .................................................5 The landlord wants to sell a single-family rental house .....................................6 The landlord wants to substantially remodel or tear down (demolish) the unit ..6 The landlord wants to convert the unit into a condominium ...............................6 The landlord has a legitimate economic or business reason .............................6 The rental unit has been condemned ................................................................6 The landlord shares a dwelling unit, kitchen or bathroom with the tenant .........7 The landlord is a transitional housing program ..................................................7 The landlord offers a new lease, but the tenant doesn’t accept ........................7 A resident fails to fill out a rental application .....................................................7 Getting a Lease Termination Notice .............................................. 8 How does the landlord have to serve these notices? ........................................8 I got one of these notices. What should I do? ...................................................8 Where can I find out more about laws affecting tenants? ..................................9 Get Legal Help ................................................................................. 9 Introduction 􀂙 Update! Eviction law is changing quickly, and the eviction moratorium is scheduled to end June 30. Read about changes to the law at Washington State New 2021 Landlord/Tenant Legislation and check back for updates. 􀂙 The new law is complicated. Talk to a lawyer if you have questions about whether the law applies to you. 􀂙 If your landlord is threatening to evict you, use our Eviction Defense Helper OR apply for help online at [https://nwjustice.org/apply-online](https://nwjustice.org/apply-online). 􀂙 You can find all the fact sheets we link to here [at WashingtonLawHelp.org](at WashingtonLawHelp.org). Tenants in Washington State: Read this! Washington laws covering tenants and landlords have changed in a major way in 2021. These changes went into effect on May 10, 2021. Before this new law, if you had a month-to-month lease, landlords in most of the state of Washington could choose not to renew your tenancy and end (terminate) the tenancy with only a 20-Day notice. They didn’t have to state a reason. Now, landlords mu

FAQs

When did the new Washington State landlord-tenant law take effect?

The changes took effect on May 10, 2021.

Do landlords need a “good” reason to end a tenancy or not renew a lease under the new law?

Yes. Landlords must have a “good” or legal reason and must state the reason in a written notice.

What should a tenant do if the landlord threatens eviction in violation of the new law?

Seek legal advice and consider using an eviction defense helper or applying for help online; deadlines to file a lawsuit may apply if eviction is illegal.

Sep 15, 2026

Uploaded by Fez