Washington Renter's Rights

You may rent, not own, the home in which you live in Washington state, but that doesn't mean you don't have rights. Both renters and landlords have certain protections under state and federal laws that both parties should be aware of before entering into a rental agreement, which is a contract between a renter and a landlord.

Rent

You are obligated to pay your rent, but you also are protected from rent increases during the period of your lease. The terms, including rent, can be changed only at the end of the lease. If you are renting on a short-term lease, such as month-to-month, then you must be given 30 days notice of any rent changes. Rent can't be raised in retaliation for exercising your renter's rights. You can be charged a late payment fee only if it is listed in your agreement.

Terminating Your Agreement

If the landlord seriously violated his duties under your rental agreement, you may have recourse to end the rental agreement without any liability. Follow the terms outlined in your rental agreement if this happens. The landlord must give you at least 20 days' written notice before the end of the month if he wants to end the agreement. If you have children in an adult-only community or your apartments are being converted to condominiums, your landlord may seek to evict you with at least 90 days' notice.

Deposit

A security deposit can be required, but it must not be discriminatory or retaliatory. If called a deposit, it is refundable. A nonrefundable cleaning fee must be called a fee. The terms of the fee or deposit must be included in the contract, including the conditions that need to be met to have the deposit returned. The money must be deposited in a trust account, and the renter must be given a receipt. Once a renter moves out, the deposit must be returned within 14 days, or the renter must be given a written explanation of why it wasn't returned. Failure to do means the renter will get the full amount of the deposit back.

Landlord Requirements

Besides following the terms of the rental agreement, the landlord must keep the property up to code. This includes keeping common areas clean and making an effort to control pests. Heat, electricity, hot and cold water and adequate locks need to be supplied and maintained. A failure to do so gives the renter the right to terminate the rental agreement, sue the landlord and/or make limited repairs and deduct the cost from payments once the landlord has been notified of the problem and does not fix it.

Upkeep and Repairs

The landlord, once notified, must restore heat, electricity or water or fix hazardous problems within 24 hours, make major plumbing or appliance repairs within 72 hours and correct other problems within 10 days. The exception to this timeframe is if circumstances beyond the landlord's control prohibit the repair.

Eviction

If the landlord wants to evict a renter, the renter must be given notice within the proper time limit. If the renter does not move, the landlord can file a lawsuit against the renter, who has a right to a hearing. In an eviction lawsuit, the losing party will pay all the court costs and attorney fees of the other party. If the renter loses, the sheriff can physically remove the renter, if need be. However, in trying to evict a renter, a landlord cannot change the locks, take the renter's property for rent nonpayment or terminate utility services.

References

• Washington State Bar Association: Housing Rights Protection

Resources

• Tenants Union of Washington State