Landlord notice deadlines — Washington
In Washington, the checked deadlines on this page cover: pay or quit, ending a tenancy, raising the rent. Each figure carries its statute and the stamp Rules checked October 2026. Run your exact dates through the checker — the period is only half the answer; the counting rule is the other half.
| Pay or quit | 14 calendar days — the tenant may pay and cure (RCW 59.12.030(3)). 14-day pay-or-vacate notice for residential tenancies, on the state-prescribed form. Paying in full within 14 days stops the termination. (Commercial tenancies: 3 days.) |
|---|---|
| End a tenancy | 90 days — owner or family move-in (RCW 59.18.650). 90 days' notice — one of the listed no-fault just causes. 90 days — sale of a single-family home (RCW 59.18.650). 90 days' notice. 120 days — demolition, substantial rehabilitation, or change of use (RCW 59.18.650). 120 days' notice. any tenancy without a listed cause — no fixed period in the statute (RCW 59.18.650). Washington has required just cause statewide since 2021: there is no no-cause termination of a residential tenancy at any notice length. The old 20-day no-cause notice survives only for tenant-initiated termination (RCW 59.18.200). See the just-cause routing for this state. |
| Raise the rent | 90 days (RCW 59.18.140, 59.18.700–.720 (HB 1217)). Cap: the lesser of 7% + CPI or 10% — 9.683% for increases taking effect in 2026, set by the Department of Commerce. 90 days' notice on the state's prescribed form. Older guides that say 60 days are describing a law that no longer exists. |
| How days are counted | No Washington counting rule (weekend/holiday treatment) was verified from a primary source for this dataset. Service by mail adds 5 days before an action may begin. |
| Allowed service methods | personal delivery substituted service: leave with a person of suitable age and mail a copy posting plus mailing (RCW 59.12.040) |
| Just cause | Cause is required. All Washington residential tenancies — RCW 59.18.650 (just cause required since 2021). Never print a no-cause date. Route to the enumerated causes: fault causes use the 14-day pay-or-vacate, 10-day comply-or-vacate, or 3-day nuisance tracks; no-fault causes (owner move-in, sale of a single-family home) need 90 days, and demolition, substantial rehabilitation, or change of use needs 120 days. |
| Sources checked | https://legalclarity.org/unlawful-detainer-forms-in-washington-state-what-you-need-to-file/ https://www.dicksonlegal.com/unlawful-detainer/ https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2025-26/Pdf/Bills/Session Laws/House/1217.SL.pdf?cite=2025 c 209 s 301 |
Local rules sit on top of state law in many places — city just-cause lists, rent boards, and prescribed local forms. A state deadline is the floor of the analysis, never a promise that no local rule adds to it.
The paper that goes with the date
The checker gives you the date. The kit gives you the notices: pay or quit, non-renewal / termination, and rent increase letters generated from these same checked deadlines, a letter builder that fills in your dates and names, the move-in and move-out inspection checklists, and the proof-of-service checklist.
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