A Washington month-to-month rental agreement is a legal document establishing a tenancy-at-will between a tenant and a landlord. It renews itself every month as long as the tenant pays their rent on time and neither party issues a notice for termination. Landlords and tenants can establish this contract as a written or oral agreement.
Legal Requirements for Month-to-Month Leases
- Minimum Termination Period: In Washington, a tenant must provide at least 20 days’ notice to terminate their lease. If a landlord is terminating, they have different requirements depending on the circumstances. For example, a landlord must give 90 days’ notice for a policy change and 120 days’ notice for a building-use change. [1]
- Rent Increase: The landlord must issue 60 days’ notice before increasing the rent. [2]
Required Disclosures
- Lead-based paint disclosure
- Fire and life safety disclosure
- Identification of the landlord or authorized agents
- Mold disclosure
- Rental inspection checklist
- Notice of a nonrefundable deposit
- Disclosure of the receipt of the deposit
Our Washington lease agreement page covers the required disclosures in greater detail.
Washington Month-to-Month Eviction
In many cases, the landlord can only end a month-to-month lease if they have just cause. For example, the tenant may have committed a breach, or the landlord may plan to change the use of the property. The landlord should issue the appropriate notice given the circumstances. If the tenant doesn’t follow the order, the landlord can pursue action against them in eviction court.
The Washington Eviction Process details the steps for evicting a tenant.
