A Washington sublease agreement is a contract between an original tenant (or “sublessor”) that wants to rent out their property, such as a room or an entire apartment/home, and a new tenant (or “sublessee”). This document allows the sublessee to rent the property without the original tenant having to break the original lease.
The Washington Residential Landlord-Tenant Act doesn’t prohibit sublease agreements; it defers to the original lease.
If your original lease denies subletting, you can’t enter this arrangement. If your original lease doesn’t specify, you can submit a written request to your landlord to seek approval.
Laws & Requirements
Sublease and Assignment Provision Laws: No.
Landlord-Tenant Laws: Chapter 59.18 of the Revised Code of Washington (Residential Landlord-Tenant Act)
Security Deposit Obligations: A sublessor should return the subtenant’s security deposit within 21 days of the end of the sublease.
Notices: A sublessor must provide a subtenant with 14 days’ written notice to pay rent or leave the property. They must also provide 20 days’ written notice if they intend not to renew the sublease or the original lease.
Sample
Below, you can download a Washington sublease agreement template in PDF or Word format:
