For nonpayment of rent, a Washington landlord must serve a 14-day pay-or-vacate notice in the form set by RCW 59.18.057 before filing an unlawful detainer under RCW 59.12.030. Lease-violation terminations require a 10-day cure notice, and waste, nuisance, or unlawful activity requires only 3 days. Most evictions also require just cause under RCW 59.18.650.
RCW 59.18.057 requires that a nonpayment notice tell the tenant: 'You must pay the total amount due to your landlord within fourteen (14) days after service of this notice or you must vacate the premises,' using the statute's mandated form, which lists rental-assistance and legal-aid resources. RCW 59.12.030 then supplies the unlawful-detainer grounds: 14 days for nonpayment in RLTA tenancies, '10 days' to cure a breach of a lease condition or covenant, and 'three days' notice to quit' for waste, nuisance, or unlawful business. A landlord must still have just cause under RCW 59.18.650 to end most tenancies, and a defective notice is grounds to dismiss the eviction.
No specific statutory penalty for serving notice, but a notice that omits the RCW 59.18.057 form language or states the wrong period is defective and the unlawful detainer can be dismissed. A wrongful or retaliatory eviction can expose the landlord to damages, costs, and attorney fees.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Kirkland, WA
Leaf blowers and power equipment are restricted to 8 AM to 8 PM weekdays and 9 AM to 6 PM on weekends and holidays under KMC 11.84A. Kirkland has not adopted...
Kirkland, WA
Kirkland sits about 20 miles north of Sea-Tac and is lightly affected by commercial flights. Kenmore Air seaplanes and Renton Municipal general aviation caus...
Kirkland, WA
Kirkland does not impose a citywide overnight parking ban, but enforces the 72-hour rule, signed residential permit zones, and no-parking signs at parks, tra...
Kirkland, WA
Kirkland driveways must remain paved, accessible, and used for vehicle parking per KMC Title 115 zoning code, which limits front-yard paving and requires app...
Kirkland, WA
EV charging in Kirkland follows the Washington State Energy Code, which requires EV-ready capacity in new multifamily and commercial parking and protects pub...
Kirkland, WA
Under KZC 115.40, Kirkland fences may be up to 6 feet except within 15 feet of a street curb. Properties on a neighborhood access or collector street are cap...
See how Kirkland's eviction notice & process rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.