Just cause eviction rules in Benton County, WA — sometimes called tenant protection or "for cause" eviction ordinances — list the specific legal reasons a landlord can end a tenancy.
Washington requires just cause to evict. In Benton County a landlord may not end a tenancy or refuse renewal except for a reason listed in RCW 59.18.650 — nonpayment, a lease breach, or an owner move-in — and must give the matching written notice.
Since 2021, RCW 59.18.650 has barred no-cause evictions statewide, and it applies in Kennewick, Richland, West Richland, Prosser, and unincorporated Benton County. A landlord may evict, refuse to continue, or end a periodic tenancy only for one of the causes the statute enumerates — nonpayment of rent, repeated late payment, a substantial lease breach, the owner or a family member moving in, sale of the home, or major renovation. Each cause carries its own notice period, from 14 days for nonpayment to 90 days for an owner move-in. Self-help lockouts and utility shutoffs remain illegal.
An eviction without an enumerated cause or proper notice is dismissed. A landlord who locks out a tenant or cuts utilities commits an illegal self-help eviction and owes the tenant damages.
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