Whatcom County, WA Rental Property Rules: Just Cause Eviction (2026)
Just cause eviction rules in Whatcom County, WA, sometimes called tenant protection or "for cause" eviction ordinances, list the specific legal reasons a landlord can end a tenancy.
Key Facts
- Governing law
- RCW 59.18.650, applies statewide
- Rent-default notice
- Per RCW 59.12.030(3)
- Owner move-in / sale notice
- 90 days advance written notice
- Habitability condemnation notice
- 30 days advance written notice
- 4th lease-violation notice
- 60 days advance written notice
- Wrongful eviction penalty
- Greater of damages or 3x rent
Summary
In unincorporated Whatcom County, a landlord cannot evict a tenant, refuse to renew a tenancy, or end a periodic lease without one of the specific causes listed in RCW 59.18.650(2), from unpaid rent to owner move-in or sale of the unit. Fixed-term leases under 12 months can still end without cause on 60 days' notice; longer or month-to-month tenancies cannot.
(1)(a) A landlord may not evict a tenant, refuse to continue a tenancy, or end a periodic tenancy except for the causes enumerated in subsection (2) of this section and as otherwise provided in this subsection. ... (2) The following reasons listed in this subsection constitute cause pursuant to subsection (1) of this section: (a) The tenant continues in possession in person or by subtenant after a default in the payment of rent, and after written notice requiring, in the alternative, the payment of the rent or the surrender of the detained premises has remained uncomplied with for the period set forth in RCW 59.12.030(3) for tenants subject to this chapter. ... (4) A landlord who removes a tenant or causes a tenant to be removed from a dwelling in any way in violation of this section is liable to the tenant for wrongful eviction, and the tenant prevailing in such an action is entitled to the greater of their economic and noneconomic damages or three times the monthly rent of the dwelling at issue, and reasonable attorneys' fees and court costs.
Full Breakdown
650, governs directly in unincorporated Whatcom County because the county has not enacted its own landlord-tenant code; state law fills the gap for Birch Bay, Point Roberts and the rural county alike. 030(3), a material lease or subsidized-housing violation cured by the deadline in a 10-day notice, waste or nuisance after a 3-day notice, an owner's good-faith move-in on 90 days' notice, sale of a single-family home on 90 days' notice, condemnation of the unit on 30 days' notice, four separate lease violations within 12 months cured each time but repeated a fourth time on 60 days' notice, sex-offender registration nondisclosure on 60 days' notice, and sexual harassment of the owner, manager or another tenant on 20 days' notice.
A landlord may still end a fixed lease without cause only if the original term ran six to 12 months and 60 days' written notice is given before the initial term expires under subsection (1)(b), or if successive specified-term leases of six months or more have run continuously without ever becoming periodic and the landlord gives 60 days' notice before the current term's end under subsection (1)(c). Every other tenancy, including all month-to-month tenancies, can only be ended for one of the subsection (2) causes. 040 and must identify the specific facts supporting the cause with enough detail for the tenant to prepare a defense under subsection (6).
Violations & Fines
A landlord who evicts, removes, or forces out a tenant without a cause listed in RCW 59.18.650(2), or without the notice period that cause requires, is liable for wrongful eviction under subsection (4). The tenant who prevails recovers the greater of actual economic and noneconomic damages or three times the monthly rent, plus reasonable attorneys' fees and court costs. Whatcom County District or Superior Court hears the action; this is a state civil remedy, not a county citation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Whatcom County have its own eviction ordinance for unincorporated areas?
Can my landlord end a month-to-month tenancy without giving a reason?
What happens if my landlord evicts me without a valid cause?
Can a short-term lease just expire without cause?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Whatcom County
Compare Whatcom County to another location·View the Washington rental property rules overview
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