Just cause eviction rules in Yakima, WA — sometimes called tenant protection or "for cause" eviction ordinances — list the specific legal reasons a landlord can end a tenancy.
Since 2021, Washington bars ending a tenancy without an enumerated cause. RCW 59.18.650 applies in Yakima County: a landlord needs a listed reason — nonpayment, lease breach, owner move-in, or sale — plus proper written notice before filing.
Washington's statewide just-cause law (RCW 59.18.650) eliminated no-cause terminations. A Yakima County landlord may not evict, refuse to renew, or end a periodic tenancy except for one of the causes the statute lists — nonpayment, material lease violations, criminal or nuisance activity, owner or family occupancy, demolition or substantial rehab, or sale of a single-family unit. Most no-cause pathways require 60 to 120 days' written notice, and some trigger relocation assistance. Self-help lockouts and utility shutoffs stay illegal under RCW 59.18.290. Evictions proceed only through a court unlawful detainer action, never by force.
Terminating without an enumerated cause voids the eviction. Illegal lockouts expose the landlord to tenant damages under RCW 59.18.290. Improper or short notice gets the unlawful detainer dismissed.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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