King County, WA Rental Property Rules: No-Fault Evictions (2026)
Key Facts
- State citation
- RCW 59.18.650
- Year enacted
- 2021 (HB 1236)
- Owner move-in notice
- 90 days + assistance
- Causes available
- 16 enumerated grounds
Summary
Since 2021, Washington's just-cause statute RCW 59.18.650 prohibits no-fault evictions of month-to-month tenants. Landlords in King County must cite one of sixteen enumerated causes such as nonpayment, lease violation, owner move-in, or substantial rehabilitation.
RCW 59.18.650 Eviction of tenant, refusal to continue tenancy, end of periodic tenancy — Cause — Notice — Penalties. (Effective until January 1, 2028.) (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.
(b) If a landlord and tenant enter into a rental agreement that provides for the tenancy to continue for an indefinite period on a month-to-month or periodic basis after the agreement expires, the landlord may not end the tenancy except for the causes enumerated in subsection (2) of this section; however, a landlord may end such a tenancy at the end of the initial period of the rental agreement without cause only if:
(i) At the inception of the tenancy, the landlord and tenant entered into a rental agreement between six and 12 months; and
(ii) The landlord has provided the tenant before the end of the initial lease period at least 60 days' advance written notice ending the tenancy, served in a manner consistent with RCW 59.12.040 .
(c) If a landlord and tenant enter into a rental agreement for a specified period in which the tenancy by the terms of the rental agreement does not continue for an indefinite period on a month-to-month or periodic basis after the end of the specified period, the landlord may end such a tenancy without cause upon expiration of the specified period only if:
(i) At the inception of the tenancy, the landlord and tenant entered into a rental agreement of 12 months or more for a specified period, or the landlord and tenant have continuously and without interruption entered into successive rental agreements of six months or more for a specified period since the inception of the tenancy;
(ii) The landlord has provided the tenant before the end of the specified period at least 60 days' advance written notice that the tenancy will be deemed expired at the end of such specified period, served in a manner consistent with RCW 59.12.040 ; and
(iii) The tenancy has not been for an indefinite period on a month-to-month or periodic basis at any point since the inception of the tenancy.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Washington passed statewide just-cause protection in 2021 (HB 1236), eliminating the prior practice of terminating a month-to-month tenancy with 20 days notice and no reason. Under RCW 59.18.650, landlords across King County must serve cause-specific notices: 14 days for nonpayment, 10 days for lease compliance issues, and 90 days with relocation assistance for owner move-in or substantial rehabilitation. Seattle's older Just Cause Eviction Ordinance (SMC 22.206.160) still applies in parallel and adds further procedural steps. End-of-fixed-term evictions also require cause; landlords cannot simply refuse to renew at lease end without one of the statutory grounds.
Violations & Fines
Serving an unsupported no-cause notice or refusing to renew a fixed-term lease without statutory cause exposes the landlord to dismissal of any unlawful detainer action, statutory damages, and attorney fees under RCW 59.18.650(8).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I non-renew my tenant at lease end?
Is owner move-in still a valid reason?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in King County
Compare King County to another location·View the Washington rental property rules overview
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