Spokane, WA Rental Property Rules: No-Fault Evictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Statewide statute
- RCW 59.18.650 (HB 1236)
- No-cause month-to-month
- Eliminated
- Notice for some causes
- 60-90 days
- Relocation assistance
- Required for some
Summary
WA HB 1236 (2021), codified at RCW 59.18.650, eliminated most no-fault month-to-month terminations statewide, requiring Spokane landlords to cite an enumerated just-cause reason to end any tenancy.
(d) The tenant continues in possession after the landlord of a dwelling unit in good faith seeks possession so that the owner or his or her immediate family may occupy the unit as that person's principal residence and no substantially equivalent unit is vacant and available to house the owner or his or her immediate family in the same building, and the owner has provided at least 90 days' advance written notice of the date the tenant's possession is to end. There is a rebuttable presumption that the owner did not act in good faith if the owner or immediate family fails to occupy the unit as a principal residence for at least 60 consecutive days during the 90 days immediately after the tenant vacated the unit pursuant to a notice to vacate using this subsection (2)(d) as the cause for the lease ending;
(e) The tenant continues in possession after the owner elects to sell a single-family residence and the landlord has provided at least 90 days' advance written notice of the date the tenant's possession is to end. For the purposes of this subsection (2)(e), an owner "elects to sell" when the owner makes reasonable attempts to sell the dwelling within 30 days after the tenant has vacated, including, at a minimum, listing it for sale at a reasonable price with a realty agency or advertising it for sale at a reasonable price by listing it on the real estate multiple listing service.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Before HB 1236, WA landlords could terminate month-to-month tenancies with 20 days' notice without giving any reason. RCW 59.18.650 now requires a specific enumerated cause (nonpayment, lease violations, owner move-in, substantial rehabilitation, sale to owner-occupier, withdrawal from rental market, etc.) for almost all terminations. Some causes require longer notice (60 or 90 days) and relocation assistance. Spokane landlords must follow the state list. The few remaining no-fault paths (e.g., end of fixed-term lease in narrow circumstances) are tightly defined.
Violations & Fines
Issuing a no-cause termination notice for a month-to-month Spokane tenancy violates RCW 59.18.650 and exposes the landlord to wrongful eviction defenses, attorney fees, and damages.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Spokane landlord end my tenancy for no reason?
What if my fixed-term lease expires?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Spokane
Compare Spokane to another location·View the Washington rental property rules overview
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