Seattle Landlord-Tenant Attorney

Recent Posts from Seattle Landlord-Tenant Attorney

• It’s in the Mail

  Mailing an eviction notice does not mean the landlord placing a copy in the tenant’s mailbox.  It means using the US Postal Service. In situations in which mailing an eviction notice is required the landlord…

• Tenant at Will

  A tenant at will is not defined by statute in Washington.  A tenancy at will is of indefinite duration, terminable at the will of either party without advance notice, and does not survive the death…

• Proposed Filing Fee Increases

  It may soon be more expensive to file an unlawful detainer action. Proposed legislation was introduced on April 15 and a public hearing was held on April 16 on a bill that will increase court…

• Transient Lodgers

  The weight of authority holds that a transient lodger is not a tenant, but a licensee.[1] The Residential Landlord Tenant Act (RLTA) excludes “[r]esidence in a hotel, motel, or other transient lodging….” . [2] The…

• Landlord Liability for Snow and Ice in Washington

  Washington has adopted the Connecticut rule which requires landlords to keep common areas in a safe condition regardless whether or not the hazard is naturally occurring. [1] The landlord is not the guarantor of tenants’…

• Lease Renewal

  A lease expires upon end of term. This applies in a Seattle residential lease, the local just cause eviction ordinance notwithstanding. Carlstrom v. Hanline, 98 Wn. App. 780 (2000). Renewal clause should specify rent, renewal…

• Options to Purchase in Washington

  Below is are citations to several Washington decisions concerning options to purchase real property. If a new lease refers to and extends the terms of the original lease, the option to purchase is also extended.…

• Wrong Summons

  In recent years the mandatory summons for residential evictions in Washington has been amended twice.  Many landlords and attorneys are still using older, out-of-date form. Use of the correct eviction summons is necessary to convey…

• Does a Lease Need to be Notarized or Recorded?

  Generally, no. But, both residential and non-residential leases must be notarized and contain a legal description if the term exceeds a year.[1] The recording statute defines a lease of over two years as a conveyance.[2]…

• Terminating a Month-to-Month Tenancy

  There is a provision for terminating a month-to-month tenancy in both the unlawful detainer statute and in the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act (”RLTA”).[1] The provision in RCW 59.12.030(2) certainly applies to commercial or agricultural leases, which…