Rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants
An overview of the rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants can be found in the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act (RLTA) RCW Chapter 59.18.
Washington LawHelp's resource, Your Rights as a Tenant in Washington State, explains residential tenants' and landlords' rights and responsibilities in Washington as described in the RLTA. See also Azibo's Complete Guide to Washington Landlord Tenant Law (2024).
Additional material at Washington LawHelp covers many specific issues related to tenants' rights including:
Recent changes to the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act
The legislature has changed many landlord-tenant laws in the past few years. These resources highlight some of the changes:
- Eviction in Washington State July 2023 from the law library
- 2023 changes to Washington State’s laws affecting renters from Washington LawHelp
- Landlords must give a “good” reason to end certain tenancies from Washington LawHelp
- New Washington Landlord-Tenant Laws: What You Need to Know from Avail
- Landlord-Tenant page from the Washington State Attorney General’s Office
- General Order 23-02 from the Clark County Superior Court (free attorneys for indigent tenants)
The eviction process
In addition to the information above, the following resources give a general idea of the steps and timelines for the eviction process, but be aware that they may not include all possible steps or local rule requirements:
- 2024 Eviction Process in Washington: Laws for Landlords & Property Managers from Doorloop
- Washington Eviction Process from iPropertyManagment
- Washington State Eviction Steps 2024 infographic from Washington Property Law
- Landlords' Best Practices series of videos Pierce County Law Library
You can search Clark County Superior Court case records to see examples of documents filed in other unlawful detainer cases. First find the Superior Court’s unlawful detainer dockets (currently on Thursday and Friday at 1:30 pm). Those dockets provide a list of case numbers and names and indicate if there is an attorney representing a party. Those case numbers and names can then be used to search the records in the Superior Court Clerk's Office.
Clark County Superior Court has a mandatory Order to Show Cause Writ of Restitution court form to be used in unlawful detainer cases when needed.
Self-help residential eviction kits from other counties
The Clark County Law Library does not sell a self-help eviction kit. These are self-help kits we are aware of in the state. If you have questions about either of the kits below, please contact the respective law library. Clark County law librarians cannot help you decide if another county's kit is the correct one for your situation.
The King County Law Library has a residential eviction kit for sale that is designed for King County and includes local rules for that county. This kit is designed to be used by property owners who have a landlord-tenant relationship, i.e., lease agreement with the other party(ies). The kit includes a 14-day Pay Rent or Vacate Notice, a 10-Day Comply or Vacate Notice, and a Notice to Terminate a Periodic Tenancy.
The Pierce County Law Library has a residential eviction kit for sale that is designed for Pierce County and includes local rules for that county. This kit is designed to be used by property owners who have a landlord-tenant relationship, i.e., lease agreement with the other party(ies). The kit includes a 14-day Pay Rent or Vacate Notice, a 10-Day Comply or Vacate Notice, and a Notice to Terminate a Periodic Tenancy.
Because every local government may have its own requirements, you may need to customize forms or modify procedures to remove information related to King and/or Pierce County rules and to comply with local court rules for Clark County. You should consult with an attorney if you have any questions about the process or how to customize the forms within the kit.
Eviction defense
Washington LawHelp has information and forms for specific situations including:
- How to respond to various eviction notices
- I Need to Respond to an Eviction Lawsuit as Soon as Possible
- Going to Your Unlawful Detainer (Eviction) Hearing
- Try to cancel (vacate) your eviction: What you can do if you did not show up to your eviction hearing and the judge let the sheriff post a notice on your door
- And much more
The Clark County Volunteer Lawyers Program has a page about eviction and rent help.
Additional resources
The Eviction Diversion Initiative Program (EDI) uses court processes to provide landlords and tenants with time, information, and resources to solve their housing issues. EDI aims to link landlords and tenants with various legal, financial, and social services. These services may help solve the immediate legal problem and deal with the root causes that led to it.
Clark County Rental Association is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to educating landlords. They offer newsletters, publications, mentorship, classes, and forms.
Community Mediation Services provide mediation resources to facilitate dialogue and negotiation between tenants and landlords to resolve issues.
