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Jo's got a job in another town and wants to move there.
She wants to get out of her rental agreement. I want to break my rental agreement! She should be careful, though,
She wants to get out of her rental agreement. I want to break my rental agreement! She should be careful, though,
and make sure she does it right, or the landlord might be able sue her!
and make sure she does it right, or the landlord might be able sue her!
Who said that?
I'm the narrator of this video series about the Rights and Responsibilities
of Landlords and Tenants in Washington State,
produced by the Northwest Justice Project.
I'm here to talk about different types of rental agreements in Washington
and the different kinds of notice you have to give if you want to leave!
I'm caught up on rent, and I need to move.
Can't I just leave? What can the landlord do?
Well, it depends on what kind of rental agreement you have with your landlord.
Read your written rental agreement carefully if you have one.
Do you have a written rental agreement for a certain period of time?
Because if you leave before the end of your rental agreement term, you may have
to pay rent for the months left in the term!
Well, I signed a written lease with my landlord last year.
I think it was a 6-month lease.
But I've been here longer than 6 months. Now I just pay the same amount of rent every month
But I've been here longer than 6 months. Now I just pay the same amount of rent every month
and the landlord has been accepting the rent payments?
Well, he's been cashing the checks, so yeah!
It sounds like you have a "month-to-month" rental agreement then.
Okay, well, I've paid for this month, so I'm good to go, right?
Well, If you have a month-to-month agreement,
you must give a written warning notice to the landlord that you plan to move out
so the landlord has time to find a new tenant.
Like write him a letter?
Exactly.
And the landlord must receive the letter 20 days before the end of the rental period.
And the landlord must receive the letter 20 days before the end of the rental period.
Rental period?
The end of the rental period is the day before rent is due.
So if your rent is due on July 1st,
you have to get the letter to your landlord by June 10th.
I thought I could just walk out...
If you don't give notice to your landlord first,
and it has to be 20 days before the end of the rental period,
your landlord may have the right to sue you.
Even if I'm not living there?
Yes, unless he rents to someone else and they pay.
But he may not be able to find anyone.
However! There are special rules where you may leave earlier if you are
a victim of assault by other tenants or the landlord,
or if you're a victim of domestic violence,
or if you are a member of the armed forces who gets an assignment order.
Hey I found my lease! I guess it's actually a one-year term.
Hey I found my lease! I guess it's actually a one-year term.
So, when does it end?
Not for another two months!
If you leave before the end of a rental agreement term,
your landlord can sue you to pay for rent for the rest of the term.
Even if I'm not living there?
Yes. However, your landlord is required to try to find another tenant
and can only sue you for the time he isn't getting rent.
Oh no, what can I do?
You could try to negotiate with your landlord to let you leave sooner
or ask him if you would agree to let you sublease the apartment.
Review your rental agreement carefully before you go ahead and sublease, though.
OK, I'm going to call my landlord to see if we can work something out.
If we come to a new agreement, I'll get it in writing.
Good luck, Jo.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
To learn more about the Rights and Responsibilities of Landlords and Tenants in Washington,
To learn more about the Rights and Responsibilities of Landlords and Tenants in Washington,
visit: www.WashingtonLawHelp.org. If you are low income, you may
qualify for free legal help from the Northwest Justice Project.
Call the CLEAR hotline at 1-888-201-1014.
Call the CLEAR hotline at 1-888-201-1014.
You can click on one of the characters below to learn more about specific
issues affecting residential tenants in Washington.
This video was produced in March 2013.
The laws may have changed since that time.
This video gives general information only.
Your particular situation may be very different than those shown this video.
This video is not a substitute for talking to a lawyer about your situation.
It does not create an attorney-client relationship.
and it cannot predict or guarantee an outcome ina any legal proceeding.