Washington Eviction Notice
A Washington eviction notice gives the tenant 14 days to pay rent or vacate (RCW 59.12.030(3)), 10 days to comply with the rental agreement or vacate for a lease violation (§ 59.12.030(4)), and 3 days for waste or nuisance with no right to cure (§ 59.12.030(5)). Ending a tenancy without cause is allowed only at the end of the initial lease period, with 60 days' notice (RCW 59.18.650(1)(b)-(c)). This free template builds the notice with the deadline computed from your service date.
A Washington eviction notice for landlords: the 14-day notice to pay rent or vacate, the 10-day notice to comply or vacate, the 3-day notice for waste or nuisance, and the 60-day notice that ends a tenancy without cause at the end of the initial lease period — Washington being a just-cause state — each with the exact statutory deadline calculated from your service date.
Deadlines verified November 4, 2026 against app.leg.wa.gov (RCW 59.12.030, 59.18.200, 59.18.650). The New York eviction notice is covered the same way — deadlines verified, statute cited on the document.
Archived official text: wa-59-12-030 · wa-59-18-200 · wa-59-18-650.
1Build your Washington notice
2The Washington deadlines, notice by notice
Every deadline below was read in the Revised Code of Washington on November 4, 2026. The notice type available in the tool depends on the reason:
- 14-Day Notice to Pay Rent or Vacate — RCW 59.12.030(3).
- 10-Day Notice to Comply or Vacate — RCW 59.12.030(4).
- 3-Day Notice to Quit — waste, nuisance or unlawful activity — RCW 59.12.030(5).
- 60-Day Notice — end of tenancy at expiration of the initial lease period — RCW 59.18.650(1)(b)-(c).
3How the Washington notice period is counted
- The 14-day notice runs from service of the written notice requiring payment of rent or possession of the premises: the tenant becomes guilty of unlawful detainer only after failing to pay or vacate within that period (RCW 59.12.030(3)).
- The 10-day notice for a violation of a material obligation of the tenancy gives the tenant ten days to comply with the obligation or vacate (RCW 59.12.030(4)).
- The 3-day notice for waste, nuisance or unlawful activity on the premises grants no right to cure (RCW 59.12.030(5)).
- Since 2021, Washington requires cause to evict, to refuse to continue a tenancy, or to end a periodic tenancy (RCW 59.18.650(1)(a)). The old 20-day no-cause notice under RCW 59.18.200(1)(a) is no longer available to end a periodic tenancy without cause.
4Mistakes that get a Washington eviction notice thrown out
- Using a 20-day notice to end a month-to-month tenancy. Since 2021 a landlord may not end a periodic tenancy without cause (RCW 59.18.650(1)(a)-(b)); the 20-day notice of RCW 59.18.200(1)(a) no longer does that job.
- Using a 3-day notice for unpaid rent. Washington's nonpayment notice is 14 days since the 2021 amendment (RCW 59.12.030(3)); a shorter demand fails.
- Ending a fixed-term lease mid-term without cause. A no-cause termination is allowed only at the end of the initial lease period, with at least 60 days' advance written notice (RCW 59.18.650(1)(b)-(c)).
- Serving the notice the wrong way. Notices must be served as provided in RCW 59.12.040 — keep dated proof of the method used.
Questions landlords ask about Washington
How many days does a Washington eviction notice give for unpaid rent?
Fourteen days. A tenant is guilty of unlawful detainer when he or she continues in possession after default in payment of rent and after 14 days' notice in writing requiring payment of rent or possession of the premises, and fails to pay or vacate (RCW 59.12.030(3)). Paying the rent within the 14 days removes the ground.
What notice is used for a lease violation in Washington?
A 10-day notice to comply or vacate: for a violation of a material obligation of the tenancy, the tenant has ten days' written notice to comply with the obligation or vacate the premises (RCW 59.12.030(4)). For waste, nuisance or unlawful activity on the premises, the notice is 3 days with no right to cure (RCW 59.12.030(5)).
Can a Washington landlord end a month-to-month tenancy without cause?
Not anymore. Since 2021, a landlord may not end a periodic tenancy except for a cause enumerated in RCW 59.18.650(2). A tenancy may be ended without cause only at the end of the initial lease period of a rental agreement between six and twelve months, with at least 60 days' advance written notice (RCW 59.18.650(1)(b)).
What is the 60-day notice in Washington?
The written notice that ends a tenancy without cause at the end of the initial lease period. Where the rental agreement runs between six and twelve months and would continue month-to-month afterwards, the landlord may end the tenancy at the end of that initial period only with at least 60 days' advance written notice served as provided in RCW 59.12.040 (RCW 59.18.650(1)(b)).
How must a Washington eviction notice be served?
As provided in RCW 59.12.040 — the statute that governs service of notices in unlawful detainer cases. Keep dated proof of how and when the notice was delivered: every statutory period runs from service, and the filing date depends on it.
Can a tenant stay after a Washington eviction notice expires?
Yes. The notice is the required first step, not the eviction. If the tenant does not pay, comply or vacate, the landlord must file an unlawful detainer action and obtain a court judgment before recovering possession. Lockouts and self-help removal are unlawful.
Is this Washington eviction notice template really free?
Yes — no account, no credit card, no trial. The document is built in your browser and nothing you type is stored or sent. The optional email field only notifies you when another state is verified; it never receives the contents of your notice.
Neighboring states
This tool is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Deadlines verified November 4, 2026 against app.leg.wa.gov (RCW 59.12.030, 59.18.200, 59.18.650). Not a substitute for a licensed Washington attorney.