Washington Lease Termination Letter

A 30/60-day notice to end a month-to-month or expiring lease, from either the landlord or the tenant, with the notice period your state requires.

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Washington rules that this document follows

Month-to-month noticeLandlord: see statute / just cause; Tenant: 20 daysSource: RCW 59.18.200(1)(a) (tenant: 20 days before the end of the rental period); landlord may terminate only for cause under RCW 59.18.650 (notice 20–120 days depending on ground)
Week-to-week notice20 daysSource: RCW 59.18.200(1)(a) (20 days before the end of any period)
Just cause required for landlordYesSource: RCW 59.18.650 (HB 1236, 2021: enumerated causes; e.g., owner occupancy 90 days, sale of single-family 90 days, demolition/renovation 120 days, tenant's breach per notice statutes)
Early-termination rightsServicemembers Civil Relief Act / Washington (military transfer, 20+ days' notice); Victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking or unlawful harassment (written notice with protective order or qualified third-party record); Tenant with disability or age-related need moving to care/subsidized housingSource: 50 U.S.C. § 3955; RCW 59.18.220(2); RCW 59.18.575; RCW 59.18.200(2)
StatuteRCW 59.18.200, 59.18.220, 59.18.575, 59.18.650

Rules current as of 2026-09-07. Statutes change; verify before relying on them.

How to use this Lease Termination Letter in Washington

Deliver the notice so that you can prove the date — certified mail or hand delivery with a signed receipt. Count the notice period from delivery, not from the date you wrote it, and make the end date land on the last day of a rental period if Washington requires it.

Tenants: give a forwarding address in the letter so the deposit deadline starts running. Landlords: do not accept rent beyond the termination date unless you intend to continue the tenancy.

Frequently asked questions

How much notice to end a month-to-month tenancy in Washington?

Tenant: 20 days; landlord: see statute / just cause days (RCW 59.18.200(1)(a) (tenant: 20 days before the end of the rental period); landlord may terminate only for cause under RCW 59.18.650 (notice 20–120 days depending on ground)). A written lease may require more.

Can a tenant break a lease early?

Only under the lease's early-termination clause or a statutory right: Servicemembers Civil Relief Act / Washington (military transfer, 20+ days' notice); Victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking or unlawful harassment (written notice with protective order or qualified third-party record); Tenant with disability or age-related need moving to care/subsidized housing. Otherwise the tenant remains liable for rent, subject to the landlord's duty to mitigate.

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