2021 Revised Code of Washington
Title 59 - Landlord and Tenant
Chapter 59.18 - Residential Landlord-Tenant Act.
59.18.057 - Notice—Form.
(1) Every 14-day notice served pursuant to RCW 59.12.030(3) must be in substantially the following form:
| "TO: |
| AND TO: |
| ADDRESS: |
FOURTEEN-DAY NOTICE TO PAY RENT OR VACATE THE PREMISES
You are receiving this notice because the landlord alleges you are not in compliance with the terms of the lease agreement by failing to pay rent and/or utilities and/or recurring or periodic charges that are past due.
(1) Monthly rent due for (list month(s)): $ (dollar amount)
AND/OR
(2) Utilities due for (list month(s)): $ (dollar amount)
AND/OR
(3) Other recurring or periodic charges identified in the lease for (list month(s)): $ (dollar amount)
TOTAL AMOUNT DUE: $ (dollar amount)
Note - payment must be made pursuant to the terms of the rental agreement or by nonelectronic means including, but not limited to, cashier's check, money order, or other certified funds.
You must pay the total amount due to your landlord within fourteen (14) days after service of this notice or you must vacate the premises. Any payment you make to the landlord must first be applied to the total amount due as shown on this notice. Any failure to comply with this notice within fourteen (14) days after service of this notice may result in a judicial proceeding that leads to your eviction from the premises.
The Washington state Office of the Attorney General has this notice in multiple languages as well as information on available resources to help you pay your rent, including state and local rental assistance programs, on its website at www.atg.wa.gov/landlord-tenant.
State law provides you the right to legal representation and the court may be able to appoint a lawyer to represent you without cost to you if you are a qualifying low-income renter. If you believe you are a qualifying low-income renter and would like an attorney appointed to represent you, please contact the Eviction Defense Screening Line at 855-657-8387 or apply online at https://nwjustice.org/apply-online. For additional resources, call 2-1-1 or the Northwest Justice Project CLEAR Hotline outside King County (888) 201-1014 weekdays between 9:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m., or (888) 387-7111 for seniors (age 60 and over). You may find additional information to help you at http://www.washingtonlawhelp.org. Free or low-cost mediation services to assist in nonpayment of rent disputes before any judicial proceedings occur are also available at dispute resolution centers throughout the state. You can find your nearest dispute resolution center at https://www.resolutionwa.org.
State law also provides you the right to receive interpreter services at court.
OWNER/LANDLORD:___________DATE:______________
WHERE TOTAL AMOUNT DUE IS TO BE PAID: ___(owner/landlord name)___
___________(address)________"
(2) Upon expiration of the eviction resolution pilot program established under RCW 59.18.660:
(a) The landlord must also provide the notice required in this section to the dispute resolution center located within or serving the county in which the dwelling unit is located. It is a defense to an eviction under RCW 59.12.030 that a landlord did not provide additional notice under this subsection.
(b) Dispute resolution centers are encouraged to notify the housing justice project or northwest justice project located within or serving the county in which the dispute resolution center is located, as appropriate, once notice is received from the landlord under this subsection.
(3) The form required in this section does not abrogate any additional notice requirements to tenants as required by federal, state, or local law.
[ 2021 c 115 § 10; 2020 c 315 § 2; 2019 c 356 § 3.]
NOTES:
Finding—Intent—Application—Effective date—2021 c 115: See notes following RCW 59.18.620.
Findings—Intent—2020 c 315: "The legislature finds that despite the passage of several eviction reforms during the 2019 regular legislative session there is a need to clarify certain reforms and to address the unintended effects and oversights that have limited the impact and remedial nature of these reforms available to tenants. Specifically, the legislature finds that further clarity is required as to how and when tenants can access emergency rental assistance to pay off unlawful detainer judgment amounts and have their tenancies reinstated before judgment, when landlords can issue pay or vacate notices to tenants whose primary source of income is regular, monthly governmental assistance, and that a landlord cannot threaten a tenant with eviction for failure to pay fees not related to rent. As a result, the legislature intends with this act to make such modifications to ensure that tenants with limited to no resources maintain stable housing." [ 2020 c 315 § 1.]
Intent—2019 c 356: See note following RCW 59.12.030.
