Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in Washington

Re: Giving less notice to vacate than agreed upon

Since you�ve apparently stayed beyond the expiration of your original lease, and the landlord has apparently accepted next month's rent, under the law, it is assumed that you are now renting under a �month-to-month� agreement. This means that the 60-day notice requirement in your original lease agreement is no longer binding upon you. Under R.C.W. 59.18, you must still notify the landlord when you wish to vacate, but only a 20-day notice needs to be given. The notice should be in a written form and must be received by the landlord at least 20 days before the end of the rental period (the day before rent is due). The day on which the notice is delivered does not count, so plan accordingly.