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Landlord/Tenant Problems
This information is provided by the Attorney General's Office to give general
information about the state's Residential Landlord-Tenant Act (RCW
59.18 
).
Since this is a lengthy and complicated law that continues to be interpreted
by the courts, we recommend contacting an attorney when dealing with your specific
landlord-tenant question.
LANDLORD-TENANT LAW:
Who is not covered by the law?
Most tenants who rent a place to live come under the state's
Residential
Landlord-Tenant Act
. However, certain renters are specifically excluded
from the law.
Those who are generally not covered by the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act
are:
- Renters of a space in a mobile home park. They are usually covered by the
state's Mobile Home Landlord-Tenant Act (RCW
59.20 ). However, renters of both a space and a mobile home are usually
covered by the residential law.
- Residents of hotels, motels, or other transient lodgings.
- Residents of a public or private medical, religious, educational, recreational
or correctional institutions and licensed nursing homes, monasteries, convents
and hospitals.
- Tenants with an earnest money agreement to purchase the dwelling.
- Residents of a single-family dwelling rented as part of a lease for agricultural
land.
- Residents of housing provided for seasonal farm work.
- Tenants employed by the landlord who live in the rental unit as a job condition
(such as an apartment house manager).
- Tenants leasing a single family dwelling for one year or more, when their
attorney has approved the exemption.
- Tenants using the property for commercial rather than residential purposes.
- Tenants with rental agreements with the state of Washington.
RIGHTS OF ALL TENANTS:
Renters not covered by the Landlord-Tenant Act do have these basic rights
under other state laws, including:
- Right to a livable dwelling.
- Protection from unlawful discrimination.
- Right to hold the landlord liable for damage caused by the landlord's negligence.
- Protection against lockouts and seizure of personal property by the landlord.
