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Washington · Moving out

Washington notice to vacate — the 20 days rule and a free letter

Washington’s tenant-side rule is short and strict: written notice of “20 days or more, preceding the end of any of the months or periods of tenancy” (Wash. Rev. Code § 59.18.200(1)(a)). Two things matter. First, 20 days is a floor, not a countdown from delivery. Second, the tenancy can only end on the last day of a rental period — rent due on the 1st means your letter must arrive by the 11th to leave on the 31st, and missing it costs a full month. Servicemembers (and their spouses or dependents) with permanent change of station or deployment orders may give less than 20 days (§ 59.18.200(1)(b)). The landlord side no longer mirrors yours: since 2021, Washington landlords need just cause to end most tenancies (RCW 59.18.650), and 2025’s HB 1217 capped rent increases at 7% plus inflation — 10% at most — on 90 days’ notice. Deposits come back within 30 days with receipts and invoices attached, a documentation duty the legislature tightened in 2023 (RCW 59.18.280).

20 daystenant month-to-month notice · Wash. Rev. Code § 59.18.200(1)(a)

Not legal advice — general information for Washington. Last reviewed: July 2026.

Notice-period check

Your date clears the state minimum

August 7, 2026 gives 35 days' notice — at or above Washington's 20 days minimum for month-to-month tenants (Wash. Rev. Code § 59.18.200). If your lease requires more, the lease controls.

Most statutes count notice to the end of a rental period — if rent is due on the 1st, plan to move out on the last day of a month.

[Tenant name(s)]

[Rental address]

July 3, 2026

[Landlord / property manager name]

Landlord / Property Manager

RE: Notice of intent to vacate — [Rental address]

Dear [Landlord / property manager name],

Please accept this letter as my written notice of intent to vacate the rental unit at [Rental address]. My tenancy will end and I will deliver possession of the premises no later than August 7, 2026. This provides at least 20 days of written notice, as required for month-to-month tenancies in Washington (Wash. Rev. Code § 59.18.200).

I will remove all personal belongings, return all keys and access devices, and leave the unit in clean condition, normal wear and tear excepted. Please contact me to schedule a move-out inspection.

I will provide a forwarding address for the return of my security deposit before my move-out date.

This notice is delivered via certified mail with return receipt requested on July 3, 2026.

Sincerely,

[Tenant name(s)]
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Washington notice rules

  • ✓Twenty days or more before the END of the rental period — the tenancy terminates on the period’s last day, so with rent due the 1st, notice must be received by the 11th to move out on the 31st.
  • ✓Military exception: tenants in the armed forces (including guard and reserves), their spouses, and dependents may give less than 20 days when PCS or deployment orders don’t allow it (§ 59.18.200(1)(b)).
  • ✓Ending a fixed-term lease that doesn’t auto-continue? Give written notice at least 20 days before the lease’s end date (RCW 59.18.650(1)(f)).
  • ✓Deliver so you can prove the date — hand delivery with a dated copy or mail with tracking; a notice that arrives on the 12th instead of the 11th costs a month of rent.
  • ✓Deposit: a full, specific statement with copies of estimates, invoices, or receipts, plus any refund, within 30 days of move-out (RCW 59.18.280, documentation rules added in 2023). Undocumented deductions are barred, and intentional stonewalling can cost the landlord up to twice the deposit.
  • ✓No deductions are allowed for ordinary wear — including carpet cleaning, unless the landlord documents wear beyond ordinary use (§ 59.18.280(1)(c)).

For landlords

Landlords cannot send a 20-day goodbye: RCW 59.18.650 (in force since 2021) requires just cause to end or refuse to renew most tenancies. On top of that, 2025’s HB 1217 added statewide rent stabilization — no increase in the first year, then a cap of 7% plus CPI (10% max) on 90 days’ notice, in force until 2040. Seattle layers on its own just-cause ordinance and a 180-day rent-increase notice.

Worked example with real dates

Rent of $2,100 due on the 1st in Seattle, and you want out on August 31, 2026. Twenty days preceding the end of the period means the letter must be in the landlord’s hands by August 11. Delivered August 5, you gave 26 days — compliant. Delivered August 18, you gave only 13 days: the tenancy slides to September 30 and September’s $2,100 is owed. Washington’s window is short but the cliff is a full month.

Washington notice to vacate FAQ

Why does my Washington notice have to end on the last day of the rental period?

RCW 59.18.200(1)(a) says the tenancy “shall end by written notice of 20 days or more, preceding the end of any of the months or periods of tenancy.” The end point is fixed — the period’s last day — and the 20 days count backward from it. A mid-month move-out date isn’t something the statute recognizes; you would still be on the hook through the period’s end.

I got PCS or deployment orders — can I give less than 20 days in Washington?

Yes. Section 59.18.200(1)(b) lets a tenant who is a member of the armed forces — including national guard and reserves — or that tenant’s spouse or dependent end the agreement with less than 20 days’ written notice when permanent change of station or deployment orders don’t allow the normal window. Attach a copy of the orders to your letter.

Can my Washington landlord end my month-to-month tenancy with 20 days too?

Generally no. Since 2021, RCW 59.18.650 requires just cause — nonpayment, lease violations, owner move-in, sale of a single-family home, and a defined list of other reasons — each with its own notice period, to end or non-renew most tenancies. The symmetric 20-day goodbye is history in Washington; your 20-day right as a tenant survived the reform.

How much notice does a Washington landlord owe before raising my rent?

Ninety days, under the rent-stabilization law enacted in May 2025 (HB 1217) — which also bars any increase during the first year of tenancy and caps increases at 7% plus CPI, never more than 10%, through 2040. Seattle’s ordinance requires 180 days for increases there. If a raise arrives outside those rules, that is worth a call to the Attorney General’s landlord-tenant resources before you send a notice to vacate you didn’t want to send.

Sources

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