How to evict a tenant in Washington: steps and timeline

What notice does Washington require for unpaid rent?

RCW 59.12.030(3) says a tenant under the residential landlord-tenant act is in default if rent stays unpaid 14 days after service of a written notice that requires, in the alternative, payment of the rent or surrender of the premises. The notice may be served any time after the rent is due.

RCW 59.18.057 sets the form. It must be titled "FOURTEEN-DAY NOTICE TO PAY RENT OR VACATE THE PREMISES" and list the amounts owed for monthly rent, utilities and other recurring charges in the lease, the total, the landlord's name, the date and the address where payment is made. Payment must be accepted under the rental agreement's terms or by nonelectronic means such as a cashier's check or money order, and it is applied first to the total on the notice. The form also points the tenant to rental assistance and free legal help, so use the statute's wording rather than your own.

How do you serve the notice?

RCW 59.12.040 allows personal delivery to the tenant. If the tenant is away, you may leave a copy with a person of suitable age and discretion and mail a copy to the tenant. If the tenant cannot be found and no suitable person is there, you may post it in a conspicuous place on the premises, deliver a copy to a resident if one can be found, and mail a copy to the premises. When you use mail, the statute adds five days before you may start the case.

Do you need a just cause to end the tenancy?

Yes, in most cases. RCW 59.18.650 lets a landlord end a tenancy only for a listed cause. Nonpayment follows the 14-day notice above. Other listed causes carry their own notice, for example at least 10 days to fix a material breach, three days for waste, nuisance or unlawful activity, and 90 days when the owner or an immediate family member will move in or a single-family home is being sold. Every notice must identify the facts known at the time with enough detail for the tenant to respond.

A landlord who breaks this section is liable for wrongful eviction. The tenant can recover the greater of economic and noneconomic damages or three times the monthly rent, plus attorney fees and costs. See just cause rules in Washington, Oregon and New York for how the three states compare.

What happens after you file?

The summons is served as in other civil cases (RCW 59.18.365). It tells the tenant the date by which a written response must be received, and the tenant is told of the hearing date in an Order to Show Cause. At the hearing under RCW 59.18.380, the tenant, or anyone in possession, may answer orally or in writing and raise any legal or equitable defense or set-off arising out of the tenancy, and the court examines the parties and witnesses.

If the court finds you have the right to possession, it orders the writ of restitution, which is returnable ten days after its date. If not, it denies the motion and sets the case for trial within thirty days. For a writ issued before judgment you must file a bond the court sets. In a nonpayment case, the tenant can stay a pre-judgment writ within three days after it is served by paying the rent found due and then the monthly rent while the case is pending.

Which mistakes cost a Washington landlord time?

• Writing your own notice instead of using the form in RCW 59.18.057. The statute sets the title, the three categories of amounts, the total, the landlord's name, the date and the payment address.
• Counting from the wrong day when you mail the notice. RCW 59.12.040 adds five days before you may start the case.
• Citing a reason the law does not list. RCW 59.18.650 limits you to its causes, and every notice must name the facts known at the time.
• Applying a payment to something other than the total on the notice. RCW 59.18.057 says payment goes first to that total.

Example a made-up landlord hands the 14-day notice to the tenant on Monday, November 2, 2026. The 14 days end on Monday, November 16, so the earliest filing is that day or after. Had the landlord mailed it from within Washington instead, the statute adds five days before filing. The court then sets the hearing in an Order to Show Cause, so the date is the court's, not yours.

What can a Washington landlord never do?

RCW 59.18.290 bars removing or excluding a tenant except under a court order. A tenant who is removed or locked out can recover possession or end the rental agreement, recover actual damages, and recover court costs and reasonable attorney fees. Do not change the locks, remove doors or move belongings out on your own.

How DoorKeeping handles it

DoorKeeping keeps each property's lease, rent ledger and the notices you send in one place, which is the paper trail a court asks for. You still serve the notice and file the case yourself. DoorKeeping gives general information, not legal advice. If a case is contested, or the tenant files an answer, talk to a local attorney.

Sources

1. RCW 59.12.030 (Tenancies, notice periods), read Oct 30, 2026
2. RCW 59.12.040 (Service of notices), read Oct 30, 2026
3. RCW 59.18.057 (Fourteen-day notice to pay rent or vacate), read Oct 30, 2026
4. RCW 59.18.650 (Terminating a tenancy: just cause), read Oct 30, 2026
5. RCW 59.18.365, 59.18.380 and 59.18.290 (Summons, writ of restitution, unlawful removal), read Oct 30, 2026

Questions

How many days notice do I give a tenant who has not paid rent in Washington?

Fourteen days, in writing, on the form in RCW 59.18.057 that asks the tenant to pay the total due or vacate. Mailing the notice adds five days before you may file (RCW 59.12.040).

Can I evict a Washington tenant without a reason?

Mostly no. RCW 59.18.650 limits you to the causes it lists, such as nonpayment, a material breach, owner move-in or a sale, each with its own notice period.

Can I change the locks on a tenant in Washington?

No. RCW 59.18.290 allows removal or exclusion only under a court order. The tenant can recover possession and damages if you do it yourself.