Wash. Rev. Code § 59.12 § 59.12.060
Parties defendant.
Operative Text
No person other than the tenant of the premises, and subtenant, if there be one, in the actual occupation of the premises when the complaint is filed, need be made parties defendant in any proceeding under this chapter, nor shall any proceeding abate, nor the plaintiff be nonsuited, for the nonjoinder of any person who might have been made party defendant; but when it appears that any of the parties served with process, or appearing in the proceeding, are guilty of the offense charged, judgment must be rendered against him or her. In case a person has become a subtenant of the premises in controversy after the service of any notice in this chapter provided for, the fact that such notice was not served on such subtenant shall constitute no defense to the action. All persons who enter the premises under the tenant, after the commencement of the action hereunder, shall be bound by the judgment the same as if they had been made parties to the action.
Washington Rev. Code § 59.12.060 addresses who must be named as defendants in an unlawful detainer proceeding. Under this provision, only the tenant and any subtenant actually occupying the premises when the complaint is filed are required parties; the case cannot be dismissed simply because other potentially interested persons were not joined. Additionally, anyone who becomes a subtenant after a statutory notice has been served, or who enters the premises under the tenant after the action begins, is bound by the court's judgment as though they had been a named party.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Wash. Rev. Code § 59.12.060, a property owner or manager initiating an unlawful detainer action generally names the tenant in possession and any known subtenant occupying the unit at the time the complaint is filed. Compliant operators typically document who is in actual occupation at filing and serve required statutory notices on those parties. Because persons who move in after notice is served or after the action commences are still bound by any resulting judgment, operators generally keep records of occupancy changes throughout the proceeding.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Wash. Rev. Code § 59.12.060 establishes that a subtenant who moved in after a statutory notice was served cannot use lack of personal notice as a defense to the eviction action. Tenants and subtenants who are served with process or who appear in the proceeding and are found to have committed the charged offense may have judgment entered against them individually. Anyone in this situation may wish to review their rights under Washington's unlawful detainer statutes and consider reaching out to a tenant-rights organization or legal aid program for general information about how these procedural rules apply.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 7, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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