Wash. Rev. Code § 59.20 § 59.20.090
Term of rental agreements -- Renewal -- Nonrenewal -- Termination -- Armed forces exception -- Notices.
Operative Text
(1) Unless otherwise agreed rental agreements shall be for a term of one year. Any rental agreement of whatever duration shall be automatically renewed for the term of the original rental agreement, unless a different specified term is agreed upon. (2) A landlord seeking to increase the rent upon expiration of the term of a rental agreement of any duration shall notify the tenant in writing three months prior to the effective date of any increase in rent. (3) A tenant shall notify the landlord in writing one month prior to the expiration of a rental agreement of an intention not to renew. (4)(a) The tenant may terminate the rental agreement upon thirty days written notice whenever a change in the location of the tenant's employment requires a change in his or her residence, and shall not be liable for rental following such termination unless after due diligence and reasonable effort the landlord is not able to rent the mobile home lot at a fair rental. If the landlord is not able to rent the lot, the tenant shall remain liable for the rental specified in the rental agreement until the lot is rented or the original term ends. (b) Any tenant who is a member of the armed forces, including the national guard and armed forces reserves, or that tenant's spouse or dependent, may terminate a rental agreement with less than thirty days notice if the tenant receives permanent change of station or deployment orders which do not allow greater notice. The service member shall provide the landlord a copy of the official military orders or a signed letter from the service member's commanding officer confirming any of the following criteria are met: (i) The service member is required, pursuant to permanent change of station orders, to move thirty-five miles or more from the location of the rental premises; (ii) The service member is prematurely or involuntarily discharged or released from active duty; (iii) The service member is released from active duty after having leased the rental premises while on active duty status and the rental premises is thirty-five miles or more from the service member's home of record prior to entering active duty; (iv) After entering into a rental agreement, the commanding officer directs the service member to move into government provided housing; (v) The service member receives temporary duty orders, temporary change of station orders, or state active duty orders to an area thirty-five miles or more from the location of the rental premises, provided such orders are for a period not less than ninety days; or (vi) The service member has leased the property, but prior to taking possession of the rental premises, receives change of station orders to an area that is thirty-five miles or more from the location of the rental premises.
Under Wash. Rev. Code § 59.20.090, rental agreements for mobile home lots default to a one-year term and renew automatically on the same terms unless the parties agree otherwise. A landlord who wants to raise rent at renewal must give the tenant at least three months' written notice before the increase takes effect, and a tenant who does not wish to renew must give the landlord one month's written written notice before the agreement expires. Special early-termination rights exist for tenants whose employment relocates them and for military service members—including National Guard and reserve members—who receive qualifying orders, allowing them to exit with shorter notice under defined conditions.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators of mobile home parks subject to Wash. Rev. Code § 59.20.090 generally maintain a practice of sending rent-increase notices at least three months before the end of any rental term, regardless of whether the agreement is month-to-month or multi-year. Compliant operators also keep systems in place to receive and document tenants' one-month non-renewal notices and to process early-termination requests from relocating employees or qualifying military personnel promptly upon receipt of official orders or a commanding officer's letter. When a military tenant terminates early under § 59.20.090(4)(b), operators typically confirm which of the six statutory criteria applies before releasing the tenancy, and when an employment-relocation termination occurs under § 59.20.090(4)(a), operators document their good-faith efforts to re-rent the lot at a fair rental rate.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Wash. Rev. Code § 59.20.090 gives mobile home lot tenants the right to receive at least three months' written notice before any rent increase takes effect at the end of a rental term, and tenants who believe that notice was insufficient may raise that timing requirement as a basis for disputing the increase. Tenants who need to leave early because of a job relocation or qualifying military orders should be aware that § 59.20.090(4) limits ongoing rent liability in those situations, though the specific conditions and documentation requirements differ between the two scenarios. Tenants seeking to understand how these rights apply to their circumstances can consult a local tenant-rights organization, a housing counselor, or Washington's courts self-help resources for general guidance.
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.
Effective Timeline
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.