Wash. Rev. Code § 59.21 § 59.21.040
Relocation assistance -- Exemptions.
Operative Text
A tenant is not entitled to relocation assistance under this chapter if: (1) The tenant has given notice to the landlord of his or her intent to vacate the park and terminate the tenancy before any written notice of closure pursuant to RCW 59.20.080 (1)(e) has been given; or (2) the tenant purchased a mobile home already situated in the park or moved a mobile home into the park after a written notice of closure pursuant to RCW 59.20.080 (1)(e) has been given and the person received actual prior notice of the change or closure. However, no tenant may be denied relocation assistance under subsection (1) of this section if the tenant has remained on the premises and continued paying rent for a period of at least six months after giving notice of intent to vacate and before receiving formal notice of a closure or change of use.
Washington's Wash. Rev. Code § 59.21.040 sets out two situations in which a mobile home park tenant loses eligibility for relocation assistance when a park closes or changes use. First, a tenant who voluntarily notified the landlord of an intent to leave before any official closure notice was issued generally cannot claim relocation assistance. Second, a tenant who bought or moved a mobile home into the park after a closure notice was already on record—and who had actual prior knowledge of that notice—is likewise excluded. An important exception preserves eligibility for tenants in the first category who stayed in the park and kept paying rent for at least six months after giving their notice of intent to vacate but before receiving a formal closure notice.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Wash. Rev. Code § 59.21.040, compliant park operators generally maintain clear, dated records of when any written closure notice under RCW 59.20.080(1)(e) was issued and when individual tenants provided their own notices of intent to vacate. Operators also document whether incoming tenants—those who purchased or moved a mobile home into the park after a closure notice was issued—received actual prior notice of the closure or change of use, since that fact determines relocation-assistance eligibility. Keeping thorough records of rent payments and occupancy periods is equally important, because the six-month continued-occupancy exception in § 59.21.040 can restore a tenant's eligibility even after a voluntary notice to vacate.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Wash. Rev. Code § 59.21.040 describes specific circumstances under which a mobile home park tenant may lose the right to relocation assistance, but it also includes a protective exception: if you gave notice of intent to vacate, then stayed in the park and continued paying rent for at least six months before receiving a formal closure notice, your eligibility for relocation assistance may be preserved. Tenants who moved into or purchased a home in the park after a closure notice was already issued should consider whether they received actual prior notice of that closure, as that fact is central to the exemption analysis under § 59.21.040. Tenants with questions about their eligibility can contact Washington's statewide tenant-rights organizations or local legal aid offices for general information about how this provision applies to mobile home park situations.
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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