Wash. Rev. Code § 59.28 § 59.28.130
Eviction of tenant -- Restriction.
Operative Text
An owner of federally assisted housing who prepays the mortgage or loan or whose rental assistance contract expires and who continues to operate the property as residential housing within the scope of this chapter shall not evict a tenant residing in the dwelling unit when the mortgage or loan is prepaid or the rental assistance contract expires, except as authorized by the federal assistance program applicable to the project prior to prepayment of the mortgage or loan, or expiration of the rental assistance contract.
Under Washington law at Wash. Rev. Code § 59.28.130, when the owner of federally assisted housing pays off the underlying mortgage early or allows a rental assistance contract to expire, tenants living in those units cannot simply be removed as a result of that financial event. The owner may only pursue eviction on grounds that were already permitted by the applicable federal assistance program before the prepayment or contract expiration occurred. This rule preserves tenant occupancy rights through ownership or financing transitions that might otherwise leave residents vulnerable to displacement.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Owners of federally assisted housing covered by Wash. Rev. Code § 59.28.130 who prepay a mortgage or whose rental assistance contract expires must continue to honor existing tenants' occupancy rights if they keep operating the property as residential housing. Compliant operators generally document which eviction grounds were authorized under the applicable federal program before the prepayment or expiration event, and limit any eviction actions strictly to those pre-existing authorized grounds. Maintaining clear records of the federal program's terms at the time of the financial transition is a common practice for demonstrating compliance with this provision.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Wash. Rev. Code § 59.28.130 provides that tenants in federally assisted housing cannot be evicted solely because an owner prepays a mortgage or a rental assistance contract expires, as long as the property continues to be used as residential housing. If an owner attempts to remove a tenant following such a financial event, the tenant may have grounds to raise this statutory protection as a defense in any eviction proceeding. Tenants who believe this provision is being violated can look into contacting a local tenant-rights organization or legal aid office for general information about how this protection applies to federally assisted housing in Washington.
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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