Legal Question in Civil Rights Law in Washington

This is a question that would be better posted under landlord tenant law. Nevertheless, you should be aware of something called the Washington Residential Landlord Tenant Act which is codified under RCW 59.18. This defines the duties and responsibilities of both landlords and tenants in a residential setting.

Although your landlord has a right to show the place, he has to give you proper notice. RCW 59.18.150 allows a landlord to enter the premises to show it to prospective purchasers or renters. Except for emergencies or where impractical to do so, the landlord must provide at least two days' written notice of their intent to enter the dwelling to show it. Further, the landlord may not use this to harass a tenant. Whether such notice is tantamount to harassment depends on how often notice is given, perhaps whether the landlord schedules ten prospective tenants to look at it on ten consecutive days as opposed to all in one day or over two consecutive days. The remaining language of 59.18.150(6) is quoted below.

"The notice must state the exact time and date or dates of entry or specify a period of time during that date or dates in which the entry will occur, in which case the notice must specify the earliest and latest possible times of entry. The notice must also specify the telephone number to which the tenant may communicate any objection or request to reschedule the entry. The tenant shall not unreasonably withhold consent to the landlord to enter the dwelling unit at a specified time where the landlord has given at least one day's notice of intent to enter to exhibit the dwelling unit to prospective or actual purchasers or tenants. A landlord shall not unreasonably interfere with a tenant's enjoyment of the rented dwelling unit by excessively exhibiting the dwelling unit."