Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in Washington

Re: 3-day pay or vacate

A termination of tenancy notice comes in two basic varieties. There is the 20 day notice with no explanation, served by either party - there is the 3-day pay rent or vacate notice (and there are a few others).

If you mailed it, you need to also mail it again certified and also post it on the front door.

(No. I am not making this up.)

Is it possible that you collected "last month's rent" up front when your tenants moved in, and now that you have announced that the last month is this month, that they think they have all ready paid this month's rent?

That happens.

Your 3-day pay or vacate can be followed up with a lawsuit for unlawful detainer, also called an eviction.

It is not self-help law. Your lawful choices are to wait for them to leave pursuant to the 20- day notice which would have them out at the end of the month, or to move to have them evicted sooner. One way takes longer, the other is a LOT more expensive and takes roughly the same amount of time.

And you are pretty much prohibited from trying to evict them by yourselves; self-help is frowned upon by courts here.

So, what happens is your choice. Best of luck with this situation.

Elizabeth