Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in Washington

Re: breaking a lease

You are seven days too late to give notice for the 31st of August - you have to give it within ten days of the date you pay your rent to be effective at the end of the same month.

That said, I see a lot of documents that aren't really leases, they are disguised month to month agreements that say you can't get your deposit back unless you stay a year but allow the landlord to raise the rent. That isn't a lease.

In WA, you can give notice in writing if there is a real problem. Verbal notice is absolutely useless. This notice would say, "my hot water heater is broken, please fix it" or whatever is the problem.

If they don't fix it within the time frame required by the statute, you can move out without further notice or liability.

Worst case is they will try to say you owe them another month's rent. After that, they can re rent the place and a court won't give them more damages than that.

If they turn you over to collections without taking you to court, their damages are too speculative for a court to award them.

In other words, you are taking a calculated risk and only you and a lawyer advising you (with all the facts) can decide effectively. All I can really do here is comment.

Hope it helps. Elizabeth Powell