Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in Washington
Lease
On Jul 11th My son and his girlfriend sign a lease, The lease starts on Aug. 1, The landloard made a verbal offer to have the current renters evicted by the 18th, they had not payed rent for the last five months per the landloard. He would then Clean & paint the house and do any repairs required so the could move in on the 27th. This would allow my son to exit his current lease on the 31st and move in on the 27th. The 27th he met the landloard at the house to get the keys and pay for the 1st, Last & deposit. when he got to the house the last renter was still there so the landloard told my son if he wants to move in he would have to help him move the last renter out, my son now with no home helps him move out the old renter. Then the landloard said if he wants to move in he will need to cleen the house, so my son and five family members do this for free, while the landloard barks orders all day. At the end of the day it was time to get to painting the house. The landloard said if my son wants the house painted he will have to pay for the paint, rollers and labor. at this time they walked out of the deal, no money changed hands. the landloard said he will sue him for 1 years rent for breaking the lease, what should we do next?
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Lease
This is very, very bad. On the part of the landlord. NOT on the part of your son.
Your son needs to find another landlord. THIS landlord has no basis to sue your son.
Your son can sue the landlord for the value of the work he did on the landlord's house for which your son was not paid or otherwise compensated.
The landlord just got a free clean up out of your son. That is worth money.
Also, just so you know, self-help evictions are prohibited in WA and interfering with a tenancy is a misdemeanor.
Never, ever get involved with somebody who is willing to commit crimes. This landlord sounds like a piece of work.
But if he sues you for the years rent, call me, I will make him wish he didn't.
Elizabeth Powell
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