Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in Washington

Re: co signing on rental home

Leases frequently lapse after one year and yet the tenancy continues on a month-to-month basis at the conclusion of the year.

Courts generally find that the conditions of the contract continue just on a month- to - month basis. For example, if the original lease agreement had a provision regarding late fees, then the after-lease contract will allow for late fees.

Your fact pattern could be argued either way. You don't live there (right?) so arguably you are not bound to the terms of a lease which has expired, your obligation ended when the lease expired and was not renewed, regardless of whether the tenancy continued.

On the other hand, the court could find that your obligation continued (but I'd be pressed to say why).

You might want to get that squared away with both parties to this agreement. You can certainly contact them and tell them that as the lease has expired by its own terms, you are no longer bound by it.

Hope this helps. Powell