Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in Washington

tenant rental lease obligations

Tenant is under a 1 year lease, which is up 2/28/07. Terms of the lease state that I (the owner) can show the unit to a prospective new tenant with 24 hrs notice. I make it at the tenant's convenience always. I showed the unit once last weekend but had tried to set up an appontment this weekend. Have left messages on the machine and live, but have gotten no response, so was unable to set appontments. My question is since the tenant has violated the terms of the lease, has she broken it, thus possibly forfeiting her security deposit?


Asked on 2/18/07, 4:12 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Elizabeth Powell ELizabeth Powell PS Inc

Re: tenant rental lease obligations

Answer is: not on the basis of refusing oral notice. All notices required to be given by one party (or the other) in WA have to be in writing.

You just write her a 24 hour notice that you will be showing the place, and post it on the door, and mail it. (I know the mail sounds superfluous, but it is not).

There are material terms and minor terms. A material term is the payment of rent; a minor term might be having a pet.

Your tenant is under no legal obligation to accept oral notice, so she hasn't breached the lease (at least not on this basis).

Powell

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Answered on 2/18/07, 9:23 pm


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