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answered on Sep 19, 2023
If your roommates enter your room without your permission and handle your belongings, they might be infringing on several legal principles. Firstly, every individual has a recognized right to privacy. This extends to shared living spaces, where each resident typically has an expectation of privacy... View More 
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answered on Sep 19, 2023
In Washington state, landlords are legally obligated to ensure that rental properties are habitable and safe. If your landlord has not addressed essential repairs, especially those affecting health and safety, after being notified, you might have grounds for legal action or remedies. These can... View More
Am a caregiver, caretaker of property. Owner has dementhia,daughter is POA. She shut power off.
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answered on Sep 4, 2023
In Washington State, the ability of a property owner or their legal representative (like a power of attorney) to shut off utilities, including power, can depend on various factors, including the terms of any agreements in place and the specific circumstances.
If you have an agreement in... View More
There is a non emergency plumbing issue, leak, under our apartment. They want us to move units for up to 2 months ASAP with no moving help. We are a family of 5 and they won't give us a time limit just saying right now if possible. We are low income housing and don't have the money for... View More
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answered on Jul 12, 2023
Landlords are generally required to provide written notice to tenants in advance for any significant changes or disruptions, including requests to temporarily move units. The notice period can vary, but it's typically 30 to 60 days.
Regarding relocation assistance, some jurisdictions... View More
Am I required to pay the full monthly rent if I only lived in the unit for 14 days? I requested to get my bathroom/kitchen vinyl replaced & the contractors discovered mold underneath the vinyl. I was asked to leave my apt during repairs which last 16 days. I was not aware of any leakage but my... View More
answered on Jul 10, 2023
Argghh! The leaky toilet seal case. Toilets sit on a "Wax ring" that seal the flow between the toilet and the sewer pipe. if it becomes dislodged or there is some other problem, there will be a leak into the floor that you don't always see, it goes into the floor under the ring. If... View More
We had a year lease he left on the 11th month. And is not longer on any utilities or lease.
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answered on Jul 4, 2023
Provide them with a reasonable opportunity to collect their items. You can inform them of the situation and establish a deadline for retrieval. If they do not respond or retrieve their belongings within the specified time, you may consider disposing of the items following the appropriate legal... View More
I recently moved into an Essex apartment in Seattle, Washington; the door has a SmartRent Device electronic lock which has a keyhole, but I have been given no key, and it is management policy not to give anyone keys except to fulfill disability accommodations.
RCW 59.18.060 includes the... View More
answered on Jun 26, 2023
I am not aware of any caselaw answering the question directly. The statute likely predates the prevalence of electronic locks and codes, but it certainly raises issues if they only give you a code and not a physical key. If the power goes out/battery dies/tech malfunctions, etc. Not to mention it... View More
My lease states after 2 returned bank items a cashiers check or money order will be required. Before I signed my lease I had 2 application fees fail because I used a credit card. I found out after that you couldn’t use a credit card on their system. I’ve had only 1 returned bank item since... View More
answered on May 4, 2023
RCW 59.18.063 requires that a landlord accept a personal check, cashier's check, or money order. Except that they do not have to accept a personal check if one has been returned NSF in the last 9 months.
https://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=59.18.063
So, under the... View More
Hello, we live in Washington state. We are currently leasing a home and our lease ends July 31 of this year. Our landlord is requesting that we renew or lease in two days otherwise he will begin looking for other tenants. We are trying to determine if purchasing a home would be a better option but... View More
answered on Apr 26, 2023
Unless your rental is in a jurisdiction with its own set of rental protections, RCW 59.18.650 is the statute that likely answers your question. The answer is going to depend on the type of lease you have and the language used in the lease.
If your initial lease is what expires on July 31,... View More
I am writing on behalf of my brother’s family.
Their rental is on a well. Main well dried up -they are on the backup well - located up the hill. The water comes out of a uncovered tube. They’ve complained to their landlords & were told the water is fine -they won’t fix or drill a... View More
answered on Nov 11, 2022
A Washington attorney could advise best, but your question remains open for two weeks. You chose the correct categories to post under - landlord-tenant and personal injury. Those are the types of attorneys who would have insight into this. As a starting point, your brother could consult with a... View More
They used over 2 thousand in accidental overpayments in rent to cover charges to fix up the property. Are they obligated to return that money and send a bill for the charges? This is in Olympia WA
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answered on Sep 22, 2023
In Olympia, Washington, the terms of your lease agreement generally dictate what a landlord can and cannot do with overpayments or deposits. Typically, a landlord is required to provide an itemized list of damages and the associated costs within a specific timeframe after you move out. However, if... View More
I'm the power of attorney for my dad but my mom keeps putting protection orders against me so I'll stop me from seeing my dad and I need legal advice about me being a power of attorney and what can I do my mom's trying to sell his house and put him in a home and he wants to die in... View More
answered on Apr 7, 2023
The Washington State Bar Association provides the following resources for pro bono and low-cost legal assistance for its indigent population:
https://www.wsba.org/for-the-public/find-legal-help
Tenants in our building have chronic health issues. Signs of mold and water damage everywhere. Bursting pipes ignored. One tenant had professional testing done which yielded positive for toxic mold. Can these results be used for all tenants? Are mold cases ever successful?
answered on Apr 21, 2022
A Washington attorney could advise best, but your question remains open for two weeks. As a general matter nationwide, they can be difficult cases. Some law firms are reluctant to take them on because things are not as clear-cut as more traditional accident cases involving clearly definable damages... View More
answered on Feb 24, 2022
Start buy using the Find a Lawyer tab above and search for civil rights attorneys in your area----call a few and discuss your matter with them. Good luck.
The roommate doesn't have a lease or anything in writing. We're concerned she may not leave because she doesn't have the means but we need to be able to access the house to prepare it for sale. We need to know what our rights are as the estate administrators.
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answered on Dec 28, 2021
It is your duty as an Estate Fiduciary to file the eviction action for possession of the Beneficiaries' real property. Hire a competent WA attorney to file suit.
You
Well I work 5 days a week and I'm the general manager along with being the maintenance guy. I am the only one usually working here. I am also on call 24/7 and 7 day a week with the emergency phone. I am required to live on property. I am in a 2 bedroom apartment which is small. and... View More
answered on Nov 10, 2021
Under the Federal Labor Standards Act, your employer can only make deductions from your wages is several requirements are met. Even then, the wages deductions must be actual cost with no profit. For more info go to:
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/direct-care/credit-wages... View More
The building is owned and operated by a city housing authority, Its been in and out of the news due to the bed bugs. I was bitten the first night and reported it and now over a year later its infested so bad. The maintance wont take out the infested mattresses and furniture. There is not a... View More
answered on May 5, 2020
A Washington attorney could advise best, but you await an answer for two weeks. In terms of the eviction-related elements of your matter, a landlord-tenant attorney would need to advise on that. In terms of the tort-based elements involving bed bugs, they are tough cases and many attorneys are... View More
Hello,
Our 6-month lease ends May 31st, we notified our landlord, on May 2nd, that we would be out by the 31st (end of lease).
He claimes that we did not give him enough time to find a new tenant so we have to stay and pay for the month of June.
Is this correct?
answered on May 6, 2019
Your written lease controls the answer to your question. If the written lease you signed says you have to give the landlord a longer notice than the customary 30 days, then whatever the lease says answers this question.
Is this burglary?
answered on Jan 24, 2019
Why did he do that? You can report that to the police as possible breaking and entering, and you may have a case for breach of contract to sue the landlord for damages. More details are necessary to provide a professional analysis of your issue. The best first step is an Initial Consultation with... View More
Once a landlord gives you a three day notice but the reason you’re not paying rent is because of on habitable conditon
On the third day of the notice to your landlord comes over for some unknown On the third day of the notice to your landlord comes over for some unknown reason knocks on... View More
answered on Jan 3, 2019
Typically landlords must give reasonable notice prior to entering a home for a valid reason. This may have been properly effectuated, but your facts are a bit vaguely stated. The bigger issue seems to be the delayed repairs to the home during a mold infestation. Why are you still in the home rather... View More
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