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
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.
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
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.
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
Today my Landlord let two people and herself into the condo we rent from her property management company. I immediately contacted her and stated I didn't agree to this and that I never recieved notice. She claims that her "software" sent our notice and that she will send proof once... View More
answered on Apr 16, 2024
In Washington state, landlords are required to provide at least 24 hours' written notice before entering a tenant's unit, except in cases of emergency or if it is impracticable to do so. The notice must specify the date, approximate time, and purpose of the entry. If the landlord fails to... View More
answered on Apr 16, 2024
In situations where there are two tenants with separate leases living in the same property, an eviction notice that names one tenant and "all other occupants" generally targets only those living in the unit under the lease of the named tenant. The second tenant, who has a separate lease,... View More
So she sign my basic lease for x amount of $ per month. She can not afford it without housing. I haven't signed the HAP contract with housing yet. Can I simple have her sign an agreement to vacate due to her not being able to afford the house with me not signing the HAP contract. Am I... View More
answered on Apr 16, 2024
In your situation, it's crucial to handle the matter with a focus on legality and fairness. Since you haven’t signed the Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) contract yet, you are not currently bound by its terms, which generally include non-discrimination clauses. You have the right to assess... View More
Tenant can't afford a new lease and wants to move out, while the landlord wants to force tenant to sign another new lease adding incredible sum $$$, threatening the tenant of taking away the concession that was given to him at the beginning of his expired lease.
The tenant is elderly... View More
answered on Apr 16, 2024
In this situation, it's important for you to know that even if your lease has expired, you still have rights as a tenant. Washington State law requires landlords to provide a written notice if they want you to move out, usually 20 days before the end of the rental period. If you've... View More
I was in my room sleeping and the police woke me up. I looked at camera and asked myself why are they here. Ran downstairs and open the door and went and talk to them. At 1st they told me I couldn't go back in. Then they let me. I tried to talk the dude into surrendering when I noticed he had... View More
answered on Apr 16, 2024
Based on the information you've provided, it seems that you are not directly responsible for the actions of your daughter's friend or the resulting damage to the rental property caused by the police intervention. However, the property owner may still choose to evict you, as the incident... View More
Is it legal,I've done nothing to violate my lease
answered on Nov 15, 2023
Even though your landlord has passed away, their estate is still responsible for upholding the terms of your lease agreement. This means that you may be able to sue the estate for wrongful eviction.
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.
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.
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