The Eviction Process in Washington State: Notices and Court
In Washington, ending a tenancy against a tenant’s wishes runs through a court case called an unlawful detainer. This page explains the notice types, the periods, how service works after the 2026 change, and what Tacoma adds on top.
This page is general information, not legal advice. We are property managers, not attorneys. Unlawful detainer is a court proceeding with strict deadlines, and the rules change. Do not use this page as a substitute for a Washington attorney. If you are a tenant, this page is not advice for you either, and there are free legal resources available to you.
Reviewed: September 2026.
What “unlawful detainer” means
Unlawful detainer is the name of the court case a landlord files to recover possession of a rental unit. It is a lawsuit, and the tenant is a party to it with the right to defend.
It is worth being plain about the sequence, because owners often compress it in their heads:
You must have a lawful cause under RCW 59.18.650.
A judge decides it.
You serve the notice that matches that cause, for the full period.
If the tenant does not comply within the notice period, you file the unlawful detainer case.
Steps 1 and 2 are where most cases are lost. A notice that names the wrong cause, or runs a day short, or is served incorrectly, is a defective notice, and a defective notice does not support the case built on top of it.
Step 1, the just cause
Washington requires just cause. RCW 59.18.650 sets out the causes and each one carries its own notice period.
| Just cause | Notice period |
|---|---|
| Nonpayment of rent | 14 days |
| Lease violation | 10 days |
| Waste or nuisance | 3 days |
| Owner or family move-in | 90 days |
| Sale of a single family residence | 90 days |
| Other good cause, or a legitimate economic or business reason | 60 days |
| Four or more lease violations in 12 months | 60 days |
Read the table as pairs. The cause and the period travel together. You cannot use a 14 day notice for a lease violation because it feels faster, and you cannot shorten a 90 day owner move-in notice because the tenant already knows you are moving in.
Step 2, the notice
The notice is the foundation of the case. Three practical points.
Match the notice to the cause. If a tenant is behind on rent and has also broken a lease term, those are two different causes with two different periods.
Count the days carefully. A notice period that is one day short is a defective notice.
In Tacoma, attach the Notice of Resources. Under TMC 1.95.030.B, a City “Notice of Resources” form must accompany any notice to vacate. And under TMC 1.95.070.B, no landlord may issue a notice to vacate at all unless they hold a current Tacoma business license and have registered each unit with certification of code compliance.
That last point is worth repeating because it stops the process before it starts. No license, no notice to vacate.
Step 3, service of the notice
There is no account setup fee, no move-in inspection fee, no exterior drive-by inspection fee, no annual walk-through fee, no move-out inspection fee, no security deposit disposition fee, and no 1099 or end-of-year statement fee. Compare that line by line against our full fee schedule and against anyone else you are considering.
Step 4, filing the case
What we can say without qualification: unlawful detainer is a court process with short, unforgiving deadlines, and it is not a do-it-yourself project. Most owners who try to run one alone lose on a technical defect in the notice rather than on the merits.
Your tenant will very likely have a lawyer
Washington gives indigent tenants a statewide right to counsel in unlawful detainer cases under RCW 59.18.640, for tenants at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level.
This is not a reason to be discouraged. It is a reason to be precise. Appointed counsel will read your notice closely, check your service, check your dates, and in Tacoma check whether you held a business license and unit registration when you issued the notice. If any of those is wrong, the case ends there.
The Eviction Resolution Pilot Program no longer exists
The Eviction Resolution Pilot Program expired on July 1, 2023.
A large amount of Washington eviction content online still describes it as a required first step. It is not, because it does not exist. If a template, checklist or article tells you to complete an ERPP referral before filing, that source has not been updated since at least mid-2023 and everything else on it deserves a second look.
Tacoma restricts when a tenant can be made to leave
Tacoma adds two calendar restrictions on top of the statewide just cause rules. Both sit in TMC 1.100, which is enforced only by private lawsuit, not by the City.
The school year restriction, TMC 1.100.060(2)
No eviction may require a tenant to vacate during the Tacoma Public Schools year where the tenant, another resident, or a household guardian is a student, a guardian of a child, or an educator.
Exceptions include owner or family occupancy, condemnation, roommate removal, sexual harassment, drug nuisance, unlawful business, and threats to health or safety.
The cold weather restriction, TMC 1.100.063
No evictions from November 15 through March 15. Ordinance 29086 narrowed this window on January 1, 2026 from the previous November 1 through April 1.
There is an exemption for owners of four or fewer rental units in Tacoma.
Why these matter more than they look
Because TMC 1.100 is privately enforceable, the City will not warn you before you cross either line. The consequence arrives as a lawsuit, and TMC 1.100.080(2) penalties run from not less than $500 up to five times the monthly rent per violation, plus injunctive relief.
For an owner with a Tacoma rental, the practical effect is that a large part of the school year and all of the winter are closed to most possession cases. That changes when you address a problem tenancy. Waiting for a lease to end is often not an option, because Washington requires just cause anyway.
What this page does not cover
We would rather tell you what we do not know than fill the gap with something plausible.
01
Any rules that apply to manufactured or mobile home communities beyond the rent rule in RCW 59.20.390.
02
What a landlord may and may not do outside the court process, including lockouts and utility shutoffs.
03
The full statutory list of service methods.
The filing steps, hearing schedule and writ procedure.
04
If you are reading this because you already have a problem, the useful next step is usually a conversation, not another article. We manage rentals inside Tacoma city limits, we deal with these calendars constantly, and eviction assistance is included in our management package at no extra fee.
Book a property management consult or call 253.222.3387. If what you actually need is an attorney, we will tell you that.
Unlawful detainer questions
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It is the court case a landlord files to recover possession of a rental unit. It follows a just cause under RCW 59.18.650 and a properly served notice for that cause. The tenant is a party with the right to defend, and indigent tenants at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level have a statewide right to appointed counsel under RCW 59.18.640.
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It depends on the cause. RCW 59.18.650 sets 14 days for nonpayment of rent, 10 days for a lease violation, 3 days for waste or nuisance, 90 days for owner or family move-in or the sale of a single family residence, and 60 days for other good cause or four or more lease violations in 12 months.
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Not since June 11, 2026. Under HB 2664, when a notice is served by substitute service, the mailed copy goes by regular mail rather than certified mail. Older templates and guides still say certified. If your forms have not been updated since mid 2026, check them before you serve anything.
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No. The Eviction Resolution Pilot Program expired on July 1, 2023. Any guide, template or checklist that still lists an ERPP referral as a required step before filing is out of date, which is a good reason to verify everything else on that source too.
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Usually not. TMC 1.100.060(2) blocks evictions requiring a tenant to vacate during the Tacoma Public Schools year where the tenant, a resident or a household guardian is a student, a guardian of a child, or an educator, with listed exceptions. TMC 1.100.063 blocks evictions from November 15 through March 15, exempting owners of four or fewer Tacoma rental units.
Have a question about your own property?
Possession cases are won and lost on details that look small: the cause you name, the days you count, the way you serve, and in Tacoma whether your license was current on the day you issued the notice.
If you want to talk through a situation before you act on it, we are here Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm, and we reply within 24 hours.
Red Roof Rentals & Real Estate, 14208 Pacific Ave., Unit #2, Tacoma, WA 98444. 253.222.3387.
This page is general information, not legal advice, and eviction law changes. Unlawful detainer is a court case with strict deadlines. Talk to a Washington attorney.