Video:
3 Day Pay or Vacate from Dimension Law Group on Vimeo.
Transcript:
Hi, my name is Synthia Melton and I’m an attorney at Dimension Law Group.
Today, I’m going to discuss the proper way to serve a three day notice to pay or vacate in Washington. It’s very important that this notice is served properly, to avoid any delay or having to restart the eviction process.
In Washington, there are three ways to properly serve the notice.
The first and best way is personal service. This notice must be hand -delivered to the tenant. Make sure you have enough copies for each adult tenant.
If the tenant is not home, the second way is to hand deliver the notice to any person of suitable age and discretion at the home. Suitable age and discretion means someone who can understand the document and the importance of it. If you do this, you must also mail copies to the premises.
If you have attempted hand-delivery and are still unable to serve your tenant, you may post the notice in a conspicuous place (meaning anyone can walk up and read it) AND also mail copies to the tenant or tenants at the premises.
Three day pay or vacate notices can be mailed first class unless your rental agreement states otherwise. If you mail a notice in addition to either posting or hand delivery, an extra day is added for mailing making a 3 day notice essentially into a 4 day notice.
Thanks for listening and stay tuned for some tips on how to properly fill out the three day pay or vacate.
Tip #1 – Name all parties known to be residing in the leased premises (do not include minor children).
Tip #2 – Include the complete address of the leased premises.
Tip #3 – Do not include any amounts (such as utilities or security deposit) that are not rent in a three-day notice to pay rent or vacate.
Tip #4 – Do not include late fees in a three-day notice. Also, late fees must be reasonable otherwise they may not be enforceable.
Tip #5 – Include the address where rent is to be paid on the notice and also include a phone number for the landlord.
Disclaimer: Washington Landlord Tenant Laws have changed substantially over the last few years. This information may not be up to date. The information on this site is general information and not a substitute for legal advice. Please contact Dimension Law Group to schedule a consultation on the most up to date information.
Thanks.