Subletting laws washington state

Most likely, your lease contains a clause which requires you to obtain your landlord’s approval prior. You should send a letter to your landlord via certified mail, return-receipt requeste and save a copy. Landlords can choose to allow or deny subletters—but if they do reject a potential candidate, they must have a business-related reason. Usually, lease agreements include the section regarding the subletting.

In any case, we strongly recommend you getting the landlord’s approval before you sublet. When your roommate fails to pay his portion of the rent, you’re obligated to cover his portion. I will have a new housemate moving in soon. After learning your sublease laws , we recommend that you check out our guide to subletting. In those cases, the rules for subletting will be determined by your lease agreement terms.

Whatever is said in the written agreement about subleasing goes. In our lease it clearly states in order to sublease you need to contact landlord first and seek approval. Well one of our roommates (of us total) moved out and found a new roommate without taking the proper steps.

Roommate has lived in the unit for about months now. Washington State rental subleasing laws. Posts: Reputation: 1. Subletting is when a tenant or lessee rents out all or part of a rented unit (apartment for example) to another person. The original tenants(s) who signed the contract with the landlord or owner of the unit is generally held responsible to the original lease agreement with the landlord.

The sublessor agrees to sublet, and the subtenant agrees to take the premises described below. Here are the items to include in a sublease. Lease of state lands.

The present lease agreement (month to month) states no subletting. If both you and your roommate are on the lease or rental agreement, you are co-tenants and cannot evict each other. And if your landlord ends your tenancy, both of you lose the right to occupy the unit. If only your name is on the lease, your roommate is subletting from you. The landlord may only charge the tenant once for the security deposit.

Many laws apply to the relationship between tenants and landlords. We explain the most common state laws regarding your rights and responsibilities as a tenant. Most important is the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act or “RLTA”. Even if your lease forbids it, you have the right under the law to sublease your apartment, and the lease provision is null and void.

The subletting procedures below apply generally to tenants renting an apartment pursuant to an existing lease in a building having four or more residential units. Subletting : Not indicated Responsibility to cover roommate’s part of rent: Yes. Tenants Union Tenant Counselors are not attorneys, and this information should not be considered legal advice. Condo or townhome complexes often have their own rules, even if you own the space. If the lease is silent on the subject, the tenant is presumed to have the right to freely assign or sublease without the consent of the landlord.

Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill No. Long-term or formal leases don’t always work for every situation, so state laws allow landlords and tenants to enter into alternative agreements. They may refuse to allow you to sublet, even if state and municipal laws say that you can. If they “unreasonably” refuse to allow you to sublet, you may take them to court.

However, if their rejection is reasonable, you are legally not allowed to sublet.