[WSBARP] Landlord showing rental ?

[MK Henderson]

This is from Solid Ground.  I would check the lease to see if the Landlord
and Tenant have an agreement concerning showing the rental unit once notice
of vacating premises has been submitted.  Note that the Landlord needs to
give written notice before entering and the time must be at a reasonable
time.

   -
   - RCW 59.18.150 <http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=59.18.150>
   - Sample Letter: Notice of Privacy Violation
   <http://www.solid-ground.org/Tenant/Documents/SampleLetterLandlordEntry.pdf>


State law details tenants’ rights to privacy and notice requirements for
landlords to enter rental units. Except in the case of emergency or if it
is impracticable to do so, landlords must give 48 hours’ written notice to
enter your unit, or 24 hours’ notice if they are showing the unit to a new
prospective tenant or purchaser. The written notice must specify exact
dates and time for entry, or specify a time period, listing the earliest
and latest possible times for entry on designated dates. The notice must
contain a telephone number for the tenant to reach the landlord in order to
object or reschedule the entry.

The landlord can only enter at reasonable times and they cannot abuse their
right of access or use it to harass you. The law does not specifically
define reasonable times. If the landlord's proposed notice times don't work
for you, you may decide to offer alternate times that the property is
available for inspection. If your unit is up for sale, there may be a
lockbox placed on the unit to allow access, but all privacy laws apply to
potential purchasers and real estate agents entering the unit.

This law has an enforcement provision written into it. If your landlord
violates your privacy rights by entering the unit without giving the proper
notice, you can send a letter to the landlord detailing the date and time
of the alleged violation. Take a look at our Sample Letter: Notice
of Privacy Violation
<http://www.solid-ground.org/Tenant/Documents/SampleLetterLandlordEntry.pdf>.
It is always a good idea to send letters certified mail and regular postal
mail so you can prove that they were sent. Once the landlord receives this
letter, you have the right to take the landlord to Small Claims Court to
sue for up to $100 per subsequent violation of your notice rights, not
including the initial violation (but be aware that taking the landlord to
Small Claims Court during your tenancy may create further difficulties for
you).

Tenants also must make the unit available for entry when necessary for
inspection or repairs, and the law allows landlords to pursue $100 per
violation in court after sending a letter detailing the alleged date and
time of the tenant's refusal to let the landlord enter after proper notice
has been provided. If the landlord violates your privacy multiple times
after the letter has been sent, you can keep a written log of the
incidents, including specific times and dates of privacy violations.

Landlord-tenant laws in Washington state do not address or place any
restrictions on your landlord’s use of your personal information, but there
may be other laws that address this. Speak to an attorney to find out more.
You can also pursue legal assistance to find other laws that govern your
privacy rights.

On Wed, Aug 5, 2015 at 2:02 PM, Justin Monro <justinm at monrolawfirm.com>
wrote:

> Tenant provided required notice to vacate lease. Tenant is still in
> premises/rental until end of this month. Landlord wants to show premises
> now while tenant is still occupying the rental.  Can the landlord do this?
> Thank you.
>
>
>
> Sincerely,
>
>
>
>
>
> Justin K. Monro
>
> Attorney at Law
>
> The Monro Law Firm P.S. Inc.
>
> 1830 Bickford Ave. Ste 204
>
> Snohomish, WA 98290
>
> P:360.863.3728
>
> F:360.863.3985
>
>
>
> CONFIDENTIALITY NOTE: This e-mail message contains information belonging
> to The Monro Law Firm P.S. Inc. which may be privileged, confidential
> and/or protected from disclosure.  The information is intended only for the
> use of the individual or entity named above.  If you think that you have
> received this message in error, please contact the sender.  If you are not
> the intended recipient, any dissemination, distribution or copying is
> strictly prohibited.
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> WSBARP mailing list
> WSBARP at lists.wsbarppt.com
> http://mailman.fsr.com/mailman/listinfo/wsbarp
>



-- 
Mary K. Henderson
Henderson Law Office PLLC
1123 Maple Ave SW, Suite 225
Renton, WA 98057
206-650-2472
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/wsbarp/attachments/20150805/89befea0/attachment.html>