Landlord Tenant Lawyers

As with most legal questions, the answer is "it depends." Without reviewing the original lease, I can't know if there is a reservation of rights for the landlord to increase rent or change maintenance responsibilities without amending the lease or obtaining additional consent. If you would like me to review the lease for you to provide a more solid answer, please feel free to contact me. Lorraine Coats, Esq.

It depends on the type of premises(building) you reside. There are specific laws that are applicable even if the lease does not mention certain terms and provisions. Your rights as a tenant not only arise from the lease but also from certain laws. It also depends on the type of pet you are thinking of adopting, ie. service animal. I am a tenant’s attorney.

No, the landlord cannot legally do so. A lease is a form of contract, and if one party tries to break a contract, it's normally considered a breach of contract. However, in addition, Washington has a very detailed (and sometimes difficult to follow) Residential Landlord Tenant Law that has been in effect, and amended numerous times, since 1973: https://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=59.18 Also, many cities provide some additional protections to tenants - Seattle chief among them. I'd be happy to provide some assistance to you through Contracts Counsel, but no longer engage in litigation (however, litigation shouldn't be needed). Be aware that the landord can't do anything at all, for any reason, unless everything the landlord provides to you is in writing and properly served to you (eg, a notice to vacate or eviction can't be delivered merely by email or text). Best wishes, and good luck, Merry A. Kogut, Attorney at Law

You need to review your lease agreement. There may be a section that discusses renewal. Some leases are silent, other contemplate automatic renewal and others will have a specific renewal procedure. If your lease has no renewal language, the lease will terminate at the end of the term. If that is the case, you should speak to your landlord about entering into a new lease, whether under the same terms or different terms. If the lease renews automatically, you most likely have to do nothing (if there is a procedure in the automatic renewal language, follow that procedure). If there is a specific procedure to renew, you must follow that procedure. Your lease may also state that if you remain in the property after the lease expires you will be treated as a month-to-month tenant and the terms of your lease (include rent rate) will remain. The landlord or tenant in that case can terminate the month-to-month tenancy with 30 days notice from the date the rent is due. If your rent is due July 1, 2023 and, as a month-to-month tenant, you want to move out, you would notify your landlord in writing on July 1, 2023 that July is the last month you are renting from him and you will be moving out on July 31, 2023. Likewise the landlord can notify you on July 1, 2023 that July is your last month or could change the terms (such as a rent increase) effective August 1, 2023 because the tenancy is month-to-month. There is also the possibility that you would not be considered a month-to-month tenant, but a "holdover tenant". Again, check the lease for these terms. If you are a holdover tenant, the landlord would include in the lease a rental increase for holdover tenants. This is still technically a month-to-month tenancy but on more expensive terms and the landlord most likely will want you out. Check your lease for renewal provisions and follow them. If you have questions, speak to your landlord. Open communication is important in situations like this.

I can draft this addendum to the lease. Please resubmit as a proposal so I can submit a bid at this link: https://www.contractscounsel.com/client/create-project/step-h1?cta=4.