Can a domestic violence victim end a lease early in Washington?
In Washington, a tenant who notifies the landlord in writing that the tenant or a household member was a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, unlawful harassment or stalking may end the rental agreement and move out without further obligation by giving the landlord a copy of a valid protection order or a signed written record of a report to a qualified third party, if the request comes within 90 days of the act that led to the order or report. The tenant is discharged from rent for any period after the last day of the month of the quitting date, and remains liable for the rent for the month of termination unless the termination complies with RCW 59.18.200(1). Notwithstanding a lease clause forfeiting a deposit for early termination, the tenant is entitled to the return of the full deposit, subject to RCW 59.18.020 and 59.18.280. Other tenants on the rental agreement, except household members who are victims, are not released from their obligations. Where the landlord is the perpetrator of sexual assault, stalking or unlawful harassment, the tenant may move out first and deliver the order or report within seven days of quitting, and may change or add locks at the tenant’s expense with written notice and the order or report within seven days. The written record of a report given to the tenant may not include the name of the alleged perpetrator, and giving it does not waive the confidential or privileged nature of the victim’s communication with the qualified third party. This is RCW 59.18.575.
| What | Washington |
|---|---|
| Ending the lease early | Order or third-party report; ask within 90 days of the act |
What the statute says
“… the tenant may terminate the rental agreement and quit the premises without further obligation under the rental agreement or under this chapter. However, the request to terminate the rental agreement must occur within ninety days of the reported act …”
Quoted word for word from the section’s text.
Source
RCW 59.18.575
Read the statute in the Revised Code of Washington (Washington State Legislature): app.leg.wa.gov.
Checked against the statute on November 15, 2026.
This is a summary of a published statute, not legal advice. Rules change, local ordinances can add to them, and the terms of a specific lease may differ. Check the citation and speak to a lawyer before acting.
How Seayora uses this rule
Seayora keeps every lease’s term, rent and signers in one record and dates every change to it. This page states the state’s rule so a lease’s own early-termination and sublet clauses can be checked against it before the lease is signed.
Guides on this rule
- Breaking a Lease for Domestic Violence: Laws by State — How a domestic violence victim can end a lease early, with the notice, documents and rent rule in each of the 39 jurisdictions with a statute.
Compare this rule in every state
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The same question in other states
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