What are squatters’ rights in Washington?
In Washington, an action to recover real property or its possession must be brought within 10 years. The action cannot be maintained unless the plaintiff or a predecessor was seized or possessed of the property within 10 years before it began. A person in actual, open and notorious possession for seven successive years under claim and color of title made in good faith, who also pays all taxes legally assessed on the land during that time, is held to be its legal owner to the extent of the paper title. On a declaration from the owner or the owner’s authorized agent signed under penalty of perjury in the statutory form, a peace officer who has probable cause to believe a person is committing criminal trespass in residential real property may remove the person, with or without an arrest, and order the person to stay off the premises. The officer must first give the occupants a reasonable opportunity to present credible evidence that they are tenants, legal occupants, or guests or invitees of tenants or legal occupants. The declaration must state that the person is not a tenant, and has not been a tenant or a homeowner on title within the last twelve months, and the section does not allow removing an occupant who is entitled to occupy the unit under a rental agreement. Until that period has run, a person occupying property without permission has no claim to its title. This is RCW 4.16.020; RCW 7.28.070; RCW 9A.52.105; RCW 9A.52.115.
| What | Washington |
|---|---|
| Adverse possession period | 10 years |
| Removing an unauthorized occupant | Law enforcement can remove the occupant without an eviction case |
Source
RCW 4.16.020; RCW 7.28.070; RCW 9A.52.105; RCW 9A.52.115
Read the statute in the Revised Code of Washington (Washington State Legislature): app.leg.wa.gov.
Checked against the statute on November 13, 2026.
This is a summary of the published procedure, not legal advice. Courts, local rules and the facts of a tenancy change what applies, and a defect in a notice or a filing can end a case. Have a lawyer review anything before it is served or filed.
How Seayora uses this rule
Seayora does not file, serve or appear in an eviction, and is not anybody’s lawyer. When a tenant has stopped paying, it lays out these steps for the property’s own state and city with the statute beside each one, holds back any step that would come too early, keeps an append-only record of the case — and shows the resident what would end it, legal-aid links included.
Guides on this rule
- Squatters’ Rights by State: Adverse Possession and Removal — How long adverse possession takes in 51 states, what the statutes require, and which states let law enforcement remove a squatter without an eviction case.
Compare this rule in every state
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The same question in other states
- Alabama
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- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii