IMPORTANT UPDATE: Please note that Washington recently changed its eviction laws to require 14 days of notice for tenant nonpayment (rather than three). The new 14-day notice has a specific form, as stated in SB 5600, Sec. 3. We are in the process of updating our website and forms accordingly, but in the meantime, please refer to SB 5600 and the other new laws mentioned in the yellow update to our statewide eviction guide.

Below are the most of the common notices we use for residential evictions in Washington State. Please be aware that these notices do not apply to evictions that are exempt from Washington’s Residential Landlord-Tenant Act as described in RCW 59.18.040. Also, if you live in a jurisdiction that has added additional tenant protections, these forms may be inadequate. For Seattle and Tacoma specifically, the below 20-day notice to terminate form will not work in all contexts.

If you would like more information on how to evict a residential tenant in Washington State, check our our comprehensive Washington State eviction guide, and our companion guides on Tacoma evictions and Seattle evictions.

10-Day Notice to Comply or Vacate

A 10-day notice to comply or vacate  should be used whenever a tenant is out of compliance with their lease. This includes late fees and utility fees if the tenant is late on their rent.

20-Day Notice to Terminate Tenancy

A 20-day notice to terminate tenancy should be used whenever you are seeking to terminate a month-to-month tenancy. Note that this kind of notice is no longer legal in Tacoma or Seattle in many contexts.

3-Day Notice to Vacate

A 3-day notice to vacate should be used whenever a tenant has committed waste, nuisance, or various serious criminal acts. This is by far the least commonly used kind of notice and should not be confused with the 3-day notice to pay or vacate.

Our Prices

We charge the following competitive flat fees for residential evictions only (commercial evictions vary too widely for flat fees):

  • $475 plus costs if the tenant(s) vacate after being served by the process server and the case doesn’t need to be filed
  • $775 plus costs if the case is filed but tenant does not answer (i.e. case is uncontested).
  • Hourly basis at $275/hour if tenant answers requesting a show cause hearing (i.e. case is contested).

Cost Estimates

Costs vary by county. However, the following is a general estimate of additional costs that can occur, depending on how the eviction process pans out:

  • $75-150 for process server (depending on how difficult it is to serve the tenant)
  • $85-240 for filing fee
  • $40 for ex parte filing fee
  • $20 for writ fee
  • $115-200 for Sheriff’s fee

Where We Work

Currently, we only perform evictions within Pierce County (including the cities within it, like Tacoma, UP, Lakewood, Fircrest, Bonney Lake, etc.). However, we plan to expand to Seattle in the not-so-distant future.

Who We Work For

As far as residential evictions are concerned, we only work for landlords. However, we do sometimes work for commercial tenants.