Eviction is a confusing legal process. ELAP is working to help tenants understand and exercise their legal rights to stay housed.
Here is some information for tenants who receive a 14-Day Notice to Pay or Vacate from their landlord.
- Receiving a 14-Day Notice does not mean you have been evicted. It is considered a warning from your landlord.
- Do not move out without negotiating with your landlord or contacting an attorney. Receiving a Notice is the beginning of a process where you can assert your legal rights.
- During the 14 days of the Notice, you have several options to resolve the issue: pay the past-due rental amount owed; respond to your landlord’s repayment plan; contact your local dispute resolution center; or contact a civil legal aid organization, like ELAP, for legal assistance
- Your landlord may only file for eviction for non-payment of rent if the tenant does not participate in dispute resolution or if the dispute resolution is unsuccessful.
- If a landlord refuses to offer you a reasonable repayment plan for past-due rent, you can use this as a defense against eviction.
- If you have received a Summons and Complaint, contact the Eviction Defense line to be screened for an appointment with an attorney.
Resources:
ELAP flyer about 14-Day Notices
Dispute Resolution Center of King County
Washington Law Help info on 14-Day Notices
Eviction Defense line: 1-855-657-8387
