Wash. Rev. Code § 59.28 § 59.28.030
Contracts -- Expiration or termination -- Notice -- Applicability.
Operative Text
(1) This chapter shall not apply to the expiration or termination of a housing assistance contract between a public housing agency and an owner of existing housing participating in either the section 8 certificate or voucher program (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1437f). (2) An owner of federally assisted housing shall not be required to give notice of a prepayment under this chapter, if the owner has: (a) Entered into an agreement with a federal, state, or local agency continuing existing, or imposing new, low-income use restrictions for at least twenty years that ensure that the tenants residing in the development at the time of prepayment are not involuntarily displaced except for good cause and that the housing will continue to serve very low and low-income families and persons in need of affordable housing; and (b) served notice of the agreement on the clerk of the city, or county if in an unincorporated area, in which the property is located, on any public housing agency that would be responsible for administering tenant-based rental assistance to persons who would otherwise be displaced from this housing, and on the department of commerce by regular and certified mail and posted a copy of the agreement in a conspicuous place at the development where it is likely to be seen by the tenants. The posted agreement shall be maintained intact and in legible form for the life of the agreement. (3) An owner of federally assisted housing is not required to give notice that a rental assistance contract is expiring if: (a) The owner has entered into an agreement with the United States department of housing and urban development or other federal, state, or local agency to renew the rental assistance contract for a minimum of five years subject to the availability of adequate appropriations; (b) the agreement itself does not expire in less than twelve months; and (c) the owner has served written notice of the agreement on the clerk of the city, or county if in an unincorporated area, in which the property is located, on any public housing agency that would be responsible for administering tenant-based rental assistance to persons who would otherwise be displaced from this housing, and on the department of commerce, by regular and certified mail and posted these notices in a conspicuous place at the development where they are likely to be seen by the tenants. The posted notices shall be maintained intact and in legible form for the life of the agreement to renew the rental assistance contract.
Wash. Rev. Code § 59.28.030 carves out specific exemptions from the notice requirements that otherwise apply to federally assisted housing under Chapter 59.28. Owners are relieved of the duty to notify tenants of a prepayment or an expiring rental assistance contract when they have secured qualifying long-term agreements—either at least twenty years of continued low-income use restrictions or a minimum five-year renewal of rental assistance—and have properly notified government offices and posted the agreement on-site. The rule also excludes Section 8 certificate and voucher program contracts between public housing agencies and owners from the chapter's coverage entirely.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers of federally assisted housing covered by Wash. Rev. Code § 59.28.030 can avoid triggering the chapter's standard prepayment or contract-expiration notice obligations by meeting specific conditions. For prepayment exemptions, this generally means securing a qualifying low-income use agreement of at least twenty years, while rental assistance contract renewals must run at least five years with no expiration within twelve months. In either case, compliant operators send certified and regular mail notices to the city or county clerk, any relevant public housing agency, and the Washington Department of Commerce, and they post and maintain a legible copy of the agreement in a conspicuous location at the property for the life of the agreement.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under Wash. Rev. Code § 59.28.030, tenants in federally assisted housing have an interest in knowing whether their landlord has claimed an exemption from the standard notice requirements that would otherwise alert residents to prepayments or expiring rental assistance contracts. The law requires that any qualifying agreement be posted in a visible location at the property and kept legible for the duration of the agreement, giving residents a way to review the terms directly. Tenants who believe the exemption conditions have not been properly met may consider contacting the Washington Department of Commerce, a local public housing agency, or a tenant-rights organization to understand what protections may still apply.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 7, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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