Mobile home eviction rules in Washington
Washington allows a manufactured/mobile home park to end a tenancy only for listed just causes, requires a 14-day notice for unpaid rent and a 20-day cure for rule violations, requires two years' notice plus relocation assistance to close a park, bars self-help, and gives an evicted resident 120 days to sell the home in place.
Published June 3, 2026
Washington's Manufactured/Mobile Home Landlord-Tenant Act (RCW 59.20) limits eviction to listed just causes, requires long notice for a closure with relocation help, bars self-help, and lets an evicted resident sell the home. The information below describes how the law generally works; anyone facing a specific notice should consider consulting a licensed attorney in Washington.
What the statute says
RCW 59.20.080(1) provides that a landlord "shall not terminate or fail to renew a tenancy ... except for one or more" listed reasons: a substantial or repeated rule violation (20-day notice to cease; six months for a material change about pets, children, or recreation); "nonpayment of rent ..., upon 14 days written notice to pay rent ... or to vacate"; conviction of a crime threatening others (15-day notice); failure to comply with applicable laws; "change of land use ... including ... closure" on "two years' notice"; criminal activity; a material application misstatement caught within a year; repeated late rent; nuisance; or "any other substantial just cause." For a closure, a landlord can shorten the two years only by paying relocation assistance — at least "$15,000 for a multisection home or ... $10,000 for a single section home," plus, in one option, "the greater of 50 percent of their assessed market value ... or $5,000" (RCW 59.20.080(1)(e)).
Mediation is required for rule-violation evictions (RCW 59.20.080(2)), and "a tenant evicted from a mobile home park ... shall be allowed 120 days within which to sell the tenant's mobile home ... in place" (RCW 59.20.080(3)), except for crime evictions.
Self-help is barred by RCW 59.20.070(8), age-based removal by RCW 59.20.070(9), and retaliation by RCW 59.20.070(5) (with a 120-day presumption under RCW 59.20.075).
How it works in general
A Washington park can't evict for arbitrary reasons — only the just causes the Act lists. Unpaid rent gets a 14-day pay-or-vacate notice; most rule violations get 20 days to cure; and rule-violation evictions go to mediation first. The park can never lock a resident out or seize the home without a court order, and it can't force a home out just because it's old. Closing a park requires two years' notice unless the landlord pays substantial relocation assistance. And in nearly all cases, even an evicted resident gets 120 days to sell the home in place while staying current on rent.
Common scenarios
General examples Washington park residents commonly encounter:
- Rent is overdue. The park must give a 14-day pay-or-vacate notice (RCW 59.20.080(1)(b)).
- The park is closing. Residents get two years' notice, or relocation assistance with a shorter period (RCW 59.20.080(1)(e)).
- A resident is evicted. They get 120 days to sell the home in place (RCW 59.20.080(3)).
Other authorities that may apply
The eviction process runs through the unlawful-detainer law; the just-cause grounds, mediation, closure, and post-eviction sale rules are in RCW 59.20.080, with anti-self-help and anti-retaliation in RCW 59.20.070 and 59.20.075. Relocation assistance funds are administered by the Department of Commerce (RCW 59.21). Federal protections such as the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act and the Fair Housing Act can also apply.
Frequently asked questions
- On what grounds can a Washington park evict a manufactured home owner?
- Only for a listed just cause. Under RCW 59.20.080(1), a landlord 'shall not terminate or fail to renew a tenancy ... except for one or more' listed reasons — including a substantial or repeated rule violation (20-day notice to cease), nonpayment of rent ('14 days written notice to pay rent ... or to vacate'), conviction of a crime threatening others (15 days), a change of land use (two years' notice), criminal activity, or a material misstatement on the application. This is general information, not advice about a specific case — consider consulting a licensed attorney in Washington.
- How much notice does Washington require to close a mobile home park?
- Two years. Under RCW 59.20.080(1)(e), a change of land use, including closure, requires 'two years' notice, in the form of a closure notice,' before the effective date. A landlord can shorten the period only by paying relocation assistance — at least $15,000 for a multisection home or $10,000 for a single-section home, plus, in one option, the greater of 50% of assessed value or $5,000 — with 12 or 18 months' notice.
- Can a Washington park lock me out or evict me for my home's age?
- No. Under RCW 59.20.070(8), a landlord may not 'remove or exclude a tenant from the premises unless this chapter is complied with or ... under an appropriate court order,' and under RCW 59.20.070(9), a landlord may not require removal of a home 'for the sole reason that the mobile home has reached a certain age.' Most evictions also require mediation and leave the resident 120 days to sell the home (RCW 59.20.080(2)–(3)).