Question 1
Under the Washington RLTA, a landlord may charge a late fee for overdue rent only if which of the following conditions is satisfied?
- A. The rental agreement is month-to-month and the fee is charged after 3 days of nonpayment
- B. The late fee is specified in the written rental agreement and rent remains unpaid after a grace period of at least 5 days from the due date ✓ Answer
- C. The landlord provides the tenant with written notice of the late fee at least 30 days before charging it
- D. The late fee does not exceed 10% of the monthly rent and is registered with the county assessor
Explanation: Under RCW 59.18.170, a landlord may only charge a late fee if it is specifically provided for in the written rental agreement, and rent must be at least 5 days past due before any late fee may be imposed. Washington law prohibits late fees not disclosed in the lease and mandates the 5-day grace period regardless of any lease provision that attempts to shorten it.
Question 2
Under the Washington RLTA, if a landlord wishes to terminate a month-to-month tenancy because the landlord intends to demolish the unit or undertake rehabilitation that requires the unit to be vacant, how much advance written notice is generally required under RCW 59.18.650?
- A. 30 days
- B. 60 days
- C. 90 days
- D. 120 days ✓ Answer
Explanation: Under Washington's RLTA just-cause termination statute, RCW 59.18.650, a landlord who terminates a tenancy because the landlord plans to demolish the dwelling unit or substantially rehabilitate/renovate it in a way that requires the unit to be vacant generally must give at least 120 days' advance written notice. Therefore, the correct answer is 120 days, not 90 days.
Question 3
Under Washington's Residential Landlord-Tenant Act, a tenant who has lived in a unit for more than 12 months receives a notice of eviction based on a just cause listed in RCW 59.18.650. The landlord files an unlawful detainer action. Under the 2021 amendments to the RLTA, what procedural requirement must the landlord satisfy before the court will schedule a hearing?
- A. The landlord must file proof that the tenant was offered relocation assistance equal to three months' rent
- B. The landlord must file a certificate of compliance with the applicable notice requirements with the court at the time of filing the unlawful detainer complaint ✓ Answer
- C. The landlord must first obtain a writ of restitution from the county assessor's office before filing in superior court
- D. The landlord must demonstrate that the tenant was given an opportunity to cure the violation at least twice before the eviction filing
Explanation: Under RCW 59.18.365, as amended, a landlord filing an unlawful detainer action must file a certificate of compliance with applicable notice requirements at the time of filing the complaint. This procedural requirement ensures landlords have properly served the required statutory notice before initiating court proceedings, and failure to include it can result in dismissal of the action.
Question 4
A Washington landlord collects last month's rent at the time a tenant moves in. Under the RLTA, how must last month's rent be treated?
- A. It must be deposited in the same trust account as the security deposit and itemized on the same receipt ✓ Answer
- B. It is considered a security deposit and subject to all security deposit rules including the 21-day return requirement
- C. It may be held in any account the landlord chooses because it is rent, not a deposit, and earns no interest for the tenant
- D. It must be kept in a separate interest-bearing account and the interest paid to the tenant annually
Explanation: Under Washington’s RLTA, money paid in advance to be applied as last month’s rent is treated as prepaid rent rather than a damage/security deposit, so it is not subject to the same post-tenancy deposit-return accounting rules as a security deposit. However, RCW 59.18.270 requires prepaid rent and security deposits to be placed in a trust account, and the landlord must provide the tenant written notice identifying the financial institution and account location. Interest generally belongs to the landlord unless otherwise agreed.
Question 5
Under the Washington RLTA, which of the following actions by a tenant would give a landlord grounds to issue a 10-day notice to comply or vacate?
- A. The tenant fails to pay rent by the due date specified in the lease
- B. The tenant keeps an unauthorized pet in a no-pets unit in violation of the lease ✓ Answer
- C. The tenant sublets the entire unit to a third party without landlord permission
- D. The tenant causes substantial damage to the rental unit
Explanation: Under Washington law, a 10-day notice to comply or vacate is generally used for a tenant's non-rent breach of a material rental agreement term or tenant obligation. Keeping an unauthorized pet in a no-pets unit is a classic example, but unauthorized subletting in violation of the lease can also be a lease covenant breach subject to a 10-day comply-or-vacate notice. Nonpayment of rent is handled by a 14-day pay-or-vacate notice, and substantial damage or waste may support a shorter 3-day notice to quit.
Question 6
Under Washington DOL rules, a real estate broker who manages a trust account must keep which of the following records available for DOL inspection at all times?
- A. Only the monthly bank statements for the prior 12 months
- B. Journals, ledgers, bank statements, deposit slips, cancelled checks or check images, and monthly reconciliation records for the period required by WAC 308-124C ✓ Answer
- C. A summary ledger only, provided it is certified annually by a licensed CPA
- D. Records for the current calendar year only, as prior years may be archived off-site and need not be produced within 24 hours
Explanation: WAC 308-124C requires brokers to maintain complete trust account records—including journals, individual client ledgers, bank statements, deposit slips, cancelled checks or check images, and monthly three-way reconciliations—for the retention period specified in WAC 308-124C (generally three years). All such records must be available for DOL inspection upon demand. A summary ledger alone is insufficient, and records may not be withheld from inspection on the grounds they are archived off-site.