newgoof29 t1_j9flyu9 wrote on February 21, 2023 at 3:59 PM

Reply to comment by PurpleDiCaprio in Tenant rights in WA by Mediocre_Yellow4035

That’s not what the lease states. It states an automatic renewal into a month to month agreement. This does not require additional approval of either party to be valid since it was agreed upon by both parties when signing the fixed term lease agreement it is contained in.

The rent amount they are contesting is not within the original lease, the fixed term. It’s in the renewed month to month agreement. Which the terms can be can change each month, as long as the landlord provides proper notice. Which they did (December for March).

I’m a WA landlord.

PurpleDiCaprio t1_j9hf34f wrote on February 22, 2023 at 12:10 AM

I see what you mean. Wouldn’t you say they need to be specific though? They stated the rent increase was for 12 month renewal. Not month to month.

newgoof29 t1_j9hp3vc wrote on February 22, 2023 at 1:22 AM

Great question. Without seeing the exact wording it’s impossible to know.

My guess is that they use the term “base rent” or something like that. They could argue that regardless if the renewal is the automatic to month to month or if there was a renewal of a fixed lease the notice meets the base rent 60 days notice criteria regardless.

The challenge here is that OP would most likely have to take them to court to contest without a strong sense of if they would win or not, which risks even more in legal / lawyer fees if they loose.

Grey star is a massive company with lots of properties in WA. The chances of them not wording things in a way that doesn’t benefit them is unlikely.