Washington § 59.20.073 - Transfer of rental agreements.

(1) Any rental agreement shall be assignable by the tenant to any person to whom he or she sells or transfers title to the mobile home, manufactured home, or park model.

(2) A tenant who sells a mobile home, manufactured home, or park model within a park must provide the buyer with a copy of a closure notice provided by the landlord pursuant to RCW 59.20.080, if such notice is in effect, at least 15 days in advance of the intended sale and transfer.

(3) A tenant who sells a mobile home, manufactured home, or park model within a park shall notify the landlord in writing of the date of the intended sale and transfer of the rental agreement at least 15 days in advance of such intended transfer and shall notify the buyer in writing of the provisions of this section. The tenant shall verify in writing to the landlord payment of all taxes, rent, and reasonable expenses due on the mobile home, manufactured home, or park model and mobile home lot. The tenant shall notify the buyer of all taxes, rent, and reasonable expenses due on the manufactured/mobile home or park model and the mobile home lot.

(4) At least seven days in advance of such intended transfer, the landlord shall:

(a) Notify the selling tenant, in writing, of a refusal to permit transfer of the rental agreement; or

(b) If the landlord approves of the transfer, provide the buyer with copies of the written rental agreement, the rules and regulations, and all other documents related to the tenancy. A landlord may not accept payment for rent or deposit from the buyer until the landlord has provided the buyer with these copies.

(5) The landlord may require the mobile home, manufactured home, or park model to meet applicable fire and safety standards if a state or local agency responsible for the enforcement of fire and safety standards has issued a notice of violation of those standards to the tenant and those violations remain uncorrected. Upon correction of the violation to the satisfaction of the state or local agency responsible for the enforcement of that notice of violation, the landlord's refusal to permit the transfer is deemed withdrawn.

(6) The landlord shall approve or disapprove of the assignment of a rental agreement on the same basis that the landlord approves or disapproves of any new tenant, and any disapproval shall be in writing. Consent to an assignment shall not be unreasonably withheld.

(7) Failure to notify the landlord in writing, as required under subsection (3) of this section; or failure of the new tenant to make a good faith attempt to arrange an interview with the landlord to discuss assignment of the rental agreement; or failure of the current or new tenant to obtain written approval of the landlord for assignment of the rental agreement, shall be grounds for disapproval of such transfer.

Findings—Intent—2023 c 40: See note following RCW 59.20.030.

Severability—1981 c 304: See note following RCW 26.16.030.