Can you sell a house with tenants in Washington?
Yes. You can sell a house with tenants living in it, and the buyer takes over as landlord with the lease in place. If you want the house empty first, Washington requires at least 90 days' written notice before a single-family tenancy ends for a sale, and Seattle adds its own rules on top of that.
It takes about a minute, there's no obligation, and your details are never sold.
or call Jason (425) 242-4673
Can a landlord sell a house with tenants still living there?
Yes. A sale doesn't end a tenancy on its own. Washington lets a landlord end one only for the causes the statute lists, so a buyer who closes on a rented house becomes the new landlord, and the tenant stays on the same terms until the lease ends or a lawful notice runs out.
Rented houses change hands this way all the time. In King County, 44.6% of occupied homes were rented in the Census Bureau's 2020-2024 American Community Survey, so plenty of buyers are used to closing on a house with a lease attached.
The security deposit follows the house too. When the landlord's status passes to someone else during a tenancy, any deposit held in trust moves at the same moment to an equivalent trust account of the new landlord, and the new landlord has to tell the tenant promptly where it now sits (RCW 59.18.270).
Four ways landlords sell an occupied rental
| How it works | What to weigh | |
|---|---|---|
| Sell it occupied | The buyer takes over the lease, the rent and the deposit, often a buyer who wants a rental. | Fewer buyers want a house they can't move into, and showings run on the tenant's notice schedule. |
| Wait for the lease to end | The landlord lets a fixed term run out, then sells, if the statute allows ending that tenancy at the term's end. | Rent keeps coming in while you wait, but whether the tenancy can end at the term's end depends on how the lease was written. |
| Give notice and sell it empty | For a single-family house, the landlord gives at least 90 days' written notice, then lists the house. | The empty house shows better and reaches buyers with loans, but the landlord carries it without rent while it sells. |
| Reach a written agreement with the tenant | Landlords and tenants sometimes agree in writing on a move-out date, often with a payment toward moving costs. | It works only if both sides want it. Have a landlord-tenant attorney look at the agreement before anyone signs. |
Is it harder to sell a house with tenants?
Often it is, on the open market. You have to give the tenant notice before each showing, a lived-in house photographs as someone else's home, and buyers who want to move in can't. A buyer who wants a rental, or a cash buyer who plans for the lease, sees the same house as far less of a problem.
Selling a rented house is harder mainly because two people's plans have to fit around one address. The tenant has a right to enjoy the home and to notice before anyone comes in. Washington lets a landlord show the house to buyers with at least one day's notice, at reasonable times, and bars excessive showings. Many buyers need a lender, and lenders often want the buyer to move in, which a lease can rule out. A tenant who expects to move may also be understandably less keen on a steady stream of visitors. None of that makes a sale impossible. It narrows the buyers who will pay full price for the house occupied, and it pushes the landlord toward one of two routes: sell to someone who wants the tenant in place, or give the notice the statute requires and sell the house once it's empty. The right one depends on the lease, the rent and the house.
What to have handy
- A copy of the current lease, including any renewals and signed addenda.
- The rent amount, the date it's due, and a record of what's been paid.
- The amount of the security deposit and the name of the bank or escrow agent holding it.
- Any notices you've given or received, in writing, with the dates.
- Anything the tenant owns that stays, such as their own appliances, noted so nobody argues about it at closing.
The entry rule has two speeds. For repairs and inspections the landlord gives at least two days' written notice, naming the date and a time window and a phone number for objections. For showing the house to buyers, one day's notice is enough, and the tenant can't unreasonably refuse (RCW 59.18.150(6)).
Can I evict a tenant if I want to sell my house in Washington?
Only through the notice the statute sets. For a single-family house, the owner's decision to sell is a listed cause: the landlord gives at least 90 days' advance written notice of the date the tenancy ends, then has to list the house for sale at a reasonable price after the tenant leaves. A landlord-tenant attorney should see the notice first.
Day 0
The landlord gives written notice
The notice says the owner intends to sell the single-family house.
RCW 59.18.650(2)(e) checked Sep 27, 2026
At least 90 days
The earliest the tenancy can end
Washington requires at least 90 days' written notice before a tenancy ends for this reason.
RCW 59.18.650(2)(e) checked Sep 27, 2026
Notice date helper
Pick a date to see the earliest day the tenancy could end.
This counts the 90-day minimum in RCW 59.18.650 for a landlord selling a single-family house. It is a minimum, not legal advice: the lease, how the notice is served and city rules such as Seattle's can push the date later. Nothing you type here is sent anywhere.
The statute defines what counts as a real decision to sell. An owner "elects to sell" by making reasonable attempts to sell no later than 30 days after the tenant has vacated, at a minimum by listing the house at a reasonable price with a real estate agency or on the multiple listing service (RCW 59.18.650(2)(e)).
When the law presumes the owner didn't mean to sell
There is a rebuttable presumption that the owner did not intend to sell if the house isn't listed at a reasonable price by the 30th day after the tenant moves out.
The same presumption applies if, in the 90 days after the tenant vacates or the house is listed, whichever is later, the owner takes it off the market, rents it to someone other than the former tenant, or otherwise shows no intent to sell (RCW 59.18.650(2)(e)).
Fixed-term leases and houses that aren't single-family
Separately from the sale cause, the statute lets a landlord end some fixed-term leases at the end of the term with at least 60 days' written notice, but only when the lease meets the conditions in subsection (1)(c). Leases that roll into month-to-month follow different rules in subsection (1)(b).
The sale cause in subsection (2)(e) is written for a single-family residence. For a duplex or a larger building, the cause has to come from somewhere else in the list, and a landlord-tenant attorney can tell you whether one fits.
The version of RCW 59.18.650 in force today is marked effective until January 1, 2028, so check the statute page for the version that applies on the day you serve a notice.
This page describes the rule and stops there: it doesn't tell you how to serve a notice or what to do if a tenant stays past the date, which are questions for a landlord-tenant attorney. WashingtonLawHelp.org has free plain-language guides on the same law for both sides.
What are Seattle's rules for selling a rental with tenants?
Seattle adds its own rules on top of the state's. The city's Just Cause Eviction Ordinance also requires 90 days' notice when an owner sells a single-family home, and it counts only a detached house on its own foundation. Apartments, condos and duplexes don't qualify for that cause, and some buildings trigger a separate notice of intent to sell.
The city's own page puts it plainly: the cause applies only when the rental is a single-family dwelling unit, which city code defines as a detached structure on its own foundation, so "apartments, condos, duplexes etc. do not count."
Seattle's notice of intent to sell
Owners of a Seattle building with two or more units, at least one of them affordable to a household earning 80% or less of the area median income, have to notify the Office of Housing no later than 90 days before listing the building for sale. If an offer comes in before listing, the notice is due two days after the offer arrives. The owner also posts the notice in the building's common areas where tenants can see it, and the city says a civil penalty of up to $2,000 can apply to an owner who skips it.
The Seattle city page covers the local rules in more detail, and Tacoma and other cities may have their own. Before you give notice in any city, read that city's current code or ask a landlord-tenant attorney who practices there.
Do companies buy houses with tenants in them?
Yes, some do. Investors who want a rental, and cash buyers who are willing to wait out a lease, buy houses with tenants still living there. Before you sign with any of them, ask whether they'll honor the lease as written, how the deposit transfers, and how they'll handle the tenant after closing.
Questions to ask
- Will you take the house subject to the current lease, and do you want a copy before you make an offer?
- How will the security deposit move to you at closing, and who tells the tenant where it's held afterward?
- Do you need to see inside, and will you work within the tenant's notice for a walkthrough?
- Is your offer in writing, and does it depend on the house being empty by a certain date?
- What happens to the tenant after closing, and what do you plan to do with the house?
The question about an empty house matters most. An offer that only works if the house is empty puts the notice and the timing back on you, and it can fall apart if the tenant is still there on the date. A buyer who takes the lease as it stands removes that risk, usually in exchange for a lower price than an empty house would bring.
When a landlord calls me about a rented house, I start with the lease: how long it runs, what the rent is, and whether the tenant knows a sale is coming. From there I can tell you honestly whether a cash offer makes sense for that house or whether you'd do better waiting or listing.
Where a sale fits
Selling is one option for a landlord who's done, and it isn't always the first. Some owners keep renting, some wait out the lease, some list the house once it's empty, and some sell it occupied for cash. The lease, the rent it brings in and the house's condition usually decide which.
- Keep renting
- If the rent covers the costs and the tenant pays on time, holding the house and hiring a property manager may beat any sale for now.
- Wait for the term to end
- If the lease is close to its end and the statute lets it end there, waiting avoids a notice and keeps the rent coming until then.
- List it empty
- An empty house in good shape often nets the most on the open market, after the 90-day notice and the time to list. I can list it as your broker and price it against a cash sale. Jason Bryant is a licensed broker with Windermere Real Estate (license 101377).
- Sell it occupied, as-is, for cash
- A cash buyer who plans for the lease can close with the tenant in place, with one walkthrough set around the tenant's schedule and no repairs first. Expect a lower price than an empty, fixed-up house would bring.
- Get advice first
- If the tenant is behind on rent, a notice is already running, or you're not sure which cause applies, talk to a landlord-tenant attorney before you sign with any buyer.
A rental that needs work is its own question, covered in the guide on selling a house as-is, and the costs of each route are laid out side by side on the cash sale or listing page.
Questions sellers ask
What happens to the security deposit when the house sells?
It moves with the house. Washington requires the deposit to be transferred to an equivalent trust account of the new landlord at the same time the landlord changes, and the new landlord has to tell the tenant where it's held.
Does the buyer have to keep my tenant?
The buyer becomes the landlord, and Washington's list of causes for ending a tenancy applies to them as it did to you. A buyer who wants the house empty has to use one of those causes and its notice, or reach an agreement with the tenant.
How long does it take to evict a tenant in Washington?
There's no single answer, and this page doesn't promise one. It depends on the cause, the notice it requires and the court's calendar if it gets that far. A landlord-tenant attorney can tell you what applies, and WashingtonLawHelp.org explains the process for free.
What is the new eviction law in Washington State?
Most people mean Washington's just-cause rule, RCW 59.18.650, which lets a landlord end a tenancy only for the causes it lists. A newer version of the section is scheduled to replace today's on January 1, 2028, so read whichever one is current before giving notice.
Can I show the house while the tenant still lives there?
Yes, at reasonable times, with at least one day's notice to show it to buyers, and without so many showings that it interferes with the tenant's use of the home. The tenant can't unreasonably refuse a showing that meets those terms.
Can I pay my tenant to move out?
Landlords and tenants sometimes agree on a move-out date and a payment, often called cash for keys. It only works if the tenant agrees. Put it in writing and have a landlord-tenant attorney review it, since this page can't tell you what to offer or how to word it.
Can I sell a duplex with tenants in it?
Yes, and the tenants' leases carry over the same way. The 90-day sale cause in the state statute is written for single-family houses, and in Seattle a building with two or more units may also need the city's notice of intent to sell before it's listed.
What should I give a buyer about the tenancy?
The lease and any addenda, the rent amount and payment record, the deposit amount and where it's held, and copies of any notices. A buyer prices the house around those papers, so having them ready shortens the back-and-forth.
Sources
- RCW 59.18.650, notice to tenants when an owner sells a single-family homechecked
- RCW 59.18.150, the landlord's right of entry and notice to show a rentalchecked
- RCW 59.18.270, security deposits and their transfer to a new landlordchecked
- City of Seattle, Renting in Seattle: Just Cause Eviction Ordinancechecked
- City of Seattle Office of Housing, Notice of Intent to Sell: information for landlordschecked
- WashingtonLawHelp.org, housing (free legal information for tenants and landlords)checked
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (table B25003, tenure), King Countychecked
Tell me about the rental
Send the address and a line about the lease. I'll set any walkthrough around your tenant's notice and tell you straight whether a cash offer or a listing makes more sense.
It takes about a minute, there's no obligation, and your details are never sold.
or call Jason (425) 242-4673