Full question:
Three months ago my son moved in with some friends. Their residence was a house they were renting. They offered to let my son live upstairs without a written rental agreement between them. My son and his friends recently had a falling out and my son was asked to move out. It was also stated that they expected him to pay monies owed for things that had not been agreed upon in the beginning. They are holding my sons personal items and refuse to release them to him. What rights does my son have? I thought I had read something in the past that stated personal items could not be held. Also, being that there were no rental agreements with my son, do the original renters have any legal rights toward my son or his belongings?
- Category: Landlord Tenant
- Subcategory: Residential Lease
- Date:
- State: Washington
Answer:
Under Washington law, when a person lives in a rental property without a written agreement, they may still have certain rights as a tenant. Since your son was living there for three months, he likely has a month-to-month tenancy, which requires a written notice of at least twenty days for termination (RCW 59.18.200).
If your son is asked to leave, the original renters cannot simply keep his personal items. They must follow specific procedures to handle his belongings. If they believe he has abandoned the property, they must make reasonable efforts to notify him and allow him to retrieve his belongings before they can dispose of or sell them. This includes providing a notice that states where the items are stored and the process for reclaiming them (RCW 59.18.230).
In summary, your son has rights regarding his personal belongings, and the original renters cannot legally hold them without following proper procedures. He should reach out to them to request the return of his items and may want to consider seeking legal advice if they refuse.
This content is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Legal statutes mentioned reflect the law at the time the content was written and may no longer be current. Always verify the latest version of the law before relying on it.