INFORMATION REGARDING THIS NOTICE
The City of Tacoma is supplying this information sheet to assist tenants with understanding this notice. This
information sheet is informative only and DOES NOT provide legal advice regarding your individual tenancy. If
you need to obtain legal advice regarding your individual tenancy, please contact the resources listed on the
back of this page.
What is a Notice to Comply or Vacate?
Under Washington state law, a landlord must provide a tenant with a written ten day notice to comply or vacate
before starting a court proceeding for eviction based upon a tenant not following the rental agreement, lease, or other
rules and regulations applying to the tenancy. In other words, a notice to comply or vacate is informing the tenant
that the landlord believes the tenant has not met their obligations of the tenancy and now must take steps to fix the
issues or the landlord can start the eviction process. To be valid, a notice to comply or vacate must inform the tenant
of the specific rental agreement terms or rules that the tenant has not followed. The notice must also inform the
tenant of which actions the tenant can take to cure the problems alleged in the notice. The notice cannot include any
monetary damages such as unpaid rent, late fees, or attorney fees.
Can the Landlord Enforce Rules I Didn’t Know About?
In order for a notice to comply or vacate to be valid, the problem alleged by the landlord must be a tenant obligation
listed in the rental agreement or lease. If you have an oral agreement, then both the landlord and tenant had to agree
to the rule of obligation. If you have any question whether the notice to comply or vacate is valid, consult your lease
or rental agreement. If you have difficulty interpreting the language of your lease or rental agreement, consult one of
the resources listed at the end of this information sheet.
What if I Fix the Problem Within Ten Days?
A notice to comply or vacate gives a tenant ten days to fix whatever obligation the tenant is not keeping. If a tenant
fixes the problem within ten days, then the landlord cannot move forward with an eviction. If you fix the issue,
notify the landlord in writing that the problem has been corrected and keep whatever documentation you have to
show you fixed the problem. Under Washington state law, a notice to comply or vacate expires after sixty (60) days.
That means even if you fix the problem within ten days to save your tenancy, you must also make sure the problem
does not happen again in the next few months.
What if I Receive Multiple Non-Compliance Notices?
Under Washington state law, if a tenant receives four or more non-compliance notices within a 12-month period, the
landlord can serve a 60-day written notice to vacate. The notices must pertain to four or more separate incidents or
occurrences.
RESOURCES
City of Tacoma—Landlord-Tenant Services
The Program is focused on improving the quality of life for the residents of Tacoma by equipping landlords
and tenants with the tools needed to sustain safe, healthy, equitable and crime free communities.
Landlord-Tenant Program
747 Market Street
Room 1044
Tacoma, WA 98402
Landlord-Tenant Intake
311 or 253- 591-5000
TacomaFIRST 311 - City of Tacoma
Rental Housing Code-TMC 1.95
www.cityoftacoma.org/rentalhousingcode
TACOMAPROBONO Community Lawyers
Tacomaprobono provides low-income individuals with free legal advice. Do you need legal advice about a
landlord-tenant problem (rental agreements, moving, deposits, repairs, eviction, etc.) or any other type of
housing issue? Call the Tacomaprobono’s Housing Justice Project at (253) 572-5134, or e-mail
vls@tacomaprobono.org.
If you are going through the eviction process in Washington State, and you have a net income of 200% of the
federal poverty line or below, you may be eligible for free legal help. It’s your right — protected by law.
You don’t have to face your landlord alone.
Call the Eviction Defense line at 1-855-657-8387 or apply online at Eviction Help | Northwest Justice Project
(nwjustice.org). Interpreters available.
CLEAR
Do you need a telephone consultation with an attorney about your legal problem? If you are outside King
County, call the CLEAR Hotline at 1-888-201-1014 weekdays 9:15 am - 12:15 pm.
Seniors (age 60 and over) can also call CLEAR*Sr at 1-888-387-7111. If you are deaf or hard of hearing,
please call our CLEAR intake line at 1-888-201-1014 using your preferred TTY or Video relay service.
WASHINGTONLAWHELP.ORG
WashingtonLawHelp is an online guide to free civil legal services for low-income persons and seniors in
Washington. This website provides legal education materials and tools that provides basic information on a
number of legal problems, and in some cases, detailed instructions and forms to help you represent yourself
in court.
Moderate Means Program
The Moderate Means Program (MMP) is a statewide program designed to bridge this gap with attorneys who
offer reduced-fee assistance in family, housing, consumer, and unemployment law cases for people in
Washington fell between 200% and 400% of the Federal Poverty Level. Apply Online or call 855-741-6930.
