59.20.073 - Transfer of rental agreements.

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 shall notify the landlord in writing of the date of the intended sale and transfer of the rental agreement at least fifteen 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.

     (3) The landlord shall notify the selling tenant, in writing, of a refusal to permit transfer of the rental agreement at least seven days in advance of such intended transfer.

     (4) 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responsible for the enforcement of that notice of violation, the landlord's refusal to permit the transfer is deemed withdrawn.

     (5) 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.

     (6) Failure to notify the landlord in writing, as required under subsection (2) 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.

[2003 c 127 § 3; 1999 c 359 § 7; 1993 c 66 § 17; 1981 c 304 § 20.]

Notes: Severability -- 1981 c 304: See note following RCW 26.16.030.