What are the legal requirements for termination of a lease?

In Washington, the requirements for lease termination depend on the type of lease you have. If you have a month-to-month lease, you must give the landlord 30 days notice. If you have a year-long lease, you must give the landlord 60 days notice. If you are breaking a month-to-month lease without cause, you may be responsible for paying up to two months rent, depending on when during the month you break the lease. However, if your landlord does not have a new tenant in the unit within 2 weeks of when you terminate the lease, you can be released from the obligation to pay the extra rent. If you are breaking a year-long lease before the end of the term, you may be required to pay all of the remaining rent due under the lease, unless your landlord agrees to accept a partial payment. Additionally, you may also be responsible for any other costs associated with finding a new tenant. No matter what type of lease you have, you must be sure to return the keys to the landlord at the termination of the lease. If you fail to do this, you may be considered to have wrongfully withheld the keys and you could be liable to pay the costs associated with changing the locks at the property.

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What are the legal requirements for termination of a lease?

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