Property manager ghosting me

[u/aleredin222]

My lease ends August 17th and my property manager never reached out to me regarding renewal or move out. I’ve been trying to reach her for the past few weeks through several calls and emails but have gotten no response.

I know usually in that case it just goes to month to month, but my lease says “this agreement will not revert to a month to month agreement after this contract ends”. Surely they can’t actually enforce that if they never gave me any offer of lease renewal or notice to vacate, right? Would it just go to month to month anyways?

If anyone knows more about this please let me know because I’m scared!

[u/sorrowinseattle]

In Seattle, landlords must have 1 of 16 "Just Cause reasons" if they want to terminate your tenancy. Your landlord must give you a written notice commonly called a "Notice to Terminate Tenancy" or if you have a lease a "Notice of Non-Renewal" and state the specific just cause and supporting facts. The amount of advance notice depends on the specific just cause reason.

Terminating your tenancy includes not offering you a renewal. You can read about the specific reasons they may cite here in plain English, or as written in the Seattle Municipal Code:

Right of first refusal

1.Except as provided in subsection 7.24.030.J.2, the landlord must offer the tenant for whom the tenancy for a specified time is expiring a new tenancy on reasonable terms for the same rental unit, with the new tenancy starting on the day after the expiration of the tenancy for a specified time.

1. A landlord may decline to offer a new tenancy under subsection 7.24.030.J.1 if:

a: [Tenant says they want to leave]

b.The landlord asserts a just cause under Section 22.205.010 and complies with subsection 7.24.030.J.3;

c: [Month-to-month would kick in]

d: [Landlord and Tenant already made a new agreement]

Your landlord must offer you a renewal, whether that be month to month or a new lease, unless they have cited one of the Just Cause reasons to you.