A Tenant Left a Car Behind in Washington: What Landlords Can Do

• Do not sell it, give it away or let a scrap buyer take it because rent is owed.
• Do not sign anything that says you own it, unless that is true.
• Do not sign the tenant’s name or use a title they left in a drawer. A false statement on a title transfer or a forged signature is a class B felony under RCW 46.12.750.
• Do not move, block in or disable the car while you sort this out.

Has the tenancy actually ended?

A car left by someone who still has a right to be there is a different situation from one left after they moved out. If you are not sure, settle that before anything else.

Can you reach the tenant?

This is usually the cheapest route. The tenant still owns the car, and the tenant can sell it, tow it or sign it over. Ask in writing.

What condition is it in?

A running car with value and a car that qualifies as a junk vehicle go down different paths. Take dated photos now, and write down the plate and the VIN if you can read it from outside.

Keep it short and factual, and send it to every address, email and phone number you have. Here is wording you can adapt:

• “Your [year, make, model], plate [number], is still at [address].”
• “Please remove it, or tell me how you plan to handle it, by [date].”
• “If I do not hear from you, I will take the steps Washington law allows for removing it.”

Do not threaten to keep or sell the car. Keep a copy of what you sent and when.

State towing law defines residential property as no more than four living units. A larger complex does not fit that definition, so ask the tow company how it treats your lot and whether your signs meet the posting rules.

You may have heard of the rule in RCW 59.18.310. When a tenant abandons the unit and owes rent, the landlord may store the tenant’s property and must notify the tenant. “After forty-five days” from that notice, the landlord may sell or dispose of it. If the total value is “two hundred fifty dollars or less”, that period is seven days. Any surplus is held for one year.

Here is the catch. That statute speaks of “property” and does not name vehicles. We did not find a Washington statute that says how it applies to a tenant’s car, and it does not tell you how a buyer would get a usable title. DOL’s landlord lien rule, WAC 308-56A-311, does list chapter 59.18 among the laws that regulate those liens, which is one more reason to get legal advice. Please do not read those 45 days as permission to sell the car.

This is the point to talk to a landlord-tenant attorney, with your lease and your notes in hand. It is general information here, and your facts matter. You can also ask the Department of Licensing what it will accept for a title transfer.

• The tenant died. RCW 59.18.310 does not apply to a deceased tenant’s property. The right to the car passes through the estate. Our inherited car guide explains that side, including who has the right to sign.
• A lender is on the title. The lender is the legal owner and has its own interest in the car. Notice goes to legal owners as well as registered owners in the junk vehicle process.
• The name on the registration is not your tenant’s. The notice goes to whoever the state’s records show, so record what you know and tell the official.

We can only take a car with the right paperwork: a Title, an Affidavit in Lieu of Title, or a Junk Vehicle Affidavit. If your former tenant agrees to sell the car, they are the one to call us at (206) 941-0612 and tell us what they have. If you have completed the junk vehicle process, call and we will tell you whether we can take it. We can pick up from apartment and condo lots, and this guide covers the practical side. The state’s own steps for a left-behind car are in our abandoned car guide, and this page explains our license.