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Washington landlord-tenant law
Checked against the Washington statutes on September 24, 2026 Statutes current through: Online RCW as published on September 24, 2026 (updated after each legislative session); selected screening procedure and Seattle criminal-history enforcement guidance reviewed October 15, 2026, without resetting the wider state review General information, not legal advice
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Washington in brief
Washington sets no statewide cap on security deposits, but you may not take one without a written lease and a move-in checklist signed by you and the tenant, and the itemized statement and refund are due within 30 days after the tenant moves out. No late fee may be charged until rent is more than five days late. Unpaid rent needs a 14-day notice to pay or vacate on the statutory form, and a landlord may end a tenancy only for a cause the just cause statute lists, apart from the no-cause end of certain fixed terms. Most rent increases need 90 days' written notice, and most increases are limited to 7 percent plus inflation or 10 percent, whichever is less, in any 12 months. Give two days' written notice before entering, and never lock a tenant out or cut utilities.
Key numbers
- Late fees in an eviction judgment
- Up to $75
- in total; no limit set on the lease fee itself
- RCW 59.18.410(1)
- Rent increase notice
- 90 days
- in writing; 30 days for some subsidized units
- RCW 59.18.140(3)(a)RCW 59.18.140(3)(b)
- Tenant's month-to-month notice
- 20 days
- a landlord needs a statutory cause
- RCW 59.18.200(1)(a)RCW 59.18.650(1)
Before you sign
Application and screening fees
Before obtaining any information about an applicant, tell the applicant in writing, or by posting, what types of information you will use, what criteria may lead to denial, the consumer reporting agency's name and address if you use a consumer report along with the applicant's rights to a free copy and to dispute it, and whether you accept a comprehensive reusable tenant screening report. You may charge for a screening report only if you gave that notice.
More detail (8)
- If you screen applicants yourself, you may charge your actual costs, but no more than the customary costs of a screening service in the area. RCW 59.18.257(1)(b)(ii)
- If you accept a reusable screening report, you may still run your own screening as long as the applicant is not charged for it. A landlord with a website advertising the unit must say on the property's home page whether it accepts a reusable report. RCW 59.18.257(1)(a)(iv), (2)
- If you deny an application or approve it with conditions, give a written adverse action notice stating the reasons, substantially in the statutory form. RCW 59.18.257(1)(c)
- Failing to give the notice before screening can cost up to $100 plus court costs and attorneys' fees. RCW 59.18.257(3)
- You may not charge a fee to be placed on a waiting list, and a holding fee after the unit is offered may not exceed 25 percent of the first month's rent; the cost of screening is not part of a holding fee. RCW 59.18.253(1), (3), (4)(b)
- Keep screening procedure separate from the rules governing which records you may use. RCW 59.18.257 sets the advance notice, screening-cost and written adverse-action requirements; it does not establish a statewide blanket criminal-history rejection rule. A disclosed criterion and a completed notice do not by themselves make a decision lawful. Check the applicable civil rights, consumer reporting and local requirements before requesting or using records. RCW 59.18.257
- A written court order can limit dissemination of an eviction action when the case lacked a sufficient factual or legal basis, the tenancy was reinstated, or other good cause exists. For the person covered by that order, a tenant screening service must omit the action from its report and cannot use it in a score or recommendation. This protection depends on the order; this section does not impose a general seven-year limit on all eviction records. RCW 59.18.367 See Eviction process
- Washington separately limits what consumer reporting agencies may include in reports. Medical debt is prohibited. Other record categories have different age rules: bankruptcy has a ten-year limit, while suits and judgments use seven years or the applicable limitations period, whichever is longer. Other listed adverse records generally have seven-year rules, with specified exceptions for certain credit, insurance and employment reports. Do not turn these reporting limits into a blanket rule allowing or forbidding every landlord screening decision. RCW 19.182.040
Fair housing
Partly readWashington bars discrimination in renting because of sex, marital status, sexual orientation, race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, families with children, honorably discharged veteran or military status, disability, or use of a trained dog guide or service animal. It is also unlawful to refuse, discourage or treat differently a tenant because of lawful source of income, such as a housing voucher or other assistance.
RCW 49.60.222(1) RCW 59.18.255
More detail (6)
- Allow reasonable modifications at the tenant's expense and make reasonable accommodations in rules and practices for a person with a disability; a landlord may, where reasonable, require restoring the interior when a modified rental is vacated. These two duties do not apply to an owner renting a single-family house who owns no more than three, with no broker and no discriminatory ad, or to an owner who lives in a building of up to four units. RCW 49.60.222(2)
- If you set a minimum income, subtract any voucher or subsidy from the rent before applying the test. RCW 59.18.255(3)
- A source of income violation can cost up to four and one-half times the monthly rent, plus costs and attorneys' fees. RCW 59.18.255(4)
- Ads and notices may not show a preference or limitation based on a protected class or on source of income. RCW 49.60.222(1)(g) RCW 59.18.255(2)
- The state law against discrimination does not apply to renting a room or part of a unit the owner lives in. RCW 49.60.222(7)
- Seattle has separate Fair Chance Housing protections. The Office for Civil Rights says that, following a Ninth Circuit ruling, it stopped enforcing the criminal-history inquiry ban on June 6, 2023. Its current guidance says it continues enforcing the other portions, including restrictions, subject to exceptions, on requiring disclosure of criminal history or taking adverse action based on it. The city also prohibits advertising that categorically excludes people with criminal records. Do not treat the inquiry ruling as permission to require disclosure or reject an applicant; confirm the current city requirements and any applicable exception before acting. Seattle Office for Civil Rights: criminal history protections
The lease says the landlord follows fair housing law, considers every lawful source of income, and will consider requests for reasonable accommodations and modifications.
Required disclosures and lease language
When the lease is signed, give new tenants the written fire safety notice and the Department of Health's mold information, and name the landlord and the landlord's address in the lease or a notice posted on the premises. Taking a deposit requires a written lease that says when it may be kept and the signed move-in checklist, and leases entered into after December 31, 2026 need the flood hazard and insurance disclosure.
RCW 59.18.060(12) to (16) RCW 59.18.260
More detail (6)
- Give each tenant who signs a written lease an executed copy; the tenant may ask for one free replacement copy. RCW 59.18.065
- Tell the tenant in writing where the deposit is held. RCW 59.18.270
- Any nonrefundable fee must be stated in writing as nonrefundable. RCW 59.18.285
- A rent increase notice must use the statutory form; a fee in lieu of a deposit needs its own disclosure form. RCW 59.18.720 RCW 59.18.670(1)(f)
- If you restrict window-mounted portable air conditioners on the grounds the statute allows, say so in the lease. RCW 59.18.740(8)
- A lease may not waive the tenant's rights under chapter 59.18, bar class actions, require a nondisclosure agreement about its terms, confess judgment, have the tenant pay your attorneys' fees except as a court awards, limit or indemnify your liability under law, name an arbitrator in advance, or require arbitration unless you pay all its cost and the agreement is notarized. Knowingly using such a term can cost up to two months' rent in statutory damages. RCW 59.18.230(2), (3)
The lease puts the mold information on page one, and the checklist requirement there whenever a deposit is taken, and attaches a mold information addendum, a flood hazard advisory, a smoke and carbon monoxide alarm acknowledgment and a nonrefundable fees disclosure; it states no waiver of chapter 59.18 rights, no indemnity and no arbitration.
Flood disclosure
For leases entered into after December 31, 2026, disclose to tenants that the property may be in a special flood hazard area or an area of potential flooding, that your insurance does not cover the tenant's belongings and the tenant should consider renter's and flood insurance, and that the county government has information about hazards, including flood risk, for the property.
More detail (1)
- The duty applies by the lease's date, so a lease signed on or before December 31, 2026 does not need it. RCW 59.18.060(13)(b)
Every Washington lease attaches a flood hazard and insurance advisory with the three statutory statements.
Owner and manager identity
Name the landlord and give the landlord's address to the tenant, either in the lease or in a notice conspicuously posted on the premises. Tell the tenant in writing right away of any change, by personal delivery, or by mail plus a posted notice.
More detail (3)
- If the person named does not live in Washington, also name an agent living in the county who can receive notices and legal papers; if you name none, the person who collects rent is the agent. RCW 59.18.060(16)
- An owner living outside the state who violates the chapter can be sued in Washington courts and served out of state. RCW 59.18.060(16)
- A tenant's repair notice may go to the person designated as landlord or to whoever collects the rent. RCW 59.18.070
The lease names the landlord and the landlord's notice address.
Deposits, rent and fees
Security deposit limit
Not set by statuteWashington sets no statewide cap on the amount of a security deposit. It controls how a deposit is taken instead: the lease must be in writing and say when the deposit may be kept, a signed move-in checklist must come first, and a tenant can ask to pay it in installments.
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- On a tenant's written request, a landlord must let the tenant pay deposits, nonrefundable fees and last month's rent in installments: three equal monthly payments for a term of three months or more, two otherwise. This is not required when deposits and nonrefundable fees total no more than 25 percent of the first full month's rent and last month's rent is not due at the start. RCW 59.18.610(1), (2)
- No fee or interest may be charged for paying in installments, the schedule must be in writing and signed by both, and refusing a written request costs one month's rent plus the tenant's attorneys' fees. RCW 59.18.610(3), (5)
- A fee or deposit to hold a unit after it is offered may not be more than 25 percent of the first month's rent, needs a receipt and a written statement of when it may be kept, and must be credited to the first month's rent or the deposit if the tenant moves in. RCW 59.18.253(2) to (4)
- Money that is nonrefundable may never be called a deposit. A nonrefundable fee needs a written lease that says clearly it is nonrefundable; otherwise it is treated as a refundable deposit. RCW 59.18.285
- A landlord may offer a recurring fee in lieu of a deposit only as an option the tenant is free to refuse, with the statutory disclosure form, a signed move-in checklist, and insurance bought with the fee. RCW 59.18.670(1), (2)
- Seattle adds a combined limit: the security deposit and nonrefundable move-in fees together may not exceed the first full month's rent, prorated monthly when rent is not paid monthly. Section 7.24.035 does not apply to a tenant renting a housing unit in a single-family residence that is the owner's principal residence. Nonrefundable move-in fees normally have a separate 10% limit, with a limited exception for screening-report costs. These city rules do not set a higher deposit limit for furnished units. Seattle Municipal Code 7.24.035
- For Seattle deposits and move-in fees, the tenant may elect six equal monthly installments for a term of six months or longer, up to four equal installments for a term between 30 days and six months, or two for month-to-month. The city excludes screening reimbursements paid before the tenancy from those schedules and has an exception when the combined deposit and fees are no more than 25% of the first month's rent and last month's rent is not required at the start. No installment fee or interest is allowed; an agreed alternative schedule belongs in the lease. The owner-residence exception in section 7.24.035(H) also applies. Seattle Municipal Code 7.24.035
- Seattle limits the total pet damage deposit to 25% of the first full month's rent, prorated monthly if needed. No pet deposit may be required for an assistance animal, though actual animal damage may still be claimed. State the pet deposit in the lease or a later addendum; the tenant may choose three equal monthly installments starting when the pet moves in, or an agreed alternative. Use this deposit only for pet-caused damage for which the tenant is responsible. The city prohibits other fees for keeping a pet. Seattle Municipal Code 7.24.038
The Rentari Washington lease states the deposit amount and sets out the trust account, receipt, checklist and return rules; it states no statewide cap.
Returning the deposit
Within 30 days after the lease ends and the tenant moves out, give the tenant a full and specific statement of the reasons for keeping any of the deposit, with the supporting documents, together with any refund. Delivering it in person or mailing it first class to the tenant's last known address within the 30 days is on time. If the tenant abandoned the unit, the 30 days run from when you learn of the abandonment.
More detail (6)
- Include copies of estimates received or invoices paid for damage charges. For work done by you or your employee, include the bill or receipt for materials and a statement of the time spent and the hourly rate. RCW 59.18.280(1)(b)
- You may not keep any of the deposit for wear from ordinary use, for carpet cleaning unless you document wear beyond ordinary use, for items whose condition the move-in checklist did not reasonably document, or for more than the cost of repairing the damaged part of an item. RCW 59.18.280(1)(c) RCW 59.18.260(4)
- Missing the deadline makes you liable for the full deposit and bars you from claiming any of it in the tenant's suit, unless circumstances beyond your control prevented the statement or the tenant abandoned the unit. A court may award up to twice the deposit for an intentional refusal, and the winner recovers attorneys' fees. RCW 59.18.280(2)
- Undocumented damage and ordinary wear may not be charged to the tenant, reported to a credit or screening agency, or sent to collection. RCW 59.18.280(3)(b)
- For leases begun on or after July 23, 2023, a suit to recover more than the deposit must be filed within three years after the lease ends or the tenant abandons the unit. RCW 59.18.280(3)(c)
- The checklist and documentation rules do not apply to amounts kept for reasons other than damage, such as unpaid rent. RCW 59.18.280(4)
The lease promises the full and specific statement, the estimates or invoices and any refund within 30 days after the lease ends and the tenant vacates, excludes ordinary wear, carpet cleaning without documented wear and items the checklist did not document, and states the full-deposit and double-deposit penalties.
Deposit account and interest
Promptly put every security deposit in a trust account kept for tenants' deposits, at a financial institution or licensed escrow agent located in Washington. Give the tenant a written receipt and written notice of the name, address and location of the depository, and of any later change. Unless you agree otherwise in writing, you keep the interest.
More detail (3)
- When the landlord changes during a tenancy, the deposits move at the same time to an equivalent trust account of the new landlord, who must promptly tell the tenant where they now are. RCW 59.18.270
- If a foreclosed owner neither refunds the deposit right after the sale nor transfers it to the successor, the owner is liable for up to twice the deposit. RCW 59.18.270
- The tenant's claim to the deposit comes before any creditor of the landlord, including a bankruptcy trustee, even if the money was mixed with other funds. RCW 59.18.270
The lease says the deposit goes promptly into a trust account at a Washington financial institution or licensed escrow agent and that the landlord gives a written receipt and notice of the depository.
Move-in condition checklist
You may not collect any deposit unless the lease is in writing and, at the start of the tenancy, you give the tenant a written checklist or statement that specifically describes the condition and cleanliness of, and any existing damage to, the unit, fixtures, equipment, appliances and furnishings, including walls, paint and wallpaper, carpets and flooring, furniture and appliances. Both of you sign and date it, and the tenant gets a copy.
More detail (4)
- The tenant may ask for one free replacement copy of the checklist. RCW 59.18.260(3)
- A landlord who collects a deposit without the checklist is liable to the tenant for the amount of the deposit, and the winner of that suit recovers court costs and attorneys' fees. RCW 59.18.260(5)
- At move-out you cannot deduct for fixtures, equipment, appliances or furnishings whose condition the checklist did not reasonably document. RCW 59.18.280(1)(c)(iii)
- A landlord who accepts a fee in lieu of a deposit must still provide the checklist. RCW 59.18.670(1)(e)
Whenever a deposit is taken, a box on page one of the lease says the signed checklist is required before any deposit, that it is a separate document the landlord prepares for the unit, and that it is not part of the lease package.
Rent payments and late fees
You may not charge a late fee for rent paid within five days after it is due, and a lease may not say otherwise. Once rent is more than five days late, late fees may run from the first day after the due date until it is paid. Chapter 59.18 sets no dollar or percentage limit on the late fee a lease states, but an eviction judgment may include late fees only if the lease provides for them and only up to $75 in total.
RCW 59.18.170(2) RCW 59.18.230(2)(i) RCW 59.18.410(1)
More detail (7)
- You may serve a notice to pay or vacate at any time after rent is due; the five days only limit the late fee. RCW 59.18.170(2)
- A tenant whose main income is a regular monthly government payment that arrives after the due date may ask in writing to move the due date by up to five days, and you must agree. RCW 59.18.170(3)
- Apply every payment to rent before late fees, damages, legal costs or other fees, and do not make the tenant's right to stay depend on paying anything other than rent. RCW 59.18.283(1), (2)
- Accept a personal check, cashier's check or money order for rent, and allow payment by mail unless you provide an accessible on-site location. You may refuse personal checks from a tenant whose check to you bounced within the last nine months. RCW 59.18.063(1)
- You may refuse cash, but give a receipt for any cash you accept, and a written receipt for other payments on request. RCW 59.18.063(2), (3)
- A lease may not require rent to be paid only by electronic means. RCW 59.18.230(2)(j)
- Rent means the recurring and periodic charges the lease identifies for use and occupancy, which may include utilities; it does not include late fees, damages, deposits or legal costs. RCW 59.18.030
The lease bars a late fee until rent is more than five days late, states the landlord's late fee, says Washington sets no statewide limit on it, applies payments to rent first, and notes the $75 limit on late fees in an eviction judgment.
Returned check fee
When a check is dishonored, the payee may collect a reasonable handling fee for each check; the statute sets no dollar figure for it. If the check is still unpaid 15 days after a notice of dishonor is sent, and the check itself does not provide for interest or collection costs, the writer also owes 12 percent yearly interest and collection costs of up to $40 or the face amount, whichever is less.
RCW 62A.3-515 RCW 59.18.063(1)
More detail (3)
- In a court action on the check after that notice and the 15 days, the court awards reasonable attorneys' fees and three times the face amount or $300, whichever is less. None of this applies to a justified stop payment order. RCW 62A.3-515(a)
- After a tenant's personal check to you bounces, you may refuse that tenant's personal checks for nine months. RCW 59.18.063(1)
- A returned-payment fee is not rent, so a tenant's right to stay cannot be conditioned on paying it. RCW 59.18.283(2) RCW 59.18.030
Rent increases
Give each affected tenant at least 90 days' written notice of any rent increase, and no increase may take effect before the lease term ends. Unless an exemption applies, you may not raise the rent during the first 12 months of a tenancy, or by more than 7 percent plus inflation or 10 percent, whichever is less, in any 12-month period. The notice must follow the statutory form and be served as the eviction notice statute requires.
RCW 59.18.140(3) RCW 59.18.700 RCW 59.18.710 RCW 59.18.720
More detail (10)
- The inflation figure is the June 12-month change in the Seattle-area consumer price index; the Department of Commerce publishes the resulting maximum for each calendar year. RCW 59.18.700(1)(c)
- After a tenant moves out and the tenancy ends, you may set any rent for the next tenant. RCW 59.18.700(1)(b)
- The limit does not apply to units whose first certificate of occupancy is 12 years old or less, to certain public, nonprofit and tax-credit housing, or, unless the owner is a real estate investment trust, a corporation or an LLC with a corporate member, to a unit sharing a kitchen or bathroom with the owner, a single-family home where the owner lives and rents no more than two units or bedrooms, or a duplex to fourplex where the owner lived in a unit at the start of the tenancy and still does. RCW 59.18.710
- A landlord claiming an exemption must state the supporting facts in the notice. RCW 59.18.700(2) RCW 59.18.720(3)
- If an increase goes over the limit, the tenant must give you a chance to fix it with a written demand to reduce it. The tenant may also end the lease before the increase takes effect on 20 days' written notice, owing rent for the month of moving out and no fee. A court awards the excess paid, up to three months of the unlawful rent and attorneys' fees; the Attorney General may seek up to $7,500 per violation. RCW 59.18.700(3), (5)
- For a subsidized tenancy where rent follows the household's income, 30 days' written notice is enough. RCW 59.18.140(3)(b)
- Rent for a month-to-month lease and a fixed-term lease on the same unit may differ by no more than 5 percent. RCW 59.18.700(4)(b)
- The limit and its exemptions and form expire July 1, 2040. RCW 59.18.700(8)
- For increases taking effect in calendar year 2026, Commerce publishes a maximum annual increase of 9.683 percent for covered residential tenancies unless exempt. Use the percentage for the year the increase takes effect, not the year the letter is drafted; check Commerce's landlord resource center for another year. Confirm the tenancy's start date, prior increases, any exemption and the required notice before calculating a new amount. Washington Commerce: 2026 rent cap announcement
- Seattle has an additional local notice rule: the city's guidance requires 180 days' written notice before increasing periodic or monthly housing costs. Those costs can include rent and recurring parking, storage or other charges paid to the landlord. Check the city's current notice and relocation-assistance requirements as well as the statewide cap; a city notice period is not permission to exceed the state limit. Other cities may have different local requirements, so use the property's actual location. Seattle SDCI: housing cost increases See Rent control and local rules
Every Washington lease prints a rent increase box with the 12-month freeze, the 7 percent plus inflation or 10 percent limit, the 90 days' notice in the statutory form, the exemptions and the tenant's remedies.
During the tenancy
Landlord entry
Except in an emergency or where it is impracticable, give at least two days' written notice before entering and enter only at reasonable times. The notice states the exact date and time, or a window with the earliest and latest times, and a telephone number the tenant can use to object or reschedule. One day's notice is enough to show the unit to prospective or actual buyers or tenants.
More detail (4)
- The tenant may not unreasonably refuse entry to inspect, make necessary or agreed repairs, supply services, or show the unit. RCW 59.18.150(1)
- You may enter without consent in an emergency or when the unit has been abandoned. Beyond entry with notice for the purposes above, you have no other right of access except by court order, arbitrator or the tenant's consent. RCW 59.18.150(5), (7)
- Do not abuse the right of access, use it to harass the tenant, or show the unit excessively. RCW 59.18.150(6)
- After one good-faith written notice listing a violation, a landlord or tenant who keeps violating these rules is liable for up to $100 per violation, plus costs and attorneys' fees. RCW 59.18.150(8)
The lease requires two days' written notice stating the time or window and a telephone number for objections, one day's notice for showings, and entry only at reasonable times except in an emergency.
Repairs and habitability
Keep the unit fit to live in throughout the tenancy. That includes keeping it in substantial compliance with codes where a violation would endanger health or safety, keeping structural parts in reasonably good repair, keeping it reasonably weathertight, keeping supplied electrical, plumbing, heating and appliances working, providing adequate heat, water and hot water, and providing reasonably adequate locks and keys.
More detail (6)
- Common areas must be kept reasonably clean, sanitary and safe; buildings other than single-family homes need garbage receptacles and regular removal. RCW 59.18.060(3), (10)
- Provide a reasonable pest control program at the start of the tenancy and, except in a single-family home, control infestations during it unless the tenant caused them. RCW 59.18.060(4)
- After the tenant's written notice, start the repair within 24 hours for loss of hot or cold water, heat or electricity or an imminent hazard to life, within 72 hours for loss of a refrigerator, range and oven or a major plumbing fixture you supplied, and within 10 days in other cases, unless circumstances are beyond your control. RCW 59.18.070
- You owe no repair, and the tenant has no remedy, for a defect the tenant or the tenant's household or guests caused, or where the tenant unreasonably refuses access for the repair. RCW 59.18.060
- The tenant must keep the unit clean and sanitary, dispose of garbage, use fixtures properly, not damage the unit, and at move-out leave it as it was except for ordinary wear. RCW 59.18.130
- The repair duties can be waived only by a written agreement that is not in a standard form lease, between parties of equal bargaining power, and approved in writing by the county prosecutor, the Attorney General's consumer protection division or the tenant's attorney. RCW 59.18.360
The lease says the landlord keeps the home fit for human habitation and points to the 59.18.070 repair deadlines and the tenant's remedies.
Tenant repair remedies
If you do not fix a defect within the statutory time after written notice, the tenant may end the lease on written notice, go to court or arbitration, or use repair and deduct. The tenant must be current on rent and agreed utilities before using these remedies.
RCW 59.18.090 RCW 59.18.100 RCW 59.18.080
More detail (6)
- With a licensed or registered contractor, after giving you a good-faith estimate, the tenant may deduct up to two months' rent per repair, and no more than two months' rent in any 12 months. For defects on the 10-day schedule, the tenant must wait 10 days after notice or two days after you receive the estimate, whichever is later. RCW 59.18.100(1), (2)
- For work that need not be done by a licensed person and costs no more than one month's rent, the tenant may do it personally in a workmanlike manner and deduct up to one month's rent per repair and in any 12 months, for defects inside the unit. RCW 59.18.100(3)
- You get an opportunity to inspect before the deduction, and you may recover actual damages from negligent repairs. RCW 59.18.100(2), (5)
- A tenant who ends the lease for an unrepaired defect owes no further rent, gets a pro rata refund of prepaid rent, and gets the deposit statement and refund. RCW 59.18.090(1)
- A court or arbitrator may reduce the rent to the unit's diminished value until the repair is made, and may authorize further repairs by the tenant. RCW 59.18.110
- For conditions that substantially endanger health or safety, a tenant may ask the local government to inspect and certify them and then pay rent into an escrow account. RCW 59.18.115
The lease restates repair and deduct: up to two months' rent per repair and in any twelve months with a licensed or registered person, and one month's rent for the tenant's own repair, and says nothing in the lease waives a remedy under chapter 59.18.
Locks and keys
Provide reasonably adequate locks, furnish keys to the tenant, and keep any master or duplicate keys safe with reasonable care. Chapter 59.18 sets no period for rekeying between tenants.
More detail (6)
- A tenant with a court order giving possession to the exclusion of a cotenant may have a lock replaced or rekeyed at the tenant's expense; if given the order, you must comply and may not give the excluded person a key. RCW 59.18.585
- A tenant who is a victim of sexual assault, stalking or unlawful harassment by the landlord may change or add locks at the tenant's expense, and must send written notice and the order or report within seven days. RCW 59.18.575(4)
- A tenant who replaces a lock through repair and deduct must promptly give you a key. RCW 59.18.100(1)
- From January 1, 2027, a building with a smart access system must offer a tenant who asks a key that does not use biometrics or a phone app, such as a fob, card, physical key or keypad code. RCW 59.18.750
- A tenant using the landlord-perpetrator lock route cannot change common-area locks and must make new keys available to other household members. A tenant electing to remain supplies the owner or designated agent a key when the identified perpetrator is no longer the landlord's employee or agent and no longer lives at the property. A qualifying protective order against the owner or employee/agent delays that key duty until the order expires or the tenant leaves. On leaving, return all keys by mail or third-party personal delivery. RCW 59.18.575(4)(b), (e)-(f)
- After the special lock-change notice, emergency entry requires the statutory safeguards: accompaniment by a law-enforcement or fire official acting in an official capacity, or, when immediate entry is reasonably necessary and the tenant is absent, notifying emergency services before using necessary force. Other entry must comply with section 59.18.150 and specify the date, time and purpose in writing, with tenant access arrangements. Changing locks alone does not end rent liability; the agreement must terminate and the tenant must vacate. RCW 59.18.575(4)(c)-(d)
The lease sets out the lock change right of a tenant with a court order excluding a cotenant.
Smoke alarms
Every rental unit occupied by someone other than the owner must have smoke detection devices installed, and installing them is the owner's job. Before a vacant unit is reoccupied, make sure they work. Give each new tenant, when the lease is signed, a written notice signed by both of you that the unit has a smoke detection device, that the tenant must maintain it, and the penalties for not doing so.
RCW 43.44.110 RCW 59.18.060(12)
More detail (4)
- The tenant maintains the device as the manufacturer specifies, including replacing batteries. RCW 43.44.110(3) RCW 59.18.130(7)
- Except for a single-family home, the notice must also say whether the alarm is hard-wired or battery operated, whether the building has a fire sprinkler system, a fire alarm system and a smoking policy (and what it is), and whether it has emergency notification, relocation and evacuation plans, with copies of any plans. RCW 59.18.060(12)(a)
- In a multifamily building the information may be given as a checklist, which must include a diagram of the emergency evacuation routes. RCW 59.18.060(12)(b)
- An owner or tenant who fails to comply may be fined up to $200. RCW 43.44.110(5)(a)
Retaliation
While the tenant is complying with chapter 59.18, you may not retaliate, or threaten to, because the tenant in good faith complained to a government agency about a code violation that may endanger health or safety, or asserted rights under the chapter. Retaliation includes eviction, a rent increase, reduced services and added obligations.
More detail (5)
- Any of those actions within 90 days after the tenant's protected act, or after a resulting inspection or proceeding, is presumed retaliatory, though you can rebut it. RCW 59.18.250
- If the tenant was behind on rent or in breach when you gave a termination notice, the presumption runs the other way. RCW 59.18.250
- No presumption arises for a rent increase whose notice states reasonable grounds for it. RCW 59.18.250
- You also may not retaliate against a tenant who lets a code enforcement official inspect the unit. RCW 59.18.150(4)(b)
- The party who wins on a retaliation claim or defense recovers costs and attorneys' fees. RCW 59.18.250
The lease restates the protected acts, the forms of reprisal and the 90-day presumption with its arrears exception.
Lockouts and utility shutoffs
You may not remove or exclude a tenant from the unit except under a court order. You may not intentionally cause any of the tenant's utilities, including water, heat, electricity or gas, to be cut off, except for a reasonable interruption to make necessary repairs.
RCW 59.18.290(1) RCW 59.18.300
More detail (4)
- A tenant locked out may recover possession or end the lease, and recover actual damages, costs and attorneys' fees. RCW 59.18.290(1)
- A utility shutoff can cost actual damages plus up to $100 for each day or part of a day without service, and attorneys' fees. RCW 59.18.300
- Distress for rent is abolished, and a lease clause creating a lien on the tenant's belongings is void. Keeping a tenant's property without specific written consent and refusing to return it on demand can cost its value, damages and, if intentional, up to $500 a day, capped at $5,000. RCW 59.18.230(4)
- You may not cut off a tenant's electricity or water for nonpayment on a day with a National Weather Service heat-related alert for the area, and on such a day must promptly try to reconnect service the tenant asks you to restore. RCW 59.18.060(11)(a), (b)
The lease says the landlord may remove the tenant only under a court order.
Ending a tenancy
Ending a month-to-month tenancy
A tenant may end a month-to-month tenancy with written notice at least 20 days before the end of a rental period. A landlord may not end one without a cause listed in the just cause statute, given with the notice that cause requires.
RCW 59.18.200(1)(a) RCW 59.18.650(1)
More detail (5)
- If the lease began with a term of six to 12 months and then continues month to month, you may end it without cause at the end of that first term only by at least 60 days' written notice before the term ends. RCW 59.18.650(1)(b)
- Causes that do not involve the tenant's fault include an owner or immediate family moving in, or selling a single-family home, each on at least 90 days' notice; demolition, substantial rehabilitation or change of use on at least 120 days' notice; and other legitimate economic or business reasons on at least 60 days' notice. RCW 59.18.650(2)(d), (e), (f), (m) RCW 59.18.200(2)(c)
- Changing to a policy of excluding children takes 90 days' notice, and converting to a condominium takes 120 days. RCW 59.18.200(2)(a), (b)
- A landlord who removes a tenant in violation of the just cause rules owes the greater of the tenant's damages or three times the monthly rent, plus attorneys' fees. RCW 59.18.650(4)
- A servicemember, spouse or dependent may give less than 20 days' notice when orders do not allow 20 days. RCW 59.18.200(1)(b)
The lease states the tenant's 20 days, that the landlord may end the tenancy only for a listed cause, and the two end-of-term situations with 60 days' notice.
Ending a fixed-term lease early
Washington lets a tenant end a lease early in several situations: as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, unlawful harassment or stalking; for military orders; after a weapon threat that leads to an arrest; after you fail to make required repairs; and before an unlawful rent increase takes effect. A tenant who simply abandons the unit owes rent only as the abandonment statute allows, and you must try to re-rent.
RCW 59.18.575 RCW 59.18.220(2) RCW 59.18.310
More detail (13)
- When the tenant or a qualifying household member is a victim, a protection order or qualified third party's signed report can support written termination requested within 90 days of the reported act, event or circumstance. Ordinarily rent remains due for the month of leaving and the full deposit must be returned subject to the deposit statute; the special landlord-perpetrator route below has different rent timing. Co-tenants other than protected household victims stay bound. RCW 59.18.575(1), (2)
- A servicemember, spouse or dependent may end a fixed term on 20 days' written notice with orders or a commanding officer's letter showing one of six situations, such as a permanent change of station 35 miles or more away. RCW 59.18.220(2)
- A tenant threatened by another tenant with a firearm or deadly weapon may leave if the threat leads to an arrest and you do not file an eviction within seven days after the police notify you; a tenant threatened by the landlord that way may leave if the landlord is arrested. RCW 59.18.352 RCW 59.18.354
- On abandonment during a fixed term, the tenant owes the lesser of rent for the rest of the term or rent for the time reasonably needed to re-rent plus any shortfall and re-renting costs. RCW 59.18.310(1)(b)
- A tenant may end a fixed term at its end by written notice at least 20 days before the end date. RCW 59.18.650(1)(f)
- You may not end a fixed term early for owner move-in, sale or redevelopment unless both sides agree in writing and the tenant gets at least 60 days to leave. RCW 59.18.650(5)
- You may let a fixed term end without cause when it expires only if it began as a term of 12 months or more (or as unbroken successive terms of six months or more), the tenancy has never been month to month, and you serve at least 60 days' written notice before the term ends. Otherwise the tenancy becomes month to month and needs a listed cause. RCW 59.18.650(1)(c), (d)
- A household member includes a child or adult living with the tenant, other than the perpetrator of domestic violence, stalking or sexual assault. Qualified third parties must act in their official capacity; the list includes law enforcement, court employees, licensed counselors, trained victim-program advocates, clergy and persons covered by chapter 18.120. Check the referenced definitions rather than assuming any witness qualifies. RCW 59.18.570(3)-(5)
- The third-party report must be signed and dated and contain the required victim statement, incident time and date, location and brief description, and confirmation that the victim supplied the alleged perpetrator's name. Omit that name from the report given to the tenant or household member; the third party keeps a copy noting the name. The statute provides a model form. RCW 59.18.575(1)(b)
- If the landlord seeks property-damage reimbursement under the referenced landlord mitigation program, section 59.18.575(2)(b)(ii) bars retaining any of the tenant's damage or security deposit and pursuing that protected tenant for property-damage sums beyond the deposit. Program eligibility and claim procedures require separate review. RCW 59.18.575(2)(b)
- For sexual assault, stalking or unlawful harassment by a landlord, the tenant may leave before supplying the protection order or third-party report, but must deliver it by mail, fax or third-party personal delivery within seven days after leaving. Under subsection (3)(b), rent ends at the later of vacating or delivery of the third-party report and written notice of vacancy; prepaid rent is prorated, with the deposit statement and refund governed by the deposit statute. RCW 59.18.575(3)
- Using the special landlord-perpetrator lock-change procedure normally ends the agreement on the 90th day after the tenant gives notice of the new locks. Within 60 days, the tenant may instead give written notice of wanting to remain, or use subsection (3) to terminate. The key and access qualifications are described under Locks and keys. RCW 59.18.575(4)(b)
- Providing the statutory verification does not by itself waive protected communications with the qualified third party. Section 59.18.575(6) restricts using information obtained through that disclosure against the victim without a written privilege waiver, while allowing the verification itself in civil proceedings under this section. RCW 59.18.575(6)
The lease sets out the victim termination right with its 90-day window, rent through the month of termination and return of the full deposit, the six military grounds with 20 days' notice, and a duty to try to re-rent after an early move-out.
Notice for unpaid rent
Before an eviction for unpaid rent, serve a written notice to pay the rent or vacate within 14 days after service, using the statutory 14-day notice form. The notice may be served any time after rent is due.
RCW 59.12.030(3) RCW 59.18.057 RCW 59.18.650(2)(a)
More detail (4)
- Serve it by personal delivery; or, if the tenant is absent, by leaving a copy with a person of suitable age and discretion at the unit and mailing a copy; or, if no such person is there, by posting a copy in a conspicuous place, delivering a copy to a resident if one can be found, and mailing a copy. RCW 59.12.040
- When a copy is served by mail, allow five more days before filing suit. The notice must state the date by which the tenant must pay or vacate. RCW 59.12.040
- The form lists rent, utilities and other recurring charges past due, with the total, and gives the tenant information on rental assistance, free legal help and mediation. RCW 59.18.057
- Accept a pledge of emergency rental assistance from a government or nonprofit source made before the notice expires if it covers the full rent owed. RCW 59.18.410(2)
The lease's service-of-notices clause lists the three statutory methods of service and says an e-mailed copy is only a courtesy.
Notice for other lease violations
For a substantial breach of a material lease term or a legal duty, other than one for money, serve a written notice that describes the breach and gives the tenant at least 10 days after service to fix it or the tenancy ends. For waste, nuisance, unlawful activity affecting the premises, or substantial or repeated unreasonable interference with the landlord or neighbors, a three-day notice to quit is enough.
RCW 59.18.650(2)(b), (c) RCW 59.12.030(4)
More detail (4)
- Every notice under the just cause list must be served by one of the statutory methods and state the known facts supporting the cause specifically enough for the tenant to respond. RCW 59.18.650(6) RCW 59.12.040
- If the tenant's breach of a statutory duty threatens health or safety and can be fixed by repair, replacement or cleaning, the tenant gets 30 days after written notice, or less in an emergency; if the tenant does not act, you may do the work and bill the tenant. RCW 59.18.180(1)
- For drug-related activity, gang-related activity, or dangerous activity on the premises that led to the tenant's arrest, you may go directly to an eviction suit. RCW 59.18.180(3) to (5)
- Four or more cured violations in 12 months, each with a written warning, allow ending the tenancy at the end of the term on at least 60 days' notice. RCW 59.18.650(2)(n)
Eviction process
A landlord may end a tenancy only for a cause the just cause statute lists, after the notice that cause requires, except that certain fixed terms may end without cause when they expire. The eviction is an unlawful detainer suit in superior court, where the court sets a show cause hearing 7 to 30 days after the order is served; if you win, a writ of restitution issues and the sheriff removes the tenant.
RCW 59.18.650 RCW 59.18.370 RCW 59.18.410
More detail (6)
- The sheriff serves the writ and may not carry it out for three days afterward. RCW 59.18.390(1)
- In a nonpayment case, the tenant can keep the tenancy by paying the rent, costs, lease late fees of up to $75 and any awarded attorneys' fees before judgment or within five court days after it, plus $50 for each reinstatement in the prior 12 months. RCW 59.18.410(2)
- The court may stay the writ for up to 90 days on a payment plan, unless the tenant received three or more valid pay or vacate notices in the prior 12 months. RCW 59.18.410(3)
- Subject to available funding, the court must appoint a lawyer for an indigent tenant. RCW 59.18.640
- The court may not award the landlord attorneys' fees on a default judgment, or when the rent awarded is no more than two months' rent or $1,200, whichever is greater. RCW 59.18.290(3)
- If the tenant cannot be personally served after three attempts over two days, the summons may be posted and mailed, but the court can then only restore possession, not award money. RCW 59.18.055
The lease names the superior or district court of the county where the home is and states the appointed counsel right and that removal needs a court order.
Property left behind
When a tenant who owes rent abandons the unit, you may take and store the tenant's property in a reasonably secure place. Make reasonable efforts to send notice, by first-class mail to the last known address and any other known address, naming you, where the property is stored and the date of sale or disposal, and telling the tenant of the right to get it back first.
More detail (5)
- Return the property if the tenant asks in writing before the sale and pays the actual or reasonable moving and storage costs, whichever is less. RCW 59.18.310(2)
- You may sell or dispose of the property 45 days after the notice is mailed or delivered, or after seven days if its total value is $250 or less; personal papers, family pictures and keepsakes always get the 45 days. RCW 59.18.310(2)
- Hold any sale proceeds beyond what the tenant owes for one year for the tenant. RCW 59.18.310(2)
- After an eviction, you must store the property if the tenant asks in writing within three days after the writ is served; otherwise it may go on the nearest public property. Stored property worth more than $250 may be sold 30 days after notice of sale. RCW 59.18.312(1), (3)
- When a tenant who lived alone dies, a separate section governs the property. RCW 59.18.310(3) RCW 59.18.595
The lease's abandonment clause promises to handle property left behind as the law requires, with no self-help repossession, and to store it for at least the number of days the lease sets.
Small claims court
The small claims department of district court hears claims for money only, up to $10,000 when brought by an individual and $5,000 in other cases, such as by a company. Evictions are not heard there.
More detail (2)
- Eviction suits go to superior court. RCW 59.18.370
- An out-of-state landlord sued in small claims for a violation of chapter 59.18 gets at least 60 days to appear. RCW 59.18.060(16)
More Washington rules
Unauthorized occupants and title claims
An ownership claim, a tenant dispute and unauthorized entry require different assessments. Do not assume everyone without a current written lease can be removed through the same process, or that time in a home alone creates ownership. Preserve the actual agreements, permission and possession history.
RCW 9A.52.105: unauthorized-person removal RCW 7.28.070: color of title and taxes
More detail (4)
- Washington provides a declaration route for requesting law-enforcement investigation and removal, subject to statutory conditions. The declaration includes ownership or agency, unlawful unauthorized entry or remaining, a demand to leave, premises not abandoned or open to the public at entry, and no tenancy or homeowner-on-title status within the previous twelve months. Use the prescribed form and verify every required statement; it is signed under penalty of perjury and false statements can lead to liability. RCW 9A.52.105: unauthorized-person removal
- A declaration does not guarantee removal. The officer needs the required probable cause and must give occupants a reasonable opportunity to present credible evidence of tenancy, lawful occupancy or guest/invitee status, then consider it. The statute does not authorize removing a person entitled to occupy under a rental agreement or that person’s guests. Keep ordinary tenant court-order and utility protections in view. RCW 9A.52.105: unauthorized-person removal See Lockouts and utility shutoffs
- The real-property recovery statute provides a ten-year period. A separate seven-year route requires actual, open and notorious possession, good-faith claim and color of title, continued possession and payment of all legally assessed taxes for that period, with the claim bounded by the paper title. A time period is not a substitute for proving the applicable requirements; possession, permission, boundaries and title history need assessment together. RCW 4.16.020: real-property recovery period RCW 7.28.070: color of title and taxes
- Keep the deed, leases, permissions, payments, notices, dated photos, communications and any court papers together. Arrange lawful checks and secure access for vacant property. If status or ownership is disputed, obtain help choosing the correct route before taking action, and preserve the existing tenant protections against personal lockouts or utility shutoffs. RCW 59.18.290(1) RCW 59.18.300 See Eviction process
Local rules
Rent control and local rules
Partly readCities and towns may not regulate the amount of rent on private housing, except for publicly owned or managed property, low-income housing under public-private agreements, and rent agreements a city makes with private owners. The statewide limit on increases applies everywhere. Cities have their own rules on other subjects. Selected Seattle deposit rules are covered in Security deposit limit, housing-cost notice guidance in Rent increases, and criminal-history enforcement guidance in Fair housing; other city rules were not reviewed here.
More detail (2)
- Local governments may require relocation assistance for low-income tenants, and may inspect rentals. RCW 59.18.440 RCW 59.18.125
- See Rent increases for the statewide limit. RCW 59.18.700 See Rent increases
When the property is in Seattle, the lease adds a City of Seattle box with the city's late fee, increase notice, deposit, fee and installment rules as the city's own pages state them.
Seattle has additional rental rules. Selected city security deposit, move-in fee and pet deposit rules are covered in Security deposit limit. Selected criminal-history enforcement guidance is covered in Fair housing. Other Seattle rules, including late fees, increase notices, handbook, registration and reasons for ending a tenancy, were not newly reviewed for this page.
Seattle Municipal Code 7.24.035 Seattle Municipal Code 7.24.038
Other cities and counties may have rental registration, inspection, relocation assistance or tenant protection rules of their own. None was read for this page; check the codes where the property is located.
Washington landlord questions
Is there a limit on security deposits in Washington?
No statewide limit. Washington controls how a deposit is taken instead: the lease must be in writing, you must give a signed move-in checklist first, and on written request the tenant may pay it in installments. Some cities set their own limits.
Can I take a deposit without a move-in checklist?
No. A deposit may be collected only with a written lease and a written checklist describing the unit's condition, signed and dated by you and the tenant. Collecting one without it makes you liable to the tenant for the amount of the deposit.
How long do I have to return a deposit?
30 days after the lease ends and the tenant moves out. Send a full and specific statement of what you kept and why, with estimates or invoices, and any refund. Missing the deadline makes you liable for the whole deposit, and up to twice the deposit for an intentional refusal.
When can I charge a late fee, and how much?
Not until rent is more than five days late; after that the fee can run from the day after the due date. Chapter 59.18 sets no limit on the amount a lease states, but an eviction judgment can include at most $75 in late fees in total. Payments go to rent first.
How much notice do I need to give before entering?
At least two days' written notice stating the date and time or a window, and a phone number for objections, and entry only at reasonable times. One day's notice is enough to show the unit. No notice is needed in an emergency.
How much can I raise the rent, and with how much notice?
Give at least 90 days' written notice of any increase, on the statutory form, and it cannot take effect before the lease term ends. Unless an exemption applies, there is no increase in the first 12 months and no more than 7 percent plus inflation or 10 percent, whichever is less, in any 12 months.
What notice do I give for unpaid rent?
A 14-day notice to pay or vacate on the statutory form, served in person, by leaving it with a suitable person and mailing it, or by posting and mailing. Allow five more days when a copy goes by mail.
Can I end a month-to-month tenancy without a reason?
Generally no. A landlord may end a periodic tenancy only for a cause the just cause statute lists, with the notice that cause requires. The tenant can leave on 20 days' written notice before the end of a rental period.
Can a tenant break a lease early in Washington?
Yes, in several cases, including domestic violence, sexual assault, unlawful harassment or stalking with an order or a qualified third party's record, military orders on 20 days' notice, and your failure to make required repairs. A tenant who abandons the unit owes the lesser of the rest of the term's rent or the rent until it is re-rented plus any shortfall and re-renting costs.
RCW 59.18.575 RCW 59.18.220(2) RCW 59.18.090(1) RCW 59.18.310(1)(b)
Can I change the locks or shut off utilities to get a tenant out?
No. Removing or excluding a tenant needs a court order, and intentionally cutting utilities can cost up to $100 a day plus damages and attorneys' fees.
What can I charge for a bounced rent check?
A reasonable handling fee; the statute sets no dollar figure. If the check is still unpaid 15 days after you send a notice of dishonor, collection costs of up to $40 or the face amount, whichever is less, and interest may also be owed. You may refuse that tenant's personal checks for nine months.
What do I do with belongings a tenant leaves behind?
Store them securely and mail notice of where they are and when they will be sold. You may sell or dispose of them 45 days after the notice, or after seven days if they are worth $250 or less, except personal papers, family pictures and keepsakes.
Does Washington have rent control?
Cities and towns may not control the amount of rent on private housing, but a statewide law limits increases to 7 percent plus inflation or 10 percent, whichever is less, in any 12 months, with exemptions such as units 12 years old or newer.
Does Seattle have its own security deposit limit?
Yes. Seattle generally limits the security deposit plus nonrefundable move-in fees to one full month's rent in total. The city allows a separate pet damage deposit of up to 25% of that rent, with no pet deposit for an assistance animal. Section 7.24.035 has an exception for a housing unit in a single-family residence that is the owner's principal residence. City installment rules also apply; check the detailed rules above.
Seattle Municipal Code 7.24.035 Seattle Municipal Code 7.24.038
Statutes read for this page
- Chapter 59.18 RCW, Residential Landlord-Tenant ActRead in full (every section scanned; cited sections read word for word)
- RCW 59.12.030 and 59.12.040, unlawful detainer and service of noticesBoth sections read in full
- RCW 62A.3-515, dishonored checksSection read in full
- RCW 43.44.110, smoke detection devicesSection read in full
- RCW 49.60.222, fair housingSection read in full; 49.60.030 in part
- RCW 35.21.830, rent control preemptionSection read in full
- RCW 12.40.010, small claimsSection read in full
- Selected Washington deposit provisions and Seattle deposit rules refreshed2026-10-14Current RCW59.18.260,.270,.280 and Seattle7.24.032,.035,.038 operative text/history; no broader state/local recertification.
- Seattle Office for Civil Rights: criminal history protectionsFull useful HTML body and June 6, 2023 enforcement update read October 15, 2026. Full ordinance, administrative rules, exceptions and court opinion not independently reviewed. RCW 59.18.257 also reread in full.
- Eviction dissemination orders and consumer-report limitsFull RCW 59.18.367 and 19.182.040, with displayed history and notes, read October 15, 2026. Selected reporting provisions only; no fresh federal, local, whole-chapter or case-law review.
- Selected victim-protection definitions and proceduresSelected follow-up October 15, 2026: complete current official RCW59.18.575(1)-(6), including the model report, history and notes, and59.18.570(1)-(9), history and notes read. Section575 shows2022c196s5 effectiveJuly1,2022; section570 shows2021c215s154. Added only selected victim, report, rent/deposit, lock and privilege qualifications. Incorporated crime, protection-order and professional definitions,43.31.605 program eligibility, remaining chapter, federal law, cases and local rules were not freshly reviewed. Broader September24 checked_on retained.
Not read for this page (7)
- City and county codes beyond the selected Seattle deposit provisions, and the full Seattle Fair Chance Housing ordinance and administrative rules.
- The Department of Commerce's published rent increase percentage for the current year.
- RCW 19.27.530, on carbon monoxide alarms.
- Court rules for superior court eviction cases and the rest of the small claims chapter.
- The rest of the state civil rights law's definitions and enforcement sections.
- Federal law: the lead-based paint disclosure, the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act and the federal Fair Housing Act.
- The landlord mitigation program statute.