Washington Landlord-Tenant Law Guide

Security deposits

Maximum amount

No statewide maximum for apartments and houses. A deposit may be collected only under a written rental agreement and with a move-in condition checklist signed and dated by both parties; without the checklist, the landlord is liable for the full deposit (RCW 59.18.260). On written request, tenants may pay deposits, nonrefundable fees and last month’s rent in installments (3 monthly payments for terms of 3 months or more, 2 otherwise) unless deposits and fees total no more than 25% of the first month’s rent and last month’s rent is not required (RCW 59.18.610). Manufactured/mobile home lots are different: for agreements entered into on or after May 7, 2025, move-in fees and deposits combined may not exceed 1 month’s rent (2 months with pets) (RCW 59.20.170).

Return deadline

30 days after the tenancy ends and the tenant vacates, or 30 days after the landlord learns of an abandonment. The statement and any refund may be delivered personally or mailed first-class to the tenant’s last known address. A landlord who misses the deadline owes the full deposit (RCW 59.18.280).

Itemized deduction requirements

The landlord must give a full and specific statement of the basis for keeping any part of the deposit, with estimates or paid invoices for damage charges, and the time spent and hourly rate for work done by the landlord or staff. No deductions for ordinary wear, for carpet cleaning without documented wear beyond ordinary use, or for items whose condition was not recorded on the move-in checklist. A court may award up to 2 times the deposit for an intentional refusal to give the statement, documentation or refund (RCW 59.18.280). Deposits must be held in a trust account at a financial institution or licensed escrow agent in Washington (RCW 59.18.270).

Notice requirements

Entry notice

At least 2 days’ written notice, stating the date and exact time or a date range with the earliest and latest possible times, plus a phone number for objections or rescheduling. 1 day’s notice to show the unit to prospective tenants or buyers. Entry only at reasonable times. No notice is required in an emergency or for abandonment (RCW 59.18.150).

Lease termination notice

Tenants end a month-to-month tenancy with at least 20 days’ written notice before the end of a rental period (RCW 59.18.200). Landlords need a just cause listed in RCW 59.18.650 to end most tenancies, including month-to-month. Exceptions: a landlord may end an initial 6–12 month term that would roll into month-to-month, or a fixed term of 12 months or more that has never been month-to-month, with at least 60 days’ written notice before the term ends. Other fixed-term leases become month-to-month when they expire.

Rent increase notice

At least 90 days’ written notice for any rent increase, on a form substantially the same as the statutory Rent and Fee Increase Notice, served under RCW 59.12.040 (RCW 59.18.140, 59.18.720). In a fixed-term lease, the increase cannot take effect before the term ends. Subsidized tenancies where rent is based on household income need 30 days’ notice. Some cities require longer notice.

Rent rules

Rent control

Statewide rent stabilization took effect May 7, 2025 (HB 1217, RCW 59.18.700). Landlords may not raise rent during the first 12 months of a tenancy, and later increases may not exceed 7% plus CPI or 10%, whichever is less, in any 12-month period. The cap covers all recurring and periodic charges, not only base rent. The Department of Commerce publishes the limit each year: 9.683% for 2026 and 10% for 2027. Exempt: units whose first certificate of occupancy was issued 12 or fewer years before the notice, certain public, nonprofit and tax-credit housing, and some owner-occupied properties (a shared kitchen or bath with the owner, a single-family home where the owner rents out no more than 2 units or bedrooms such as an ADU, or a duplex to fourplex where the owner lives in a unit), unless the owner is a REIT, a corporation or an LLC with a corporate member (RCW 59.18.710). Tenants and the Attorney General can sue for excess rent plus up to 3 months of the unlawful charges, and the Attorney General can seek up to $7,500 per violation. Manufactured/mobile home lots have a separate 5% cap (chapter 59.20 RCW). The law expires July 1, 2040. Seattle, Tacoma, Spokane and some other cities add local rules.

Late fee regulations

No statewide dollar or percentage cap for apartments and houses. A landlord may not charge a late fee for rent paid within 5 days after the due date; after that, fees may run from the first day after the due date (RCW 59.18.170). Late fees are not rent (RCW 59.18.030), and the 14-day pay-or-vacate notice may list only rent, utilities and other recurring or periodic charges in the lease (RCW 59.18.057). Manufactured/mobile home lots have separate caps of 2%, 3%, then 5% of monthly rent (RCW 59.20.060). Some cities set lower limits.

Payment methods

Landlords must accept personal checks, cashier’s checks and money orders, and must allow payment by mail unless there is an accessible on-site payment location. A landlord may refuse personal checks from a tenant whose check bounced or was drawn on a closed account in the past 9 months. Cash may be refused; if accepted, the landlord must give a receipt, and must give a written receipt for other payments on request (RCW 59.18.063). A tenant whose main income is a monthly government benefit paid after the due date may set a due date up to 5 days later (RCW 59.18.170).

Eviction process

Notice to quit / cure period

14-day notice to pay rent or vacate, in the statutory form (RCW 59.18.057, 59.12.030); the Attorney General publishes it in multiple languages. 10-day notice to comply or vacate for other lease violations; 3-day notice to quit for waste, nuisance or unlawful activity. Other just causes in RCW 59.18.650 carry longer notices, such as 90 days for owner move-in or the sale of a single-family home. If a notice is served by mail, 5 more days must pass before filing (RCW 59.12.040).

Court filing

Unlawful detainer case in superior court. The tenant receives a summons with a written response deadline, and the court sets a show cause hearing (RCW 59.18.365, 59.18.370). Courts must appoint a lawyer for indigent tenants (on public assistance or with income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level), subject to state funding (RCW 59.18.640). The eviction resolution pilot program expired July 1, 2023.

Estimated timeline

No statutory timeline. With the 14-day notice (19 days if mailed), the court process and the sheriff’s 3-day wait after serving the writ of restitution (RCW 59.18.390), an uncontested nonpayment case rarely takes less than a month. Contested cases can take several months.

Maintenance & habitability

Implied warranty of habitability

Yes, by statute. Landlords must keep the premises fit for human habitation and meet the duties in RCW 59.18.060, including structural components, weathertightness, heat and hot water, electrical and plumbing systems, locks, smoke detection devices and pest control at the start of the tenancy.

Repair response requirements

After the tenant’s written notice, the landlord must start repairs within 24 hours for loss of hot or cold water, heat or electricity, or a condition that is an immediate danger to life; within 72 hours for loss of a refrigerator, range and oven, or a major plumbing fixture the landlord supplies; and within 10 days in all other cases (RCW 59.18.070).

Tenant remedies

A tenant who is current on rent and utilities (RCW 59.18.080) and has given written notice may move out and end the agreement, or go to court or arbitration (RCW 59.18.090). Repair and deduct is allowed after the waiting period: up to 2 months’ rent per repair (and per 12 months) using a licensed or registered contractor, or up to 1 month’s rent for work the tenant does (RCW 59.18.100). For conditions that threaten health or safety and are certified by a local inspector, the tenant may pay rent into escrow (RCW 59.18.115).

Lease requirements

Required disclosures

• Name and address of the landlord or agent; an out-of-state landlord must name an agent who lives in the county (RCW 59.18.060)
• Move-in condition checklist, signed and dated by both parties, before any deposit is collected (RCW 59.18.260)
• Deposit receipt and written notice of the name and address of the bank or escrow agent holding it (RCW 59.18.270)
• Fire safety and smoke detection notice signed by both parties; apartment buildings add sprinkler, fire alarm, smoking policy and evacuation information (RCW 59.18.060)
• Department of Health mold information at lease signing (RCW 59.18.060)
• Lead-based paint disclosure (pre-1978 buildings, federal law)
• Tenant screening criteria notice before screening, naming any consumer reporting agency used and whether reusable screening reports are accepted (RCW 59.18.257)
• Rent and Fee Increase Notice on the statutory form with every rent increase (RCW 59.18.720)
• Fee in lieu of deposit disclosure form, if that option is offered (RCW 59.18.670)
• Flood hazard and renter’s insurance disclosures for leases entered into after December 31, 2026 (RCW 59.18.060)
• Written privacy policy for app or biometric smart access entry systems, from January 1, 2027 (RCW 59.18.755)

Lease term requirements

No statutory limit on lease length. Fixed-term leases become month-to-month when they expire unless an exception in RCW 59.18.650 applies. Payment terms and other conditions may not be more burdensome for month-to-month agreements than for fixed terms, or the reverse, and rent for the same unit may differ by no more than 5% between lease types (RCW 59.18.700). Seattle, Tacoma, Spokane and some other cities have stricter local rules on notices, fees and deposits.

Required clauses

A deposit requires a written rental agreement that states the terms for withholding it (RCW 59.18.260). Nonrefundable fees must be set out in a written agreement and may not be called deposits (RCW 59.18.285). If a landlord restricts window-mounted air conditioners or heat pumps, the lease must state the tenant’s rights and the restrictions (RCW 59.18.740, effective June 11, 2026).

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