Washington landlord tenant law: the rules a landlord meets

Washington security deposit law

Most you can take

No cap in statuteNo statute sets this

Back to the tenant within

30 daysRCW 59.18.280(1)30 days after termination and vacating, with a full statement of reasons and copies of estimates or invoices for damage charges.

Rent and late fees

Late fee

No statute caps itRCW 59.18.170(2)

Grace period before a fee

5 daysRCW 59.18.170(2)

Washington rent increase laws and rent control

Notice before a rent increase

90 daysRCW 59.18.140(3); RCW 59.18.700; RCW 59.18.710; RCW 35.21.830The cap took effect May 7, 2025 and expires July 1, 2040, with exemptions for new buildings and some other housing; subsidized tenancies need only 30 days' notice. Cities may not adopt their own rent control.

Rent control

Statewide capRCW 59.18.140(3); RCW 59.18.700; RCW 59.18.710; RCW 35.21.830

Cap on the increase

7% plus CPI or 10% a year, whichever is less, and no increase in the first 12 monthsRCW 59.18.140(3); RCW 59.18.700; RCW 59.18.710; RCW 35.21.830

Entering the property: notice to the tenant

Notice before you enter

48 hoursRCW 59.18.150(6)

Ending a tenancy and eviction notices

Ending a month-to-month tenancy

90 daysRCW 59.18.650A landlord may end a periodic tenancy only for a cause listed in RCW 59.18.650(2); 90 days' notice applies to the owner moving in or selling a single-family home, other causes carry their own notice periods.

Unpaid rent

14 daysRCW 59.12.030(3); RCW 59.18.057; RCW 59.12.040“14-day notice to pay rent or vacate”Paying in full within the period stops itThe notice must follow the statutory form. If it is served by mail, five more days must pass before the suit is filed.

Another breach of the lease

10 daysRCW 59.12.030(4), (5); RCW 59.18.650“10-day notice to comply or vacate”The tenant can fix the breach within the periodThe tenant can save the tenancy by performing the broken condition within the 10 days. Waste, nuisance and unlawful business call for a 3-day notice to quit instead, and every termination must also rest on a cause listed in the just-cause statute.

Lockouts and shutoffs

Banned: lockouts and utility shutoffsRCW 59.18.290(1); RCW 59.18.300

The Washington eviction process, step by step

Disclosures a Washington lease has to carry

• A deposit may be taken only under a written lease stating when it may be withheld, with a signed and dated move-in checklist describing the unit's condition. (RCW 59.18.260)
• Any nonrefundable fee must be in a written rental agreement that clearly says it is nonrefundable, and it may not be called a deposit. (RCW 59.18.285)
• At signing, give a signed written notice on the smoke detector and the tenant's duty to maintain it, and for multi-unit buildings, on sprinklers, fire alarms, smoking policy and emergency plans. (RCW 59.18.060(12))
• At signing, give the Department of Health's information on indoor mold hazards and how to control mold. (RCW 59.18.060(14))
• State the name and address of the landlord in the rental agreement or a posted notice, and an in-county agent if the landlord lives out of state. (RCW 59.18.060(16))