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Washington

Washington Landlord-Tenant Laws

Security deposit limits, eviction notices, rent control, and more for Washington.

How we research these summaries

Every rule on this page is drawn from state statutes and municipal codes and summarized with AI assistance. Each one cites the statute it's based on and links to a published text of that law so you can read it firsthand. Where a page says a city or county has no local rule on a topic, that means none was found for the topics covered here — not that none exists. Local governments also regulate rental housing in ways these pages don't track, including registration, licensing, inspections and habitability standards. These summaries may be incomplete or out of date, laws change often, and every property and tenancy has specifics a summary can't capture — so treat this as a starting point for your own research, not as legal advice, and check with the local jurisdiction and a qualified attorney before acting on your particular situation.

What to Know in Washington

Sources last checked September 2026

Washington limits annual rent increases statewide under 2025's HB 1217: none are allowed during a tenancy's first 12 months, and afterward the cap is the lesser of 7% plus the Seattle-area CPI or 10%, recalculated yearly — 9.683% for 2026, a flat 10% for 2027. Any increase needs 90 days' written notice under RCW 59.18.140, served the same way as an eviction notice. The cap doesn't reach every unit: buildings with a certificate of occupancy issued 12 or fewer years before the notice are exempt, and manufactured home lots instead follow a separate flat 5% cap under RCW 59.20.

  • A fee in lieu of a traditional security deposit must be strictly voluntary.
  • A nonrefundable payment must not be designated as a security deposit and must be clearly identified as nonrefundable in a written rental agreement.
  • 14-day notice required before eviction for nonpayment of rent
  • 20-day move-out notice required for month-to-month tenancies
  • For increases effective during calendar year 2026, the Department of Commerce published a maximum annual increase of 9.683% for nonexempt properties covered by RCW 59.18.
5 rules summarized · Each linked to the law it cites

Eviction Notice Requirements

Eviction Notice Requirements

What are the eviction notice requirements in Washington?

Under RCW 59.18.650, Washington requires just cause to evict a tenant, refuse to continue a tenancy, or end a periodic tenancy. Permitted grounds include nonpayment of rent (14-day notice to pay or vacate), material lease violations (10-day notice to cure or vacate), substantial property damage, maintaining a nuisance, criminal activity on the premises, and others enumerated in RCW 59.18.650(2). Landlords must provide at least 14 days' written notice before filing an eviction for nonpayment; the notice must include a statement of the tenant's right to pay and cure. At the end of a fixed-term lease, landlords must provide written notice at least 20 days before the end of the lease period if they do not intend to renew. No-cause eviction of month-to-month tenants is prohibited.

RCW 59.18.650

Rent Control / Rent Increase Caps

Move-Out & Lease Termination Notice

Move-Out & Lease Termination Notice

What is the move-out notice requirement in Washington?

For month-to-month or other periodic tenancies, RCW 59.18.200 requires either the landlord or tenant to provide at least 20 days' written notice preceding the end of the rental period to terminate the tenancy. The notice must be delivered before the last 20 days of the rental period — the day of delivery does not count toward the 20 days. For fixed-term leases, the lease end date serves as termination; the landlord must provide at least 20 days' written notice of non-renewal if they do not intend to continue the tenancy. Under HB 1217 (2025), landlords must also provide at least 90 days' written notice before the end of a lease term if the reason for non-renewal is for purposes that would otherwise constitute a rent increase or material change in tenancy terms.

RCW 59.18.200

Required Landlord Disclosures

Required Landlord Disclosures

What are the required landlord disclosures rules in Washington?

A fee in lieu of a traditional security deposit must be strictly voluntary. The tenant must be offered the traditional deposit alternative, may not be approved or denied based on the choice, and must be allowed to switch to the disclosed deposit amount. The fee must fund insurance for specified landlord losses and may not exceed the cost of obtaining and administering that insurance. The landlord must provide the statutory disclosure with each lease or renewal offering the option.

RCW 59.18.670; 2022 Wash. Laws, ch. 81, § 1
Required Landlord Disclosures

What are the required landlord disclosures rules in Washington?

A nonrefundable payment must not be designated as a security deposit and must be clearly identified as nonrefundable in a written rental agreement. If the agreement does not clearly make the designation, the payment is treated as a refundable security deposit subject to the security-deposit documentation, trust, and return requirements.

RCW 59.18.285

Local Jurisdictions with Additional Rules

Seattle City

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