Can a tenant repair and deduct from rent in Washington?
Yes, within limits. In Washington, after notice and the required waiting period, a tenant may have a licensed or capable person make a repair and deduct up to two months’ rent per repair and per year after giving the landlord a good-faith estimate, or make a repair personally that costs no more than one month’s rent, up to one month’s rent a year. Each step has to be followed as the statute sets it out, including the written notice and the waiting period, or the deduction can be treated as unpaid rent. This is RCW 59.18.100.
| What | Washington |
|---|---|
| Repair and deduct | Allowed by statute, within a cap |
| Limit | Up to two months’ rent a year with a contractor |
Source
RCW 59.18.100
Read the statute in the Revised Code of Washington (Washington State Legislature): app.leg.wa.gov.
Checked against the statute on October 23, 2026.
This is a summary of a published statute, not legal advice. Rules change, local ordinances can add to them, and the terms of a specific lease may differ. Check the citation and speak to a lawyer before acting.
How Seayora uses this rule
Every deadline on this page runs from the tenant’s notice. A repair request filed in Seayora keeps the date it was made and every update after it, on the website and both phone apps, so owner and tenant are working from the same date.
Guides on this rule
- How Long Does a Landlord Have to Make Repairs? Deadlines by State — Repair deadlines after a tenant’s notice in Washington, Texas, Arizona, Oregon, California and Florida, and what a tenant may do if the landlord misses one.
Compare this rule in every state
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