Washington landlord and tenant rules

Seayora publishes 18 Washington rules, covering security deposits, notice periods, late fees, applications, evictions, rent regulation, fair housing, tenant protections, repairs, contractor sales tax. Every one is composed from the statute it cites and links to that statute on the state’s own code site.

Washington at a glance

RuleWashington
How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Washington?30 days
How many days does a tenant get to pay late rent in Washington?14 days to pay
How much notice does a landlord have to give before entering in Washington?48 hours
How much notice does a landlord have to give before raising the rent in Washington?90 days
Is there a grace period for paying rent in Washington?5 days
How much can a landlord charge for a rental application fee in Washington?Actual cost, no more than the local screening rate
Can a landlord change the locks to force a tenant out in Washington?A landlord who locks out, removes property or cuts utilities is liable for up to $100 per day plus costs and attorney fees.
Does a landlord need a reason to evict a tenant in Washington?Washington requires a statutory cause for every termination of a residential tenancy.
How long does a tenant have to respond to an eviction case in Washington?The summons gives at least seven days to respond.
What are the steps to evict a tenant for unpaid rent in Washington?Serve the statutory 14-day pay-or-vacate notice
Is there rent control in Washington?Statewide: 9.683% for 2026
Can a landlord refuse a Section 8 voucher in Washington?Protected: a landlord may not refuse one
Can a landlord retaliate against a tenant for complaining in Washington?Presumed within 90 days
Can a tenant repair and deduct from rent in Washington?Up to two months’ rent a year with a contractor
Do contractors charge sales tax in Washington?Retailer
Is a capital improvement exempt from sales tax in Washington?Not exempt
Is appliance repair taxable in Washington?Taxable, with the parts
Is contractor labor taxable in Washington?Taxable — residential and commercial

Security deposits in Washington

How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Washington?

In Washington, a landlord has 30 days after the tenancy ends to return the security deposit, together with an itemised statement of any deductions. 30 days since 27 July 2023 (was 21). This is RCW 59.18.280.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Notice periods in Washington

How many days does a tenant get to pay late rent in Washington?

In Washington, before starting a nonpayment case a landlord must serve a written notice giving the tenant 14 days to pay the rent due. This is RCW 59.18.140(3), 59.18.150, 59.18.650, 59.12.030.

Rent increases need 90 days' written notice since 7 May 2025 (HB 1217), which also caps most annual increases. A landlord may end a tenancy only for one of the causes listed in RCW 59.18.650, each with its own notice, so no single period is published; a tenant ends a month-to-month tenancy with 20 days' notice before the end of a month. Entry: 2 days. Late rent: 14-day pay-or-vacate.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

How much notice does a landlord have to give before entering in Washington?

In Washington, a landlord must give 48 hours notice before entering an occupied rental, other than in an emergency. This is RCW 59.18.140(3), 59.18.150, 59.18.650, 59.12.030.

Rent increases need 90 days' written notice since 7 May 2025 (HB 1217), which also caps most annual increases. A landlord may end a tenancy only for one of the causes listed in RCW 59.18.650, each with its own notice, so no single period is published; a tenant ends a month-to-month tenancy with 20 days' notice before the end of a month. Entry: 2 days. Late rent: 14-day pay-or-vacate.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

How much notice does a landlord have to give before raising the rent in Washington?

In Washington, a landlord must give 90 days written notice before raising the rent. This is RCW 59.18.140(3), 59.18.150, 59.18.650, 59.12.030.

Rent increases need 90 days' written notice since 7 May 2025 (HB 1217), which also caps most annual increases. A landlord may end a tenancy only for one of the causes listed in RCW 59.18.650, each with its own notice, so no single period is published; a tenant ends a month-to-month tenancy with 20 days' notice before the end of a month. Entry: 2 days. Late rent: 14-day pay-or-vacate.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Late fees in Washington

Is there a grace period for paying rent in Washington?

Yes. In Washington, a landlord may not charge a late fee for rent paid within five days of its due date. Once the rent is more than five days late, late fees may run from the first day after the due date. The statute sets no maximum. This is RCW 59.18.170.

Once the rent is more than five days late, late fees may run from the first day after the due date. The statute sets no maximum.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Applications in Washington

How much can a landlord charge for a rental application fee in Washington?

In Washington, a landlord who screens applicants itself may charge only its actual costs of obtaining the background information — no more than a screening service customarily charges in the area — and only after giving the written notice the statute requires. A violation can cost the landlord up to $100 plus attorney fees and court costs. This is RCW 59.18.257(1).

A violation can cost the landlord up to $100 plus attorney fees and court costs.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Evictions in Washington

Can a landlord change the locks to force a tenant out in Washington?

No. A landlord who locks out, removes property or cuts utilities is liable for up to $100 per day plus costs and attorney fees. RCW 59.18.290, 59.18.300. In Washington a tenant may be removed only through the court process, which is set by RCW 59.18.057, 59.18.650, 59.12.030, 59.18.365, 59.18.290.

Washington mandates the FORM of the 14-day pay-or-vacate notice, including a resource list in several languages. A notice that is not in the statutory form is void. The county eviction resolution pilot program that used to be a pre-filing step ended on 30 June 2023.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Does a landlord need a reason to evict a tenant in Washington?

Yes, for most tenancies. Washington requires a statutory cause for every termination of a residential tenancy. RCW 59.18.650. In Washington the eviction procedure itself is set by RCW 59.18.057, 59.18.650, 59.12.030, 59.18.365, 59.18.290.

Washington mandates the FORM of the 14-day pay-or-vacate notice, including a resource list in several languages. A notice that is not in the statutory form is void. The county eviction resolution pilot program that used to be a pre-filing step ended on 30 June 2023.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

How long does a tenant have to respond to an eviction case in Washington?

In Washington, the time a tenant has to respond to an eviction case is governed by RCW 59.18.057, 59.18.650, 59.12.030, 59.18.365, 59.18.290. The summons gives at least seven days to respond.

Washington mandates the FORM of the 14-day pay-or-vacate notice, including a resource list in several languages. A notice that is not in the statutory form is void. The county eviction resolution pilot program that used to be a pre-filing step ended on 30 June 2023.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

What are the steps to evict a tenant for unpaid rent in Washington?

In Washington, an eviction for unpaid rent runs through 5 steps, each set by the statute or court rule beside it: (1) Serve the statutory 14-day pay-or-vacate notice — RCW 59.18.057; (2) File and serve the summons and complaint — RCW 59.18.365; (3) The tenant’s response — RCW 59.18.365; (4) Show cause hearing — RCW 59.18.410; (5) Writ of restitution — RCW 59.12.100. Washington mandates the FORM of the 14-day pay-or-vacate notice, including a resource list in several languages. A notice that is not in the statutory form is void. The county eviction resolution pilot program that used to be a pre-filing step ended on 30 June 2023. Seattle adds requirements of its own. The procedure as a whole is set by RCW 59.18.057, 59.18.650, 59.12.030, 59.18.365, 59.18.290.

Washington mandates the FORM of the 14-day pay-or-vacate notice, including a resource list in several languages. A notice that is not in the statutory form is void. The county eviction resolution pilot program that used to be a pre-filing step ended on 30 June 2023.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Rent regulation in Washington

Is there rent control in Washington?

Yes. In Washington, a landlord may not raise the rent during the first 12 months of a tenancy, and after that by no more than 7% plus the Seattle-area Consumer Price Index or 10%, whichever is less, in any 12-month period, which is 9.683% for 2026, with at least 90 days’ written notice. Units whose first certificate of occupancy was issued 12 or fewer years before the notice, many nonprofit and public housing units, and some owner-occupied homes and small buildings are exempt. This is RCW 59.18.700, 59.18.710.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Fair housing in Washington

Can a landlord refuse a Section 8 voucher in Washington?

No, not in most cases. In Washington, a landlord may not refuse to rent to a tenant, or set different terms, based on the tenant’s source of income. A landlord may refuse when the source of income depends on the unit passing an inspection, the written estimate of repairs needed to pass is more than $1,500, and the landlord has not received money from the state’s landlord mitigation program for them. This is RCW 59.18.255.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Tenant protections in Washington

Can a landlord retaliate against a tenant for complaining in Washington?

No. In Washington, a landlord who starts an eviction, raises the rent or takes another listed action within 90 days after a tenant’s good-faith complaint or the government inspection it prompted is presumed to be retaliating. The presumption runs the other way if the tenant was behind on rent or in breach of the lease when the termination notice was given. Separately, the federal Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful to threaten or interfere with anyone for exercising fair housing rights. This is RCW 59.18.240, 59.18.250.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Repairs in Washington

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.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Contractor sales tax in Washington

Do contractors charge sales tax in Washington?

In Washington a contractor is treated as the RETAILER of what they install in real property. That means the contractor buys the materials tax-free on a resale certificate and charges the customer sales tax on the job. Washington also has county, city or special-district rates on top of the state rate, so the rate depends on where the job site is, not where the contractor is based. Source: RCW 82.04.050(2)(b); WAC 458-20-170 (constructing, repairing or improving real property for a consumer is a retail sale).

Washington is the clearest retailer state: the entire contract — labor, materials, overhead and profit — is one taxable retail sale, and the contractor buys materials on resale. Retailing B&O tax also applies to the same receipts and is a separate liability this row does not compute. Public road and government work has its own treatment.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Is a capital improvement exempt from sales tax in Washington?

No. Washington does not exempt capital improvements to real property the way most states do. Work that would be exempt elsewhere is taxable here. A capital improvement is a permanent addition that becomes part of the property; a repair restores something to working order and is treated differently. Source: RCW 82.04.050(2)(b); WAC 458-20-170 (constructing, repairing or improving real property for a consumer is a retail sale).

Washington is the clearest retailer state: the entire contract — labor, materials, overhead and profit — is one taxable retail sale, and the contractor buys materials on resale. Retailing B&O tax also applies to the same receipts and is a separate liability this row does not compute. Public road and government work has its own treatment.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Is appliance repair taxable in Washington?

Yes. Washington taxes the LABOR on repairs to tangible personal property — an appliance, a boiler or a unit that never becomes part of the building — as well as the parts. This is a different question from work on the real property itself: the same technician on the same visit can be doing taxable work on an appliance and differently treated work on the structure, and the invoice has to tell them apart. Source: RCW 82.04.050(2)(b); WAC 458-20-170 (constructing, repairing or improving real property for a consumer is a retail sale).

Washington is the clearest retailer state: the entire contract — labor, materials, overhead and profit — is one taxable retail sale, and the contractor buys materials on resale. Retailing B&O tax also applies to the same receipts and is a separate liability this row does not compute. Public road and government work has its own treatment.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Is contractor labor taxable in Washington?

Yes. Washington taxes the LABOR on repair and maintenance work to real property, on both residential and commercial jobs. Repair and maintenance is not the same thing as a capital improvement — the classification of the job is what decides the tax, not the wording on the invoice. Source: RCW 82.04.050(2)(b); WAC 458-20-170 (constructing, repairing or improving real property for a consumer is a retail sale).

Washington is the clearest retailer state: the entire contract — labor, materials, overhead and profit — is one taxable retail sale, and the contractor buys materials on resale. Retailing B&O tax also applies to the same receipts and is a separate liability this row does not compute. Public road and government work has its own treatment.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Sources

  • RCW 59.18.057, 59.18.650, 59.12.030, 59.18.365, 59.18.290
  • RCW 59.18.100
  • RCW 59.18.140(3), 59.18.150, 59.18.650, 59.12.030
  • RCW 59.18.170
  • RCW 59.18.240, 59.18.250
  • RCW 59.18.255
  • RCW 59.18.257(1)
  • RCW 59.18.280
  • RCW 59.18.700, 59.18.710
  • RCW 82.04.050(2)(b); WAC 458-20-170 (constructing, repairing or improving real property for a consumer is a retail sale).

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.

This is a summary of the published procedure, not legal advice. Courts, local rules and the facts of a tenancy change what applies, and a defect in a notice or a filing can end a case. Have a lawyer review anything before it is served or filed.

This is a summary of a state’s published guidance, not tax or legal advice. Rates and rules change, local jurisdictions add their own, and the treatment of a specific job depends on the contract and the work. Check the citation and speak to a CPA or a state tax adviser before relying on it.

How Seayora uses these rules

Security deposits. Seayora computes the deadline this rule sets from the tenancy’s own dates, shows it on the deposit statement, and reminds the landlord before it falls due — so the answer above is not reference material sitting beside the product, it is the rule the product enforces.

Notice periods. Seayora computes the notice this rule requires from the tenancy’s own dates — for a renewal offer, a rent increase or a served notice — and will not serve one that is short unless the owner records a reason. The answer above is the rule the product enforces.

Late fees. Seayora charges only the late fee written into the lease, after the grace period the lease sets, and adds no late fee of its own. This page states the statutory ceiling and waiting period so the terms of a lease can be checked against them before it is signed.

Applications. This page states what the state allows a landlord to charge somebody applying to rent, so a fee can be checked against it before it is advertised or collected.

Evictions. Seayora does not file, serve or appear in an eviction, and is not anybody’s lawyer. When a tenant has stopped paying, it lays out these steps for the property’s own state and city with the statute beside each one, holds back any step that would come too early, keeps an append-only record of the case — and shows the resident what would end it, legal-aid links included.

Rent regulation. This page states whether the state lets its cities control rent, and any statewide limit on an increase, so a renewal can be checked before it is offered. In New York City, Seayora’s rent-increase advisor goes further: it computes the highest increase the Rent Guidelines Board order and the Good Cause standard allow for each apartment, with the law cited, and gives no number where the law is not verified.

Fair housing. This page states whether the state protects renters who pay with a housing voucher, so a listing and its screening rules can be checked against it before they are published. Seayora’s rental search assistant never filters homes by how a renter will pay the rent.

Tenant protections. When an owner prepares an eviction in Seayora, it lists any repair request opened on the unit in the last 180 days that is still open, not to stop the case but because the tenant will raise retaliation and the owner should have an answer. Every repair request keeps the date it was filed.

Repairs. 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.

Contractor sales tax. Seayora resolves this rule on every invoice a contractor raises — per line, from the job site’s own address — and prints the rate, the jurisdiction and this citation on the document itself, so the estimate a customer accepts is the invoice they are billed. Where the rule is more nuanced than a single answer, Seayora refuses to guess a total rather than quoting a confident wrong one.

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