Washington landlord-tenant law at a glance
Washington landlord-tenant law gives apartment tenants strong protections: a landlord needs one of the just causes listed in RCW 59.18.650 to end a tenancy, and rent increases are capped statewide under HB 1217. Most rules for apartments come from the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act, and evictions run through the unlawful detainer statute in chapter 59.12 RCW.
Cities such as Seattle add their own ordinances on top, so the state rules below are the floor, not the whole picture.
| Rule | Washington requirement | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Ending a month-to-month tenancy | Only for a listed just cause; 3 to 120 days’ notice depending on the cause | RCW 59.18.650 |
| Nonpayment of rent | 14-day notice to pay or vacate, on the Attorney General’s form | RCW 59.12.030(3) |
| Rent increase notice | 90 days’ written notice | RCW 59.18.140 |
| Rent increase cap | 7% plus Seattle-area CPI, or 10%, whichever is lower (9.683% for 2026) | RCW 59.18.700 |
| Security deposit cap | No statutory cap; written agreement and signed move-in checklist required | RCW 59.18.260 |
| Deposit return deadline | 30 days after move-out, with a full and specific statement | RCW 59.18.280 |
| Late fees | None on rent paid within 5 days of the due date; no dollar cap | RCW 59.18.170 |
| Entry notice | 2 days’ written notice; 1 day to show the unit to buyers or renters | RCW 59.18.150 |
How much notice does a landlord have to give in Washington?
It depends on the reason, because Washington has no no-cause termination for most tenancies. RCW 59.18.650 lists the causes a landlord can rely on, and each carries its own notice period. A month-to-month tenancy cannot be ended simply because you want the unit back for a new tenant.
There is one exception for new leases. When an initial lease of 6 to 12 months reaches its end date, the landlord can choose not to continue the tenancy by giving at least 60 days’ notice. After that first term, the tenancy rolls to month-to-month and the just cause rules apply.
- 120 days: the owner plans to demolish, substantially rehabilitate or change the use of the building (RCW 59.18.200).
- 90 days: the owner or an immediate family member will move in, or the owner is selling a single-family home.
- 60 days: other good cause, or four or more qualifying violations in 12 months.
- 30 days: a government order makes the unit uninhabitable, or the tenant made material misstatements on the application.
- 20 days: shared housing where the owner lives in the same unit.
- 14 days: nonpayment of rent, on the required pay-or-vacate form.
- 10 days: a notice to comply with a material lease term, or vacate.
- 3 days: waste, nuisance, unlawful activity or substantial interference with neighbors.
Security deposit rules in Washington
Washington sets no maximum security deposit for apartments, but it is strict about paperwork. Under RCW 59.18.260 you can collect a deposit only with a written rental agreement and a written move-in checklist that both you and the tenant sign. If you skip the checklist, you can be liable to the tenant for the full deposit.
You have 30 days after the tenancy ends and the tenant leaves to return the deposit or send a full and specific statement of why you kept any of it, with copies of invoices or estimates for damage. Miss the deadline and you owe the whole deposit. If a court finds you intentionally refused to return it, it can award up to two times the deposit under RCW 59.18.280.
Landlords can also offer a fee in lieu of a deposit, with a written disclosure, under rules the Attorney General summarizes on its landlord-tenant page. HB 1217’s one-month limit on deposits and move-in fees applies only to manufactured and mobile home lot tenancies, not to apartments.
Late fees and entry rules
A Washington landlord cannot charge a late fee on rent paid within five days of the due date, under RCW 59.18.170. After that grace period the statute sets no dollar limit for apartments, so the fee in your lease controls as long as it is disclosed in the rental agreement. Manufactured home lots have their own caps under HB 1217.
To enter a unit for repairs or inspection, you must give at least two days’ written notice that states the date and either an exact time or a window, plus a phone number the tenant can call to object or reschedule. To show a unit to a buyer or prospective tenant, one day’s notice is enough. Emergencies do not need notice. Plan around these rules when a buyer wants to walk every unit during due diligence.
The eviction process in Washington
An eviction in Washington is a court case called an unlawful detainer. You cannot change locks, remove belongings or shut off utilities to force a tenant out. The case starts only after the right notice has run.
For unpaid rent, the notice is a 14-day pay-or-vacate notice on the form the Attorney General publishes. If the tenant does not pay or leave, you serve a summons and complaint that gives the tenant a deadline to respond in writing, and the court sets a show-cause hearing. If you win, the court issues a writ of restitution. After the sheriff serves the writ, it cannot be carried out for three days under RCW 59.18.390.
Low-income tenants have a right to an appointed lawyer in unlawful detainer cases under RCW 59.18.640. The total time from notice to a sheriff lockout varies by county court calendar, so ask a local attorney for a current estimate before you plan a sale around a vacancy.
Does Washington have rent control?
Yes. HB 1217, chapter 209, Laws of 2025, took effect May 7, 2025 and created Washington’s first statewide rent stabilization law in RCW 59.18.700. A landlord cannot raise rent during the first 12 months of a tenancy, and after that cannot raise it more than 7% plus the Seattle-area consumer price index, or 10%, whichever is lower, in any 12-month period.
The Department of Commerce publishes the cap each year. It is 9.683% for 2026, and because inflation pushed the formula above the ceiling, it is 10% for 2027. Every increase needs 90 days’ written notice under RCW 59.18.140.
The law exempts buildings whose first certificate of occupancy is 12 years old or less, public and nonprofit housing, tax-credit housing and some owner-occupied units, under RCW 59.18.710. It expires July 1, 2040. Manufactured home lots have a lower 5% cap. Our guide to selling a rent-controlled building in Washington explains how the cap affects buyer pricing and what to check in the rent roll before you list.
| Year | Maximum increase in any 12 months | How it was set |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 9.683% | 7% plus the June Seattle-area CPI-U change |
| 2027 | 10% | Formula exceeded the 10% ceiling |
What happens to leases and deposits when you sell
Leases survive a sale in Washington. The buyer takes the building subject to every existing lease and month-to-month tenancy, at the same rent and terms. Selling an apartment building is not one of the just causes in RCW 59.18.650, so you cannot end tenancies just to deliver the property empty. The 90-day sale cause covers only single-family homes.
Deposits move with the building. Under RCW 59.18.270, the deposit money in your trust account must be transferred to the buyer’s trust account at the same time as the sale, and the new owner must promptly tell each tenant about the transfer and give the name, address and location of the new depository. Build the deposit ledger into the closing statement so the transfer is clean.
The rent cap follows the unit, not the owner. A buyer inherits each tenant’s increase history, so the date and size of the last increase on every unit belongs in your rent roll.
Newer buildings need one more document. If your building’s first certificate of occupancy is 12 years old or less, it sits outside the cap today, but the exemption ends once the building passes that age. A buyer will want the certificate date to see how many years of uncapped increases remain, and that window can change what the building is worth to them. Have the certificate, the current rent roll and each tenant’s last increase notice ready before you go to market.
Washington landlord-tenant laws that changed in 2025 and 2026
The biggest change was HB 1217 in 2025. The 2026 session added several smaller rules that apartment owners should know before signing new leases.
- HB 1217 (chapter 209, Laws of 2025), effective May 7, 2025: statewide rent cap, 90-day increase notice and no increases in the first 12 months.
- HB 2664 (chapter 144, Laws of 2026), effective June 11, 2026: changes how unlawful detainer notices, and other notices served the same way, must be served.
- ESSB 6200 (chapter 184, Laws of 2026), effective June 11, 2026: protects renters’ ability to install portable cooling devices such as portable air conditioners.
- Flood disclosure in RCW 59.18.060(13): for leases entered into after December 31, 2026, landlords must disclose if the property may be in a special flood hazard area or an area of potential flooding.
- Smart access systems, RCW 59.18.750 (chapter 55, Laws of 2026), effective January 1, 2027: on request, a landlord must offer a way in that does not rely on biometrics or a phone app, such as a key, fob or keypad code.
Selling a tenant-occupied Washington building to Skyline
Skyline buys apartment buildings with five or more units in Washington, with the tenants in place and the leases as they stand. We buy directly, close on your timeline, and can work inside 1031 deadlines. You do not need to serve notices, raise rents to market or empty units first, and we handle the deposit transfer and tenant notices with escrow at closing.
