Washington Landlord Compliance
Everything you're responsible for as a landlord in Washington
Rent control, just-cause eviction, deposits, entry, repairs and recordkeeping, written for people who own or manage a few units, checked against the official sources, and kept current when the rules move.
Jurisdiction
key details
Rent cap · Detail
No increase in first 12 months; thereafter max per 12 months is lesser of 7% + CPI or 10% (Commerce: 9.683% for Jan 1–Dec 31, 2026). Exempt: units ≤12 yrs from first occupancy, subsidized/nonprofit, some owner-occupied. Expires 2040.
Deposit cap · Detail
State law regulates deposit handling but sets no maximum amount; Seattle municipal code limits deposits plus nonrefundable fees to one month's rent.
Rent increase notice · Detail
Minimum 90 days' prior written notice of any rent increase (30 days for income-based subsidized tenancies); transitional 60-day rule for leases predating May 7, 2025. Amended by 2025 c 209 (HB 1217).
City rules · Detail
Cities and counties may not regulate the amount of rent (RCW 35.21.830; 36.01.160), but local just-cause/tenant-protection ordinances exist (Seattle, Tacoma, Burien, Federal Way, Auburn).
Just cause · Detail
Landlord may not evict, refuse to continue, or end a periodic tenancy except for enumerated causes. Exception: initial 6–12-month lease may be ended at term end without cause on 60 days' notice; certain 12-month+ fixed terms may expire.
Return deadline · Detail
Full and specific statement plus any refund within 30 days after termination of the rental agreement and vacation of the premises, or within 30 days after landlord learns of abandonment. Extended from 21 days by 2023 c 331.
Nonpayment notice · Detail
Written notice requiring payment or surrender of the premises; tenant has 14 days after service to pay before an unlawful detainer action may proceed.
What are you trying to do?
Start from the task. Each route gathers the guides, checklists and forms that apply to it in Washington.
Essential local guides
If you're new to owning here, these five cover most of what will come up in your first year.
View All GuidesRenting in an HOA or Condo in Seattle: What Move-In Rules Can the Association Require?
A landlord lines up a tenant, signs the lease, and assumes move-in day is just a matter of handing over keys. Then the building's managing agent asks for an elevator reservation the landlord didn't know existed, a move-in deposit that isn't in the lease, and proof the tenant's dog was cleared with the office. None of that is set by state law. It's set building by building, and getting it wrong costs a delayed move-in, not a legal violation.
Guide
When a Tenant Breaks HOA or Condo Rules in Seattle, Is the Landlord Responsible?
A tenant leaves a bike blocking the hallway for the third time, and the violation letter that follows is addressed to the owner, not the renter. That surprises a lot of landlords who assumed the association would deal with the tenant directly. It generally won't, and understanding why changes how a lease should be written before the first violation ever happens.
Guide
Can a Seattle HOA or Condo Association Approve or Reject Your Tenant?
A landlord who previously owned in a New York co-op assumes the Seattle condo board will run its own tenant interview and approval process the same way. It generally won't. Washington condo and HOA boards don't hold the statutory power to approve or reject a tenant the way a co-op board does, so the actual screening decision, and the legal limits on it, sit almost entirely with the landlord, not the association.
Guide
Can a Seattle HOA or Condo Association Restrict Long-Term Rentals?
An owner buys into a Seattle condo building planning to rent it out within a year, and only later learns the declaration already caps rentals at a fixed number of units, with a waiting list they're now behind on. A block away, a building with no cap at all would need a vote from 90 percent of every owner to add one, a bar so high it rarely happens after the fact. Whether a unit can be rented in Seattle comes down almost entirely to what a specific building's declaration already says, and how hard that declaration is to change.
Guide
Seattle Pet Rent and Junk Fee Ban 2027: Recurring Pet Rent and Several Other Fees End July 1, 2027
A Seattle landlord who built pet rent, a package-room fee, and a payment-processing surcharge into the standard lease now has to unwind all 3. Seattle City Council Bill 121254, passed 8-0 and signed into law by Mayor Katie Wilson, bans a specific list of recurring and junk fees starting July 1, 2027, and requires an all-in cost disclosure wherever a unit is advertised.
Guide
Recent changes
Only substantive changes, not copy edits.
7 May 2025
Statewide rent-increase limits take effect
HB 1217 limits annual rent increases for covered residential and manufactured-home tenancies and adds notice and enforcement rules.
Full Washington collection
Filter by what you're doing or by the kind of resource you need.
| Resource | Type | Task | Reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|
When a Tenant Breaks HOA or Condo Rules in Seattle, Is the Landlord Responsible? A tenant leaves a bike blocking the hallway for the third time, and the violation letter that follows is addressed to the owner, not the renter. That surprises a lot of landlords who assumed the association would deal with the tenant directly. It generally won't, and understanding why changes how a lease should be written before the first violation ever happens. | Guides | Keep the right records | Oct 6, 2026 |
Seattle Pet Rent and Junk Fee Ban 2027: Recurring Pet Rent and Several Other Fees End July 1, 2027 A Seattle landlord who built pet rent, a package-room fee, and a payment-processing surcharge into the standard lease now has to unwind all 3. Seattle City Council Bill 121254, passed 8-0 and signed into law by Mayor Katie Wilson, bans a specific list of recurring and junk fees starting July 1, 2027, and requires an all-in cost disclosure wherever a unit is advertised. | Guides | Keep the right records | Oct 5, 2026 |
Washington Smart Lock Law 2027: Landlords Must Offer a Non-App, Non-Biometric Entry Option on Request A Washington landlord who converted a building to app-only keyless entry, no physical key, no backup code, just a smartphone app, has to build a way out of that for any tenant who asks. Starting January 1, 2027, Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5937 requires a non-biometric, non-app access option on request, a written privacy policy for any smart access system, and strict limits on what data that system can actually collect. | Guides | Keep the right records | Oct 5, 2026 |
Washington Flood Risk Lease Disclosure 2027: Leases Signed After December 31, 2026 Must Disclose Flood Risk A Washington landlord renting out a unit sitting in a mapped flood zone, who never mentioned that risk anywhere in the lease, has a new disclosure duty to meet before the next tenant signs. Senate Substitute Bill 6237 requires a written flood-risk disclosure, a reminder that landlord insurance doesn't cover a tenant's belongings, and a pointer to county hazard resources, for any lease entered into after December 31, 2026. | Guides | Keep the right records | Oct 5, 2026 |
Bellingham Rental Fee and Pet Charge Caps 2025: $50 Application Fee Limit and Other Charges A Bellingham landlord who charged a pet deposit and pet rent on the same lease, plus an appliance-usage fee and a card-payment surcharge on top, had to unwind most of that starting August 1, 2025. Bellingham's new fee ordinance, amending Municipal Code Chapter 6.16, caps screening fees, security deposits, pet charges, and late fees, while banning a specific list of junk fees outright. | Guides | Keep the right records | Oct 5, 2026 |
Landlord Rights in Washington State: Legal Overview This guide breaks down landlord rights in Washington State in simple, clear terms. Each section explains what the law allows, what it restricts | Guides | Keep the right records | Feb 25, 2026 |
Page 1 of 1 · 6 resources
From reading to managing
Keep these responsibilities handled, not just understood
Add a San Francisco property and Platuni tracks the deadlines, keeps the records you'll need, and tells you when a rule you rely on changes.
What you read about
Rent increase dates and notice
In Platuni
Obligation tracking with reminders
What you read about
Move-in and move-out photos
In Platuni
Records kept per unit, per tenancy
What you read about
Repair requests and responses
In Platuni
Maintenance log with timestamps
What you read about
Everything a hearing could ask for
In Platuni
One-click audit package