What are the security deposit rules in Washington?
Washington sets no statewide cap on residential security deposit amounts, but it heavily regulates everything else: a deposit may be collected only under a written rental agreement with a signed move-in condition checklist, must sit in a Washington trust or escrow account disclosed to the tenant by written receipt, and must be returned within 30 days of move-out with a full and specific statement backed by copies of estimates or invoices for every damage charge.
Wear from ordinary use can never be charged — and undocumented charges can neither be collected nor sent to a credit or tenant-screening agency. Missing the 30-day deadline forfeits the whole deposit and bars the landlord's damage claims, intentional refusal risks a discretionary award of double the deposit, and the prevailing party recovers attorney's fees. Tenants also have statutory rights to pay deposits, nonrefundable fees, and last month's rent in installments on written request, and a fee to hold a unit before move-in is capped at 25% of the first month's rent.
Washington security deposits at a glance
| Maximum deposit | No statutory cap |
|---|---|
| Return deadline | 30 days |
| Deadline conditions | Within 30 days after termination of the rental agreement AND vacation of the premises — or, for abandonment as defined in RCW 59.18.310, within 30 days after the landlord learns of it — the landlord must give a full and specific statement of the basis for any retention, attach copies of estimates received or invoices paid to substantiate damage charges, and pay any refund due. Personal delivery or first-class mail postmarked within the 30 days complies (RCW 59.18.280(1)). The deadline was extended from 21 to 30 days, and the documentation requirement added, by the 2023 amendments (2023 c 331). |
| Itemization required | Yes |
| Itemization rules | The statement must be full and specific — lump sums or 'no refund' do not comply — and damage charges must be substantiated with copies of estimates or invoices. No charge may be made for 'wear resulting from ordinary use of the premises' (defined in RCW 59.18.030 as deterioration from intended use, including age-related breakage, but excluding negligence, carelessness, accident, or abuse), and damages not substantiated by the required documentation may neither be charged to the tenant nor reported to any consumer reporting agency or tenant screening service (RCW 59.18.280(3)(b)). Carpet cleaning may not be withheld without documented damage beyond ordinary-use wear. |
| Separate account required | Yes |
| Interest owed to tenant | No |
| Account & interest rules | Deposits must be placed in a trust account with a bank or licensed escrow agent in Washington, with a written receipt to the tenant stating the depository's name and address and notice of any change; on sale, the deposit transfers to a comparable account of the successor (RCW 59.18.270). No interest is owed to the tenant. A deposit may be collected at all only under a WRITTEN rental agreement and only after both parties sign a written checklist describing the condition and cleanliness of the premises and furnishings (RCW 59.18.260). |
| Pet deposits | No statewide statute addresses pet deposits for standard residential tenancies; they are permitted by lease with no state cap (local ordinances such as Seattle's 25%-of-monthly-rent pet deposit cap are out of scope v1). For manufactured/mobile-home tenancies, HB 1217 capped combined move-in fees and deposits at one month's rent, or two months when the tenant has pets (ch. 59.20 RCW). |
| Non-refundable fees allowed | Yes |
| Penalty for violation | A landlord who fails to give the statement, documentation, and refund within 30 days is liable for the FULL deposit and is barred from asserting any claim or defense for retaining any of it, unless prevented by circumstances beyond the landlord's control or the tenant abandoned the premises. Courts may in their discretion award up to two times the deposit for intentional refusal, and the prevailing party recovers attorney's fees (RCW 59.18.280(2), (5)). Failing the 59.18.260 checklist prerequisite exposes the landlord to liability for the deposit; suits for damages exceeding the deposit must be filed within three years for tenancies begun on or after 2023-07-23. |
| Tenant forwarding-address duty | Not addressed by statute |
Notes and caveats
Statute citations
- RCW 59.18.280 (1)-(3) Official source
- RCW 59.18.253 (3)-(4) Official source
- RCW 59.18.610 (1)-(4) Official source
How this record was verified: Direct read of statute text on the official Washington Legislature site (app.leg.wa.gov): RCW 59.18.280 (full text, current through the 2023 c 331 amendments), RCW 59.18.610 and 59.18.253 (full text). HB 1217 (2025) rent stabilization provisions (RCW 59.18.700-.730, amended 59.18.140) verified against the Washington Attorney General's official landlord-tenant page and Know Your Responsibilities flyer and the Department of Commerce's official HB 1217 Landlord Resource Center (which publishes the annual cap). RCW 59.18.260, .270, .285, .150, and .170 confirmed across the official AG page, Seattle SDCI, and consistent legal-aid sources. IMPORTANT verification note: committee-stage bill reports of HB 1217 describe a one-month residential deposit cap and a 1.5% late-fee cap that are NOT in the enacted law for standard residential tenancies — those limits apply to manufactured/mobile-home tenancies (ch. 59.20 RCW) per the AG's post-enactment flyer; current legal-aid guidance confirms no statewide residential deposit or late-fee amount cap.