Washington Landlord-Tenant Laws
Washington Security deposits
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.
Washington Rent increase notice
Washington became the third statewide rent-stabilization state in May 2025: rent cannot be raised at all during the first 12 months of a tenancy, and after that annual increases for non-exempt units are capped at 7% plus CPI or 10%, whichever is less — 10% through the end of 2025 and 9.683% for 2026, as published each year by the Department of Commerce.
Washington Late fees
Washington sets no statewide dollar or percentage cap on residential late fees, but a landlord may not charge any late fee when rent is paid within five days of the due date — a statutory grace period under RCW 59.18.170.
Washington Entry notice
Washington requires at least two days' written notice before a landlord enters an occupied rental for inspections, repairs, or services — dropped to one day's written notice when the entry is to show the unit to a prospective tenant or buyer — and entry must occur at reasonable times.
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.