Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Nick Brown

(Updated Sept. 17, 2025)

If you rent your home, you are covered by the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act (RCW 59.18).  The Washington legislature recently passed rent stabilization measures to protect tenants.  If you are facing a rent increase above 10% in 2025, please file a complaint with our office. We have provided a list of resources for those seeking information regarding residential landlord/tenant issues. 

Washington’s Rent Stabilization Law

Consumer Alert. Know Your rights under Washington's Rent Stabilization Law

On May 7, 2025, a rent stabilization law (HB 1217) went into effect in Washington state.

The law sets a limit on how much a landlord may increase a tenant’s rent over a 12-month period. The Attorney General’s Office will enforce the law, and tenants may also take action to protect their rights under the new statute.

 

The law says:

Consumer Alert. Know your responsibilities. Landlord obligations under Washington's Rent Stabilization Law
  • If you rent your home, your landlord may 
    not increase your rent by more than 10%, 
    or 7% plus the consumer price index (CPI), whichever is less over any 12-month period.
  • If you own your manufactured or mobile home and rent a space for your home in a manufactured or mobile home park, the maximum annual percentage rent increase allowed is 5%.
  • Your landlord may not raise your rent, in any amount, during the first 12 months of your tenancy. That applies regardless of whether your lease is month-to-month or for a fixed term.
  • Your landlord must provide you at least 90 days’ advance notice, in writing, before raising rent.

The Washington state Department of Commerce determines the CPI and publishes the maximum annual rent increase percentage for residential tenancies on its website. The maximum annual increase allowed through December 31, 2025, is 10%. The maximum annual increase allowed between January 1, 2026, and December 31, 2026, is 9.683%.

For more on the law, check out this Know Your Rights flyer. If you are facing a rent increase above 10% in 2025, please file a complaint with our office. 

Landlords can learn more about how to comply with the law by reading this Know Your Responsibilities flyer.

اعرف حقوقك بموجب قانون تثبيت اإليجار في واشنطن

了解您的权利 华盛顿州租金稳定法维护您的权利

瞭解您的權利 华盛顿州租金稳定法维护您的权利

حقوق خود را بشناسید مطابق قانون تثبیت کرایه واشنگتن

워싱턴의 임대료 안정화법 적용 시 임차인 권리 바로 알기

JELLĀ KŌN JIṂWE KO AM Iumwin Kakien in Reen eo ilo Washington

ЗНАЙТЕ СВОИ ПРАВА согласно Rent Stabilization Law штата Вашингтон

BARO XUQUUQAHAAGA Sida uu dhigayo Sharciga Xasilinta Kirada ee Washington

CONOZCA SUS DERECHOS Conforme la Ley de Estabilización de Alquileres de Washington

ЗНАЙТЕ СВОЇ ПРАВА за Rent Stabilization Law штату Вашингтон

HIỂU CÁC QUYỀN CỦA QUÝ VỊ Theo Luật Ổn Định Giá Thuê Nhà của Washington


Manufactured Housing Dispute Resolution Program

The Attorney General's Office has the legal authority to accept and attempt to resolve disputes concerning issues that arise from mobile/manufactured tenancy where an individual owns the home and rents a lot for the home in a mobile/manufactured home park.  If this applies to you contact the Manufactured Housing Dispute Resolution Program at (866) WAG-MHLTA (1-866-924-6458) or file a complaint regarding your mobile/manufactured home dispute.

If your landlord-tenant issue demands immediate legal action, you may want to seek Landlord Tenant resources for legal advice, mediation or Small Claims Court (for claims under $10,000 — no attorney necessary). If your complaint involves more than $10,000, you may wish to seek a private attorney.


HB 2064: Fee in Lieu of Security Deposit

In 2022 the Legislature adopted HB 2064. Under this law, a landlord may offer the tenant the option of paying a fee instead of a full security deposit. When a landlord offers the tenant the choice of paying a fee in lieu of the security deposit, the landlord must disclose certain terms to the tenant in writing. The landlord must provide the disclosure form with any lease and renewal that includes the option to pay a fee instead of a security deposit. HB 2064 requires that the Office of the Attorney General make this form available in the 12 most commonly spoken languages in Washington.

 


14 Day Notice Forms

In 2021, the Washington State Legislature passed and Governor Inslee signed legislation, which required landlords to provide notice at least 14 days before initiating an eviction proceeding, and made changes to the notice form that landlords must send to tenants if they fail to pay rent, utilities or another periodic charge that is agreed to in the lease. The 14-day notice informs tenants of the total financial obligation alleged by the landlord. The Attorney General’s Office translated this 14-day notice into 12 languages commonly-spoken in Washington. Seventeen translated notice forms translated can be found below. The Attorney General’s Office collected information for tenants about legal and advocacy resources, including immigrant and cultural organizations where tenants can receive assistance in their primary language. These resources can be found here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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