How much notice is required to raise the rent in Washington?
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 — 9.683% for 2026 and 10% for 2027, as published each year by the Department of Commerce (for 2027, inflation pushed the 7%-plus-CPI figure above 10%, so the flat 10% ceiling applies).
Every increase, of any size, requires at least 90 days' written notice on the state-prescribed form, served like an eviction notice (personal service, or posting plus mail — email alone is invalid), with exemption claims documented in the notice itself; income-based subsidized tenancies use a 30-day notice instead. New construction is exempt for 12 years from its first certificate of occupancy, month-to-month and fixed-term rents for the same unit may not differ by more than 5%, and violations carry tenant remedies of excess rent plus three months' damages plus attorney's fees, with Attorney General penalties up to $7,500 per violation. Local rent control remains separately preempted by RCW 35.21.830 — the cap is state law, not a license for city ordinances — though cities may and do require longer notice (Seattle: 180 days).
Washington rent increase notice at a glance
| Notice — month-to-month | 90 days |
|---|---|
| Varies by increase size | Not addressed by statute |
| Fixed-term leases | The cap and notice rules apply regardless of lease type: rent may not be increased at all during the first 12 months of a tenancy whether month-to-month or fixed-term, and afterward increases in any 12-month period are capped for non-exempt units. HB 1217 also imposes lease-type parity: rent may not differ by more than 5% between month-to-month and fixed-term arrangements for the same unit, and payment terms may not be more burdensome for one type. |
| Statewide rent control / stabilization | Yes |
| Rent control details | Since May 7, 2025 (EHB 1217, codified at RCW 59.18.700-.730), Washington has statewide rent stabilization: no increase during the first 12 months of any tenancy, and thereafter no more than the lesser of 7% plus CPI or 10% in any 12-month period. The Department of Commerce publishes the annual maximum (10% through 2025-12-31; 9.683% for calendar 2026; 10% for calendar 2027 — the June 2026 Seattle CPI pushed 7% + CPI to 11.53%, so the 10% ceiling controls). Exemptions (RCW 59.18.710) include units whose first certificate of occupancy issued 12 or fewer years before the increase, and public-housing-authority, public-development-authority, nonprofit, and qualified low-income housing where rents are otherwise regulated — exemptions must be claimed with supporting facts in the increase notice. Manufactured/mobile-home lot rents are capped at 5% under parallel ch. 59.20 provisions. Remedies: tenants recover excess amounts paid plus mandatory damages of three months of any unlawful rent or fees charged plus attorney's fees; the Attorney General enforces with civil penalties up to $7,500 per violation. The act's provisions carry statutory expiration dates (sunset reported as 2040). |
| Local rent control preempted | Yes |
| Frequency limits | No more than one effective increase window per 12-month period: rent may rise at most once in any 12-month period of the tenancy, and never in the first 12 months (RCW 59.18.700). |
Notes and caveats
Common questions: Washington rent increase notice
Each answer is the verified value from the table above, restated as a direct answer. Free to quote with a link to this page.
- How many days' notice must a landlord give before raising rent in Washington?
- 90 days.
- Does Washington have rent control?
- Yes — Washington has statewide rent control or stabilization. Since May 7, 2025 (EHB 1217, codified at RCW 59.18.700-.730), Washington has statewide rent stabilization: no increase during the first 12 months of any tenancy, and thereafter no more than the lesser of 7% plus CPI or 10% in any 12-month period. The Department of Commerce publishes the annual maximum (10% through 2025-12-31; 9.683% for calendar 2026; 10% for calendar 2027 — the June 2026 Seattle CPI pushed 7% + CPI to 11.53%, so the 10% ceiling controls). Exemptions (RCW 59.18.710) include units whose first certificate of occupancy issued 12 or fewer years before the increase, and public-housing-authority, public-development-authority, nonprofit, and qualified low-income housing where rents are otherwise regulated — exemptions must be claimed with supporting facts in the increase notice. Manufactured/mobile-home lot rents are capped at 5% under parallel ch. 59.20 provisions. Remedies: tenants recover excess amounts paid plus mandatory damages of three months of any unlawful rent or fees charged plus attorney's fees; the Attorney General enforces with civil penalties up to $7,500 per violation. The act's provisions carry statutory expiration dates (sunset reported as 2040).
- Does Washington preempt local rent control ordinances?
- Yes — Washington preempts local rent control ordinances.
- Can a landlord raise the rent during a fixed-term lease in Washington?
- The cap and notice rules apply regardless of lease type: rent may not be increased at all during the first 12 months of a tenancy whether month-to-month or fixed-term, and afterward increases in any 12-month period are capped for non-exempt units. HB 1217 also imposes lease-type parity: rent may not differ by more than 5% between month-to-month and fixed-term arrangements for the same unit, and payment terms may not be more burdensome for one type.
- How often can a landlord raise the rent in Washington?
- No more than one effective increase window per 12-month period: rent may rise at most once in any 12-month period of the tenancy, and never in the first 12 months (RCW 59.18.700).
Statute citations
- RCW 59.18.700-.730 (EHB 1217, 2025) and RCW 59.18.140 (90-day notice), per the Washington Attorney General's official landlord-tenant guidance Official source
- Department of Commerce HB 1217 Landlord Resource Center (official annual cap publication) 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); RCW 59.18.170 and RCW 59.18.150 full texts read 2026-07-09 (upgrading them from the 2026-07-08 multi-source corroboration). 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; re-read raw in the browser pane 2026-07-16 — 9.683% for calendar 2026, and the 2027 figure is now published: 10%, because 7% + June 2026 Seattle CPI = 11.53% exceeds the 10% statutory ceiling, so the ceiling controls). RCW 59.18.260, .270, and .285 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.