Housing · Rent control

Does Washington Have Rent Control?

Whether Washington caps how much rent can rise, whether cities can set their own limits or are barred from it, and the exemptions. Rent control is separate from the notice a landlord must give before an increase. Cited to the statute.

Confirmedagainst Wash. Rev. Code § 59.18.700Reviewed by Cholilurrohman · July 2026

Rent control · Washington

Washington caps annual rent increases statewide at the lesser of 7 percent plus regional inflation, or 10 percent. A landlord may not raise the rent at all during the first 12 months of a tenancy, and the maximum figure is published each year by the Department of Commerce.

Statewide limit

Rent control?Statewide limit

Annual cap7% + CPI, max 10%

StatuteWash. Rev. Code § 59.18.700

What the rent control law says in Washington

Whether rent increases are capped, who sets the limit, and the housing the rule does not reach.

Recent or pending change

The 10 percent ceiling is fixed, but the 7 percent plus cost-of-living figure moves every year with Seattle-area inflation, so the exact allowed increase changes annually. The Department of Commerce publishes the maximum each year. The cap was enacted by House Bill 1217 in 2025 and is set to expire July 1, 2040.

What the law says	What it means
Statewide cap, lesser of 7 percent plus inflation or 10 percent	RCW 59.18.700 limits an annual rent increase to the lesser of 7 percent plus the Seattle-area change in the cost of living, or 10 percent. The Department of Commerce publishes the maximum figure for the year.
No increase in the first 12 months	RCW 59.18.700 bars any rent increase during the first 12 months of a tenancy. The percentage cap applies to increases after that first year.

What is exempt	What it means
Exempt units under RCW 59.18.710	Washington lists exemptions from the cap at RCW 59.18.710. An exempt unit is not held to the percentage limit, so check that section for the categories that apply before relying on the cap.
First year of a tenancy	Because no increase is allowed during the first 12 months of a tenancy, the percentage cap applies from the second year of the tenancy onward.

No federal rent control

There is no national rent control law. Whether rent can be limited is decided state by state. Washington is one of the few states that sets a statewide cap, while most states instead ban local rent control.

A cap is not a notice rule

Rent control means a limit on how much the rent can rise. That is different from a rent-increase notice rule, which only sets how much warning a landlord must give before an increase. Washington has both a cap and separate notice periods.

What you can do right now

Concrete, neutral steps if you are facing a rent increase in Washington. This is legal information, not legal advice.

Find this year’s published maximum
The Department of Commerce publishes the maximum allowed increase for the year. Start with that figure, since it is the ceiling RCW 59.18.700 sets for your increase.
Check the first-year rule
No increase is allowed during the first 12 months of a tenancy. The percentage cap applies to increases after that first year, so confirm which year your tenancy is in.
Compare the notice to the cap
Measure the increase in your notice against this year’s published maximum. If it is higher than the lesser of 7 percent plus inflation or 10 percent, and your unit is not exempt under RCW 59.18.710, the increase exceeds the state cap.
Get Washington tenant help
If a notice looks like it breaks the cap or the first-year rule, WashingtonLawHelp and local legal aid explain how to respond. Confirm your unit is not exempt under RCW 59.18.710 first.

Tenant help in Washington

If you think an increase breaks a cap or a local ordinance, a legal aid office or the state consumer-protection unit can tell you whether a limit applies to your unit.

→ WashingtonLawHelp

This is general legal information, not legal advice. Caps, local ordinances, and exemptions turn on the specific unit and city, so confirm your situation against the statute.

What renters in Washington get wrong about rent control

Washington joined the small group of states with a statewide rent cap in 2025. Under RCW 59.18.700, enacted by House Bill 1217, a landlord may not raise the rent in a year by more than the lesser of 7 percent plus the Seattle-area change in the cost of living, or 10 percent. The Department of Commerce publishes the maximum figure for the year, so the exact number moves annually while the 10 percent ceiling stays fixed. The law also bars any increase during the first 12 months of a tenancy, so the percentage cap applies from the second year onward. Not every unit is covered. RCW 59.18.710 lists exemptions, and an exempt unit is not held to the percentage limit, so it is worth confirming your unit’s status before treating an increase as lawful or unlawful. The cap carries a sunset. It is set to expire July 1, 2040 unless the Legislature extends it. Because both the figure and the coverage can change, always check the current published maximum and the exemption list for the year in question.

Common questions

Does Washington have rent control?

Yes, since 2025. RCW 59.18.700 caps annual rent increases statewide at the lesser of 7 percent plus the Seattle-area change in the cost of living, or 10 percent, with the maximum published each year by the Department of Commerce.

How much can my rent go up in Washington?

For a covered unit, no more than the lesser of 7 percent plus regional inflation, or 10 percent, in a year. Check this year’s published maximum, because the inflation part changes annually.

Can my rent be raised in the first year in Washington?

No. RCW 59.18.700 bars any rent increase during the first 12 months of a tenancy. The percentage cap applies to increases after that first year.

What units are exempt from the Washington rent cap?

RCW 59.18.710 lists the exemptions from the cap. An exempt unit is not held to the percentage limit, so check that section for the categories that apply to your situation.

Does the Washington rent cap expire?

Yes. The cap was enacted in 2025 and is set to expire July 1, 2040 unless the Legislature extends it. The 7 percent plus inflation figure is also recalculated each year.

Primary source

→ Wash. Rev. Code § 59.18.700

Wash. Rev. Code §§ 59.18.700 to 59.18.710 (Revised Code of Washington) · app.leg.wa.gov

Cholilurrohman
Every figure on this page is checked line-by-line against the current statute. Editorial standards →

Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.

Embed this explainer

Paste this on your own site. The embed stays in sync with this page, so any update here shows up there too.

<iframe
  src="https://plainstatute.com/embed/statute/rent-control--washington"
  title="Washington statute explainer by PlainStatute"
  loading="lazy"
  height="640"
  style="width:100%;max-width:640px;border:1px solid #e4e2d9;border-radius:12px"
  data-plainstatute="rent-control--washington"></iframe>
<script>
  window.addEventListener('message', function (e) {
    if (e.origin !== 'https://plainstatute.com') return;
    var d = e.data || {};
    if (d.type !== 'plainstatute:embed-height') return;
    var f = document.querySelector('iframe[data-plainstatute="' + d.slug + '"]');
    if (f) f.height = d.height;
  });
</script>

Rent control · other states

Oregon·Idaho·California·Texas·Florida·New York·All states →