Housing & Tenant · Rent Increase Notice
Rent Increase Notice in Washington
How many days of advance notice a landlord must give before a rent increase takes effect in Washington, how a fixed-term lease is treated, and what to check, cited to the statute.
The notice periods in Washington
How much warning is required before a higher rent can take effect, and how a fixed lease is treated.
| When | Notice in Washington | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| First 12 months of tenancy | No increase allowed | No rent increase during the first 12 months after the tenancy begins. |
| Ordinary increase after 12 months | 90 days | At least 90 days written notice, under RCW 59.18.140(3)(a). |
| Subsidised income-based tenancy | 30 days | A tenancy where rent is based on the tenant income or household circumstances gets 30 days notice rather than 90. |
| Fixed-term lease | None mid-term | During a fixed-term lease the rent is fixed until the term completes. After the first year, an increase needs 90 days notice and cannot exceed the annual cap. |
| Limit on the amount | Separate rule | Washington caps annual increases at 7 percent plus Seattle-area inflation or 10 percent, whichever is less, and 5 percent for manufactured homes. The figure changes every year and is not printed here. New construction within 12 years, owner-occupied small buildings, and certain affordable housing are exempt, and a landlord claiming an exemption must state the facts in the notice. |
| Local ordinance | Varies | The 90 days is a floor. Where a city requires longer, the longer period controls. Seattle and other cities add requirements, so check locally. |
| If notice is skipped | Not effective | Three protections stack: no increase in the first year, then 90 days written notice, then the annual cap. If an increase is unlawful, the tenant gives written demand to reduce it, may terminate before the effective date on 20 days notice with no fee, and a tenant or the attorney general may sue for the excess plus damages of up to three months of the unlawful rent, plus attorney fees. |
| Statute | Wash. Rev. Code §59.18.140(3), with the cap at §§59.18.700 and 59.18.710 | The controlling statute for this notice period. Read the full text through the source link below. |
The scheme was overhauled by House Bill 1217, codified as 2025 c 209, effective in 2025, and the cap and exemptions expire July 1, 2040. The published cap percentage changes every year and must never be reproduced without its year. Most guides still say 60 days with no cap, which is now wrong on both counts.
Next steps if your rent is going up
Concrete, neutral steps to check a rent increase in Washington. This is legal information, not legal advice.
- Use 90 days and check for the cap
Washington now requires 90 days notice, up from the widely-quoted 60, and caps the amount. Most guides are wrong on both counts, so hold your landlord to the current RCW 59.18.140 and the annual cap.
- Know there is no increase in year one
Washington bars any rent increase during the first 12 months of a tenancy. So an increase in your first year is not allowed, whatever the notice.
- Check subsidised housing and exemptions
Subsidised income-based tenancies get 30 days rather than 90. New construction within 12 years and certain small owner-occupied buildings are exempt from the cap, and a landlord claiming an exemption must state the facts in the notice.
- Use the remedy for an unlawful increase
If an increase is unlawful, give written demand to reduce it. You may then terminate before the effective date on 20 days notice with no fee, and you or the attorney general can sue for the excess plus damages and fees.
This is general legal information, not legal advice. Read your own lease and check for a local ordinance, since either can change the notice that applies to your home.
What Washington renters get wrong
Washington changed more in one bill than most states change in a decade, and nearly every guide online is still wrong about it. Three protections now stack. Nothing at all in the first twelve months, then ninety days of written notice under RCW 59.18.140(3), then a ceiling of seven percent plus Seattle-area inflation or ten percent, whichever is lower, under RCW 59.18.700. Two details almost nobody reports are worth leading with. Renters in subsidised income-based housing get thirty days rather than ninety, which is a large carve-out affecting the renters least able to absorb a rise. And the state attorney general can bring the enforcement action directly, so a Washington renter is not the only person who can act on an unlawful increase. The cap has real exemptions, including new construction within twelve years and some owner-occupied small buildings, and a landlord claiming one must state the supporting facts in the notice. The figures change every year and the scheme expires in 2040, so confirm the current numbers. Most guides still say sixty days with no cap, and both halves are wrong.
Common questions
Is Washington notice 60 days or 90?
Ninety. Since House Bill 1217 in 2025, RCW 59.18.140(3) requires at least 90 days written notice of a rent increase, up from the widely-quoted 60. Guides still saying 60 days with no cap are wrong on both counts.
Does the cap apply to my building, or is it exempt in Washington?
The cap has exemptions, including new construction within 12 years, certain owner-occupied small buildings, and some affordable housing. A landlord claiming an exemption must state the supporting facts in the notice, so check whether yours does.
Why did I only get 30 days in subsidised housing in Washington?
Because a tenancy where rent is based on your income or household circumstances gets 30 days notice rather than 90 under RCW 59.18.140(3). That is a specific carve-out for subsidised income-based housing.
Can I leave without a fee if the increase is unlawful in Washington?
Yes. After giving written demand to reduce an unlawful increase, you may terminate before the effective date on at least 20 days written notice, owe rent only for the month you vacate, and the landlord may not charge any fee for that termination.
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.