Tools · Security Deposit
Washington Security Deposit Calculator (2026)
Enter your rent and move-out date to see the most a Washington landlord can charge and the exact date your deposit is due back — no statutory cap here, returned 30 days after the tenancy ends and the tenant vacates.
Washington security deposit calculator
These are the Washington figures applied to what you entered — a plain summary of the rule and the dates, not a determination that anyone did or did not comply.
- Maximum deposit
- No statutory cap
- Monthly rent
- $2,000
- Move-out date
- Not entered
- Return deadline (30 days)
- 30 days
Plain-language summary, not legal advice.
Informational only, not legal advice. Security-deposit rules carry exceptions (lease type, small landlords, city ordinances) this summary cannot weigh. See the full statute and exceptions on the Washington security deposit reference, cited to RCW §§59.18.260, .270, .280, .285.
How Washington security deposits work
Washington has a powerful, often-missed gatekeeper rule: a landlord can't keep a single dollar of your deposit unless you signed a written rental agreement and got a written move-in checklist at the start. No checklist, no deductions. The return deadline also caught up with the times in 2023 — it's now 30 days, not the 21 days that older guides still repeat. There's no cap on the deposit amount, but the withholding rules are among the most tenant-friendly in the country.
This calculator shows the Washington figures applied to your own rent and dates. It is informational only and not legal advice — exceptions this summary cannot weigh may apply. For the full rules, penalties, and citations, see the Washington security deposit reference.
Security deposit calculators for other states
Same tool, each with its own cap and return deadline.