Washington landlord tenant laws 2026

Washington's landlord-tenant rules have shifted substantially in recent years, and they now sit across state statute and stricter local codes. That layering matters: Washington landlords need to know which rules apply to their specific rental before they can make confident decisions on rent and screening. They also need to verify the requirements for tenancy terminations. Two state-level anchors set the floor for 2026. HB 1217 caps most rent increases at 9.683% for increases taking effect between January 1 and December 31, 2026. The statewide just cause statute governs when and how you can end a tenancy.

The Washington State landlord tenant laws governing residential rentals in 2026 cover screening and deposits, habitability requirements, rent stabilization, eviction rules, and local ordinances. Where local codes are stricter than state law, the stricter rule controls. Local codes most often add stricter rules for deposits, rent-increase notices, fees, registration, eviction defenses, and relocation assistance.

What the Washington Residential Landlord-Tenant Act covers

The landlord tenant laws Washington State applies to residential rentals start with the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act (RLTA), codified at RCW 59.18, which governs most residential tenancies in the state. It sets your habitability duties, deposit handling rules, screening requirements, entry rights, and the grounds and procedures for ending a tenancy.

Not every rental falls under it. Tenancies for manufactured and mobile home lots run under a separate chapter, RCW 59.20, with its own rent cap and late-fee rules. Some other arrangements sit outside the act entirely. On top of the state framework, cities can and do impose stricter local rules. Sort out which layer applies to each unit before you draft a notice, because the strictest applicable rule controls.

Rental agreements: lease types, required terms, and prohibited clauses

Washington recognizes two basic tenancy structures. A month-to-month rental agreement renews automatically until one party ends it, and under RCW 59.18.650 a landlord may not end a periodic tenancy without one of the statute's enumerated causes. A fixed-term lease runs to a set date, but just cause reaches fixed terms too, with only the narrow end-of-term exits the statute spells out. Even if your tenant appears to have abandoned the unit, you cannot rely on self-help to reclaim possession. Disputes over whether abandonment occurred must go through court or mediation channels, not a unilateral lockout.

Landlords have two narrow without-cause exits. You can decline to continue a tenancy at the end of an initial fixed term of 6 to 12 months with at least 60 days' advance written notice, and at the end of a fixed term of 12 months or more that never became periodic, also with 60 days' notice, subject to specific conditions in the statute. Separately, if a tenant refuses to sign a proposed new rental agreement with reasonable terms, offered at least 30 days before the current agreement expires, that refusal is itself a just cause with 30 days' notice. You must serve every termination notice under RCW 59.12.040 and state facts specific enough for the tenant to respond and prepare a defense.

On lease content, the agreement must identify the landlord or the landlord's agent by name and address, and under RCW 59.18.065 the tenant must get a copy of the signed agreement.

Tenant screening fees and disclosures

Under RCW 59.18.257, you may charge a screening fee only after giving the prospective tenant written or posted notice of four things:

• The types of information you will access.
• The criteria that may result in denial.
• The name and address of any consumer reporting agency you use, with the applicant's right to a free copy and to dispute accuracy.
• Whether you will accept a comprehensive reusable tenant screening report.

You need written screening criteria, and in Tacoma TMC 1.95.030 requires you to hand those criteria to the applicant at application.

The fee itself has no fixed statewide dollar cap, but you may charge only your actual cost. If you use a screening service, you may charge only what the service charges you. If you screen applicants yourself, you may charge your actual costs, and the amount may not exceed what screening services customarily charge in your area.

If you advertise a unit on a website, the property's home page must state whether you accept comprehensive reusable tenant screening reports. A consumer reporting agency prepares a reusable report at the tenant's expense, and the report includes a credit report from the past 30 days, criminal history, eviction history, employment verification, and address and rental history. And if you say you accept them, you may still run your own report, but you cannot charge the applicant for it. If you deny an applicant or approve with conditions, you must provide a written adverse action notice stating the basis. Violating the disclosure rules exposes you to liability of up to $100 plus the prevailing party's court costs and attorneys' fees.

Security deposit rules in Washington

Washington sets no statewide cap on deposit size, though Seattle and Tacoma cap it locally. But the rules for collecting and holding the money are strict. Under RCW 59.18.260, you cannot collect a deposit without a written rental agreement and a written checklist that you and the tenant sign and date to document the unit's condition at move-in. Under RCW 59.18.270, you must hold the funds in a trust account and give the tenant a written receipt naming the depository and its address. Skip any of these steps and you risk losing the right to keep any portion of the deposit.

Seattle and Tacoma cap deposit size locally and go further in one additional way. Under Seattle Municipal Code 7.24.035(C) and Tacoma Municipal Code 1.95.040, tenants in those cities have the right to pay deposits and move-in fees in installments rather than all at once.

When the tenancy ends, you may deduct for actual damage, such as a broken door or a pet-stained subfloor. You must absorb the cost of normal wear and tear. You are responsible for faded paint and carpet worn down along traffic paths. At move-out, you must give the tenant a written itemized statement of every deduction you are making, along with a refund of whatever remains, within 21 days. If a tenant challenges a deduction, a judge or mediator will use the signed move-in checklist to evaluate whether you may keep the deposit. Without it, you have little standing to justify keeping any portion of the deposit.

The key deadlines run as follows:

• Requirement | Deadline
• Both parties sign the written condition checklist | Before collecting any deposit
• You place the deposit in a trust account and provide a receipt naming the depository | At collection

One alternative exists to a traditional deposit. Under RCW 59.18.670, you may offer tenants a monthly fee in lieu of a security deposit. If you do, you must disclose in writing the terms of any insurance you purchase with it, including exclusions and caps, using the statute's required language. That language begins: "YOU MAY PAY A MONTHLY FEE INSTEAD OF A SECURITY DEPOSIT. This fee is not a security deposit and will not be refunded when you move."

Rent stabilization and late fees

You may not raise rent on a non-exempt unit by more than 9.683% for increases taking effect between January 1 and December 31, 2026, and state law bars all rent increases during the first 12 months of a tenancy. Governor Bob Ferguson signed HB 1217 on May 7, 2025 as Chapter 209, Laws of 2025, establishing that ceiling. It took effect immediately. Under RCW 59.18.700 the limit in any 12-month period is 7% plus the Seattle-area consumer price index, or 10%, whichever is less. The Department of Commerce calculates the limit annually. The cap sunsets July 1, 2040.

Every increase requires at least 90 days' advance written notice on a form substantially matching RCW 59.18.720, disclosing the percentage and dollar amount of the increase along with the new total monthly rent. Tenancies subsidized under a government program require only 30 days' notice of an increase under RCW 59.18.140(3)(b). If you claim an exemption from the cap, the notice must state the facts supporting it.

RCW 59.18.710 exempts several categories of units from the cap:

• Units qualify if the local authority issued their first certificate of occupancy 12 or fewer years before the increase notice.
• Affordable housing program requirements regulate rents in housing that public housing authorities, public development authorities, or nonprofits operate, including qualified low-income developments and LIHTC properties with an enforceable regulatory agreement with the Washington State Housing Finance Commission.
• Units where the tenant shares a bathroom or kitchen with an owner who maintains a principal residence at the property.
• Single-family owner-occupied residences where the owner rents no more than two units or bedrooms, including an attached or detached ADU.
• Owner-occupied duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes where the owner lived in one unit at the start of the tenancy and still does.

The last three exemptions do not apply if the owner is a REIT or a corporation. They also do not apply if the owner is an LLC with at least one corporate member. If you hold an owner-occupied duplex through such an entity, the cap applies to you.

Tenants can recover any excess rent paid plus damages up to three months of unlawful rent, fees, or costs. The Attorney General's Office can seek civil penalties up to $7,500 per violation. The Seattle Times reported that, by roughly May 2026, the AGO had settled about four dozen cases with fines totaling over $800,000. The AGO generally suspended the fines when landlords rescinded increases or issued refunds. Manufactured Housing Communities of Washington filed a constitutional challenge, and the parties argued it in Spokane County Superior Court on July 22, 2026, but the law remains in effect.

Under RCW 59.18.170(2), you may not charge a late fee for rent paid within five days of the due date; if rent runs more than five days late, fees may accrue from the first day after the due date. The statute contains no statewide dollar or percentage cap for ordinary residential tenancies, and HB 1217 did not add one. An eviction judgment cannot include more than $75 in total late fees under RCW 59.18.410, and Seattle and Tacoma impose their own local caps.

Landlord habitability and repair duties

RCW 59.18.060 requires you to keep the premises fit for human habitation at all times. The duties include:

• Maintaining structural components in reasonably good repair.
• Keeping the dwelling reasonably weathertight.
• Providing facilities adequate for heat and water, including hot water.
• Keeping landlord-supplied electrical, plumbing, heating, and appliance systems in reasonably good working order.
• Keeping shared areas reasonably clean and safe.
• Providing adequate locks and keys.
• Running a reasonable pest control program at the start of the tenancy (and during it for anything other than a single-family residence, unless the tenant caused the infestation).
• Designating your name and address, or an in-county agent's, to the tenant.

You do not have to repair a condition that the tenant caused. The same rule applies to damage caused by the tenant's family or guests. The limitation also applies when the tenant unreasonably refuses you access to fix it.

Your repair deadline begins when you or your designated agent receives the tenant's written notice. The notice must specify the premises and the owner's name if known. It must also identify the defect. Under RCW 59.18.070, you must begin remedial action within these windows, except where circumstances are beyond your control:

• Deadline to begin repairs | Condition
• 24 hours | Loss of hot or cold water, heat, or electricity, or any condition imminently hazardous to life
• 72 hours | Loss of use of a refrigerator or a range and oven. The same deadline applies to a major plumbing fixture you supplied.
• 10 days | All other defective conditions

You must ensure workers complete the work promptly, and if outside circumstances delay it, you must finish as soon as possible.

Tenant duties and prohibited conduct

RCW 59.18.130 requires tenants to keep the unit reasonably clean and sanitary and dispose of garbage properly. Tenants must also refrain from damaging the property or letting others damage it beyond normal wear and tear. RCW 59.18.130 also prohibits drug-related activity and conduct amounting to waste or nuisance.

You rely on these duties when you serve notice. Waste, nuisance, unlawful activity, or substantial and repeated unreasonable interference with the landlord or neighbors is grounds for a 3-day notice to quit under RCW 59.18.650(2)(c), the fastest termination path the statute allows. Tenant-caused damage also cuts off your repair obligation for that condition. You may also deduct documented tenant-caused damage from the deposit.

Tenant remedies: repair-and-deduct and retaliation

The repair and deduct remedies under RCW 59.18.100 all start with written notice under RCW 59.18.070, and a tenant who owes rent or utilities cannot use the repair and deduct process at all. Separately, RCW 59.18.240 bars retaliatory actions by your landlord after you assert your rights, and RCW 59.18.250 creates a rebuttable presumption that any adverse move within 90 days of your complaint constitutes retaliatory actions taken against you.

After your repair deadline passes, a qualifying tenant may hire a contractor or complete an eligible repair personally. Each path carries its own caps:

• Pathway | Estimate and waiting period | Per-repair cap | 12-month cap
• Contractor | Good-faith cost estimate by mail or in person; for 10-day defects, wait the later of 10 days after notice or 2 days after you receive the estimate | Two months' rent | Two months' rent
• Self-repair | The tenant may use this path only if the repair legally requires no licensed or registered professional, and the tenant must complete the work in a workmanlike manner | One month's rent | One month's rent

Both pathways require the tenant to give you an opportunity to inspect the completed work before deducting, and you can recover actual damages if the repairs were negligent or violated code. RCW 59.18.240 bars you from raising rent or cutting a service in reprisal for a tenant reporting a code violation or demanding repairs. It also bars you from serving a retaliatory termination notice. RCW 59.18.250 creates a rebuttable presumption of retaliation when you take any of those steps within 90 days of the complaint. You then have to show a legitimate business reason that existed independently of the tenant's complaint, which in practice means dated documentation created before the complaint arrived.

Landlord right of entry

Before entering an occupied unit, review Washington's enforceable tenant privacy rights. The right of entry is your legal authority as a landlord to access a rental unit you own, but that authority comes with clear limits designed to protect your tenant's privacy and quiet enjoyment.

Washington law requires you to give reasonable notice before entering. Generally, that means at least two days' notice before you enter to inspect the property or perform repairs and maintenance. If you need to show the unit to prospective tenants or purchasers, you must give at least one day's notice. Entry must occur at reasonable times, typically during normal business hours, and you may not use your right of entry to harass or intimidate a tenant.

Your tenant, in turn, may not unreasonably withhold consent. Put every entry notice in writing and keep a copy for your records. Written notices protect you if a dispute arises later. In a genuine emergency, such as a fire or flood, you may enter without advance notice. A gas leak also permits immediate entry, but document the situation immediately afterward. Understanding and respecting the right of entry keeps you legally protected and your landlord-tenant relationship intact.

Illegal landlord actions and self-help evictions

You may not involuntarily terminate electric or water service for nonpayment on any day the National Weather Service has issued a heat-related alert for the area.

Under RCW 59.18.650, a landlord who removes a tenant, or causes a tenant to be removed, in violation of the just cause requirements is liable for wrongful eviction. The tenant brings that action, and a prevailing tenant recovers the greater of their economic and noneconomic damages or three times the monthly rent, plus reasonable attorneys' fees and court costs. On a $2,200 unit, that floor is $6,600 before fees.

Eviction in Washington: notices, just cause, and unlawful detainer

The first step in the Washington eviction process is serving the right notice for the specific cause under RCW 59.18.650. The three most common notices are:

• For nonpayment, serve a 14-Day Notice to Pay Rent or Quit, or a 30-day notice when the statute requires it, under RCW 59.12.030(3).
• A 10-Day Notice to Cure or Quit for a substantial breach of a material lease term, giving the tenant a chance to cure.
• A 3-day notice to quit, with no cure right, for waste, nuisance, unlawful activity, or substantial and repeated interference with the landlord or neighbors.

The no-fault grounds carry longer notice periods:

• Ground | Notice
• Owner or immediate-family move-in, in good faith; the statute presumes bad faith if the intended occupant fails to live there for at least 60 consecutive days within 90 days of the vacancy | 90 days
• Sale of a single-family residence, with presumptions against you if you fail to list within 30 days or re-rent within 90 | 90 days
• Demolition, substantial rehabilitation, or change of use under RCW 59.18.200(2)(c) | 120 days
• Four or more cured violations within 12 months, each documented with a written warning at the time; curing the fourth is not a defense | 60 days
• A legitimate economic or business reason not covered elsewhere, though courts may stay the writ up to 60 additional days | 60 days

RCW 59.18.650(2) lists further causes beyond these, including condo conversion, uninhabitable or condemned units, and misrepresentation on the application, each with its own notice period.

If the notice period passes without compliance, you may file an unlawful detainer action in superior court. The court then decides whether to issue a writ of restitution. The writ is the legal instrument that ultimately authorizes the physical removal of the tenant from the property. Income-eligible tenants have a right to appointed counsel under RCW 59.18.640: tenants receiving qualifying public assistance or earning 200% or less of the federal poverty level ($31,920 for one person, $66,000 for a family of four under the 2026 guidelines) get a state-paid attorney in the unlawful detainer proceeding, and courts must continue the hearing, generally 7 to 14 days, to allow appointment. The program operates in all 37 judicial districts.

Landlords must state facts in every notice with enough specificity for the tenant to prepare a defense. Before you serve anything, walk through the Washington eviction process step by step as a structured legal sequence, because a procedural mistake in month one can cost you a full re-serve and re-file in month three.

Fair housing and anti-discrimination protections

The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits housing discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and disability. Washington's Law Against Discrimination goes further. RCW 49.60.222 adds creed, marital status, citizenship or immigration status, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation as an express standalone class, and use of a trained dog guide or service animal. Disability protection includes affirmative duties: you must permit reasonable modifications at the tenant's expense and make reasonable accommodations in rules and policies.

Source of income is a separate protected category under RCW 59.18.255. You may not refuse to rent to or evict a tenant because they use housing assistance, Section 8 vouchers, veterans benefits, social security, or other public or nonprofit assistance. You also may not impose different terms or advertise a preference against such applicants. If you apply an income threshold, subtract the voucher or subsidy amount from the monthly rent before calculating whether the tenant qualifies. A violation costs up to four and one-half times the monthly rent plus court costs and attorneys' fees.

Tenants file complaints with the Washington State Human Rights Commission within 12 months of the alleged harm, starting through its online portal; as of March 2026, the signed formal charge must reach the Commission within that window. Federal complaints go to HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity within one year, and HUD typically refers Washington complaints to the WSHRC. Within Seattle city limits, the Seattle Office for Civil Rights enforces additional local protected classes.

Required landlord disclosures

Washington ties several mandatory disclosures to lease signing, and federal law adds one more for older housing. Each has its own timing:

• Mold information: At lease signing, provide DOH-approved information on the health hazards of indoor mold and how tenants can control mold growth, either individually in writing or posted in a visible public location. Approved materials include the DOH's "Mold Questions and Answers" and the EPA's "Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home."
• Smoke detector notice: At lease signing, provide written notice that the unit has a smoke detection device, that maintaining it during the tenancy is the tenant's responsibility, and the penalties for noncompliance. Both parties must sign the notice, and each must receive a copy. Non-single-family buildings require additional disclosures covering hard-wired versus battery devices, sprinkler and alarm systems, smoking policy, and evacuation plans. At every vacancy, you must confirm the device works before reoccupancy.
• Lead-based paint (pre-1978 housing): Before the tenant signs the lease, give the EPA pamphlet "Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home," disclose all known lead-based paint and hazards, provide available records and reports, include the statutory Lead Warning Statement in the lease, and obtain signed acknowledgments. Keep the completed disclosure for at least 3 years from the start of the lease.
• Fee in lieu of deposit: If you offer a monthly fee instead of a security deposit, disclose in writing the terms of any insurance purchased with it, including exclusions and caps, using the required statutory language.
• Flood hazard: Chapter 234, Laws of 2026, took effect June 11, 2026, but this disclosure applies only to leases entered into after December 31, 2026. When it applies, you must disclose that the property may be in a special flood hazard area and that your insurance does not cover the tenant's possessions. You must also disclose that the county provides flood risk information.

Relocation assistance

Whether you owe a displaced tenant money depends on the trigger and the city. Statewide, RCW 59.18.440 authorizes local governments to require relocation assistance for low-income tenants (income at or below 50% of county median) displaced by demolition, substantial rehabilitation, or change of use, capped at $2,000 per unit, with the owner's share limited to half. Those displacements also require 120 days' notice under RCW 59.18.200. Ordinary no-fault evictions carry no statewide relocation payment.

Relocation amounts vary by trigger:

• Trigger | Authority | Amount
• Demolition, substantial rehab, or change of use (statewide, local option) | RCW 59.18.440 | Up to $2,000 per unit; owner pays no more than half
• Government condemnation | RCW 59.18.085 | Greater of $2,000 per unit or three times monthly rent
• Seattle TRAO (demolition, rehab, change of use) | SMC 22.210 | $5,552 per eligible low-income household, effective May 15, 2026
• Tacoma rent increase of 5% or more, tenant relocates | TMC 1.100.050 | Two months' rent at 5%+, two and a half over 7.5%, three months over 10% (relevant only for units exempt from the state cap)
• Bellingham rent increase of 8% or more | BMC 6.14 | Larger of three times HUD fair-market rent or three times current rent; tenant must request within 45 days, landlord pays within 31 days
• Manufactured/mobile home displacement (state fund) | RCW 59.21.021 | Up to $11,000 single-section, $17,000 multisection

A 2026 increase between 8% and 9.683% is lawful under state law but triggers Bellingham's relocation obligation, and anything at 5% or more can trigger Tacoma's. In Tacoma you must pay within 30 days of the tenant's request, and the tenant repays within 10 days if they stay.

Local ordinances: Seattle, Tacoma, and Bellingham

Three cities have the most developed local tenant-protection codes. Seattle and Tacoma, plus Bellingham, each stack rules on top of the state minimums:

• Rule | State minimum | Seattle | Tacoma | Bellingham
• Rent-increase notice | 90 days | 180 days | 180 days, on a City form | 120 days
• Late fee limit | 5-day grace period, no cap | $10 per month | 1.5% of unpaid monthly rent | No local rule identified
• Deposit and move-in fee caps | None | Deposit plus nonrefundable fees capped at one month's rent; nonrefundable fees capped at 10% of it | Total move-in fees capped at first month's rent; pet damage deposit capped at 25% of one month's rent | Bellingham bans junk fees (BMC 6.16), including payment processing fees and pet rent above 2% of monthly rent
• Rental registration | None | RRIO: $126 per property plus $31.50 per additional unit, valid 2 years | Business license and per-unit registration required before any rent-increase notice | $20 per unit annually ($16 per unit for 21+ unit parcels), inspection at least every 3 years
• Seasonal eviction limits | None | Winter defense December 1 to March 1 for low- to moderate-income tenants where the owner holds 4 or more units | Tacoma bans evictions November 15 to March 15 but exempts owners of four or fewer Tacoma units | No local rule identified

Seattle landlord-tenant ordinances

Seattle layers several additional requirements on top of the state framework:

• You must offer a renewal for expiring term leases unless one of 16 approved reasons applies, which closes the state law's fixed-term exit.
• Seattle requires RRIO compliance before you serve a termination notice.
• You must offer tenancy to the first qualified completed applicant under Seattle's first-in-time rule, which the Washington Supreme Court upheld in Yim v. City of Seattle.
• A school-year eviction defense under SMC 22.205.110 protects students, their families, and educators.
• You must hand tenants a printed Renter's Handbook at signing, at renewal, and annually for month-to-month tenants.

Seattle's ban on algorithmic rent fixing took effect July 31, 2025. Violations carry penalties up to $7,500 each.

Tacoma landlord-tenant ordinances

Tacoma's Landlord Fairness Code (TMC 1.100) adds:

• Landlords out of compliance with tenant protection laws cannot raise rent or evict at all.
• A school-year eviction defense covers students and their custodians. It also covers educators.
• Landlords may not evict based on a tenant's status as a servicemember, first responder, senior, family member, health care provider, or educator.
• Tenants can seek penalties ranging from $500 up to five times monthly rent per violation through private lawsuits.

Bellingham landlord-tenant ordinances

Bellingham's newest amendments, effective September 7, 2026, bar landlords from requiring a tenant to respond to a rent-increase notice earlier than 20 days before the increase takes effect.

Special situations landlords should know

ADUs and manufactured home communities follow additional state rules.

Accessory dwelling units

ADUs are now a state-protected rental strategy. HB 1337 (Chapter 334, Laws of 2023) requires that jurisdictions planning under the Growth Management Act:

• Allow at least two ADUs on lots zoned for single-family homes inside urban growth areas.
• No owner-occupancy mandates.
• ADU impact fees capped at 50% of the principal unit's.
• No floor-area maximum below 1,000 square feet.

The owner-occupancy prohibition means a jurisdiction cannot require you to live on site to rent out an ADU. Most jurisdictions must adopt conforming ADU rules by their next comprehensive plan update. For permitting detail and local variation, see the ADU rules under Washington's rental laws.

Manufactured home communities

Manufactured home communities run under RCW 59.20. HB 1217 capped lot rent increases at a flat 5% in any 12-month period. For landlords who enter into or renew agreements on or after May 7, 2025, it also imposes graduated late-fee caps of 2%, 3%, and 5% of monthly rent for the first, second, and third consecutive past-due months.

Landlord insurance

A tenant's policy covers their belongings. Your landlord policy covers the building. Following the RLTA to the letter does nothing for you after a kitchen fire or a burst pipe. It also does not cover your liability after a fall on the steps. Purpose-built landlord insurance covers the structure and landlord liability. It also covers loss of rental income, and our Washington rental property insurance does exactly that. Get a quote in minutes at quote.steadily.com.

FAQ

These questions come up most often from Washington owners.

What do I owe a tenant after move-out?

You owe the tenant an itemized statement of any deductions plus a refund of the remainder, within 21 days. You can deduct for damage, and you absorb normal wear and tear; deductions also need the signed move-in checklist behind them to survive a challenge.

How much notice do I need to raise rent, and is there a cap?

State law requires at least 90 days' written notice on the standardized form, and the 2026 statewide maximum increase for non-exempt units is 9.683%. Seattle and Tacoma require 180 days' notice, and Bellingham requires 120. State law permits no increase during a tenant's first 12 months.

Do I have to give notice before entering a rental unit?

Yes. You must give at least two days' notice to enter for inspections, repairs, or maintenance, and at least one day's notice to show the unit. Only a genuine emergency, such as a fire, flood, or gas leak, permits entry without notice. Put any entry notice in writing and keep a copy.

Is there a limit on tenant screening fees?

Yes, though not a fixed dollar figure. You may charge only the actual cost a screening service charges you, or your actual costs if you screen in-house, not exceeding customary local service rates, and only after providing the required written disclosures. Violations carry liability up to $100 plus costs and attorneys' fees.

Do Seattle, Tacoma, and Bellingham have protections beyond state law?

All three do. Seattle layers on rental registration, a $10 monthly late-fee cap, first-in-time screening, and a winter eviction defense. Tacoma caps late fees at 1.5% of unpaid rent and caps move-in fees at one month's rent. It also bans most evictions from November 15 to March 15. Bellingham requires rental registration with inspections and bans a list of junk fees. It also requires landlords to pay relocation assistance to displaced tenants when rent rises 8% or more.