| Rent Increase Facts | Answer |
| Reason Needed? | No |
| Maximum Amount | None |
| Required Notice | 30 or 60 Days |
Does Washington Have Rent Control Laws?
Washington does not have rent control laws limiting the amount that landlords request for rent. State law prohibits local governments from establishing their own rent control ordinances.
When Can a Landlord Raise Rent in Washington?
Landlords in Washington can raise the rent at any time, as long as they comply with the following:
- Wait until the end of the lease term (unless otherwise specified in the lease)
- Give reasonable notice
- Aren’t raising rent for discriminatory or retaliatory reasons
60 days before the end of a year-long lease, a landlord sends the tenant a notice that rent will increase by 9.5% if they choose to renew the lease.
When Can’t a Landlord Raise Rent in Washington?
Landlords in Washington may not raise the rent if:
- It is done in retaliation against a protected tenant action, such as submitting a notice of defect
- It is during the middle of a lease’s fixed term (unless stated otherwise in the lease agreement)
- The increase is applied in a way that discriminates against one of the protected classes specified in the Fair Housing Act
In addition to the characteristics above, Seattle’s Fair Chance Housing law also prohibits discrimination due to:
- Immigration status
- Political ideology
- Military or veteran status
- Participation in Section 8 or other subsidy programs
- Alternative source of income
How Often Can Rent Be Increased in Washington?
Landlords in Washington can increase the rent as often as they choose as long as they provide sufficient notice each time.
How Much Notice is Needed To Raise Rent in Washington?
Washington law prohibits landlords from increasing rent during a lease term and requires that landlords give 60 days’ notice. before increasing rent. For subsidized housing, landlords are only required to provide 30 days’ notice. Local laws may require a larger amount of notice.
Seattle law requires that landlords give 180 days’ notice for new leases after November 8, 2021. For subsidized housing, the state’s 30-day notice period still applies.
Landlords do not need to provide a reason for the rent increase on the notice letter. When the tenant receives the notice, they may choose to enter a new lease at a higher rate or move out.
How Much Can a Landlord Raise Rent in Washington?
In Washington, landlords can raise the rent by any amount. There is no legal limit or cap on the amount of a rent increase. However, some cities may enact certain rules for rent increases.
In Seattle, if a landlord increases rent by more than 10%, the tenant is entitled to request triple the monthly rent in order to defray relocation costs.
Sources
- 1 Wash. Rev. Code § 35.21.830
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The imposition of controls on rent is of statewide significance and is preempted by the state. No city or town of any class may enact, maintain, or enforce ordinances or other provisions which regulate the amount of rent to be charged for single-family or multiple-unit residential rental structures or sites other than properties in public ownership, under public management, or properties providing low-income rental housing under joint public-private agreements for the financing or provision of such low-income rental housing. This section shall not be construed as prohibiting any city or town from entering into agreements with private persons which regulate or control the amount of rent to be charged for rental properties.
Source Link - 2 Wash. Rev. Code § 36.01.130
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The imposition of controls on rent is of statewide significance and is preempted by the state. No county may enact, maintain or enforce ordinances or other provisions which regulate the amount of rent to be charged for single-family or multiple-unit residential rental structures or sites other than properties in public ownership, under public management, or properties providing low-income rental housing under joint public-private agreements for the financing or provision of such low-income rental housing. This section shall not be construed as prohibiting any county from entering into agreements with private persons which regulate or control the amount of rent to be charged for rental properties.
Source Link - 3 Wash. Rev. Code § 59.18.250
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Initiation by the landlord of any action listed in RCW 59.18.240 within ninety days after a good faith and lawful act by the tenant as enumerated in RCW 59.18.240, or within ninety days after any inspection or proceeding of a governmental agency resulting from such act, shall create a rebuttable presumption affecting the burden of proof, that the action is a reprisal or retaliatory action against the tenant…
Source Link - 4 SMC § 14.08.015
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All persons required to post a fair housing poster pursuant to 24 CFR 110 shall also post a Seattle Open Housing Poster at the same locations required in the federal regulation. A person who fails to post a Seattle Open Housing Poster as required in this Section 14.08.015 is subject to a fine of $125 for a first violation and a fine of $500 for each subsequent violation. The Seattle Open Housing Poster shall provide a notice that it is illegal in The City of Seattle to discriminate against any person because of race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, caste, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, age, sex, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity, political ideology, honorably discharged veteran or military status, participation in a Section 8 or other subsidy program, alternative source of income, an individual’s actual, potential, perceived, or alleged pregnancy outcomes as defined in Section 14.04.030, the presence of any disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a disabled person. The Department shall adopt a rule or rules to enforce this Section 14.08.015 that shall include the availability of such posters from the Department.
Source Link - 5 Wash. Rev. Code § 59.18.140
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(a) Except as provided in (b) of this subsection, a landlord shall provide a minimum of sixty days’ prior written notice of an increase in the amount of rent to each affected tenant, and any increase in the amount of rent may not become effective prior to the completion of the term of the rental agreement.
(b) If the rental agreement governs a subsidized tenancy where the amount of rent is based on the income of the tenant or circumstances specific to the subsidized household, a landlord shall provide a minimum of thirty days’ prior written notice of an increase in the amount of rent to each affected tenant. An increase in the amount of rent may become effective upon completion of the term of the rental agreement or sooner upon mutual consent.
Source Link - 6 SMC § 7.24.030(A)
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Any rental agreement or renewal of a rental agreement for a residential rental unit in The City of Seattle entered into after November 8, 2021 shall include or shall be deemed to include a provision requiring at least 180 days’ prior written notice whenever the periodic or monthly housing costs to be charged a tenant are to increase, except that for a subsidized tenancy where the amount of rent is based on the income of the tenant or circumstances specific to the subsidized household, the rental agreement shall instead provide at least 30 days’ prior written notice of an increase in the amount of rent to each affected tenant.
Source Link - 7 SMC § 22.206.180(H)
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Except as otherwise specifically required or allowed by this Title 22 or by the Washington State Residential Landlord-Tenant Act, chapter 59.18 RCW, it is unlawful for any owner to:
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H. Increase the periodic or monthly housing costs to be charged a tenant without giving the tenant at least 180 days prior written notice of the cost increase, except that for a subsidized tenancy where the amount of rent is based on the income of the tenant or circumstances specific to the subsidized household, the owner shall instead provide at least 30 days’ prior written notice of an increase in the amount of rent to each affected tenant. The notice shall describe how the tenant may obtain information about the rights and obligations of tenants and landlords under this Chapter 22.206;
Source Link - 8 SMC § 22.212.050
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The Director shall calculate the amount of economic displacement relocation assistance, if any, to which the household representative is entitled. To calculate that amount, the Director shall:
A. Determine the average monthly housing costs for the housing unit, based upon either: the housing costs for the 12 months prior to the effective date of that rent increase or for the household’s tenancy in the housing unit, whichever period is shorter;
B. Identify the number of households that occupy the housing unit and divide the average monthly housing costs by the number of households, resulting in the average monthly housing costs per household; and
C. Multiply the average monthly housing costs per household by three.
Source Link - 9 SMC § 22.212.060(A)
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The owner shall pay to the Director the amount of assistance, if any, identified in the Director’s notice described in subsection 22.212.040.E within seven days after the owner receives the notice.
Source Link
