Washington Rent Increase Laws for Landlords (2026)

Updated September 2026 · Written for self-managing landlords · Not legal advice

In short: Washington requires 90 days' notice before a rent increase takes effect, and it caps the increase itself.

What Washington law requires

Washington is one of the 19 US jurisdictions with a statute that speaks directly to raising rent. It requires 90 days' notice before an increase takes effect, in writing.

Citation: RCW 59.18.140, 59.18.700, 59.18.710 · read the source

The notice is not one number. 90 days for most tenancies; 30 days for subsidized income-based housing.

This rule is changing or recently changed. HB 1217, effective May 7, 2025, created Washington's first statewide cap on rent increases and raised the notice period from 60 to 90 days.

How much can you raise it in Washington?

Washington now caps increases at 7% plus CPI or 10%, whichever is less, in any twelve months, and 5% for a manufactured-home lot. No increase in the first twelve months of a tenancy. New construction is exempt for its first twelve years, as are certain public, nonprofit and tax-credit affordable housing and some owner-occupied small properties.

Washington is one of only four US jurisdictions that caps the amount. California, Oregon, Washington and the District of Columbia are the whole list. Everywhere else the limit is what the market and your tenant will bear.

Local rules override this. Local rent control is preempted by RCW 35.21.830; the 2025 cap is a single statewide rule.

Can you raise rent mid-lease in Washington?

No. A fixed-term lease fixes the rent for the term. An increase takes effect at renewal, or on a month-to-month tenancy after proper notice. The exception is a lease that contains its own escalation clause agreed at signing.

Serving the notice so it holds up

Most rent increases that fall apart fall apart on the date, not the amount: the notice went out too late, or nobody can prove when it went out. Count the days from delivery, not from the day you wrote it, and keep the proof.

LandlordPro generates the notice against the state's rule, dates it, records when it was sent, and carries the new rent onto the rent roll on the right day so the ledger and the notice agree.

Generate the notice, keep the proof

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Frequently asked questions

How much notice does a landlord have to give to raise rent in Washington?

90 days in writing, under RCW 59.18.140, 59.18.700, 59.18.710.

Is there a limit on how much rent can be raised in Washington?

Can rent be raised during a lease in Washington?

No, unless the lease itself provides for it. A fixed-term lease fixes the rent for the term; an increase belongs at renewal or on a month-to-month tenancy after notice.

Does a Washington rent increase notice have to be in writing?

Yes.

Do local rules change this in Washington?

Local rent control is preempted by RCW 35.21.830; the 2025 cap is a single statewide rule.