Washington Rent Increase Laws: The Landlord and Tenant Guide
2025 HB 1217 Cap · 90-Day Notice · First-Year Freeze · 5 Percent Manufactured-Home Cap · Exemptions · Retaliation Limits
Washington is no longer a free-market rent state. On May 7, 2025, House Bill 1217 took effect and, for the first time, put a statewide ceiling on how much rent can rise each year. For most housing, three rules now stack at once: a percentage cap of 7 percent plus the Consumer Price Index or 10 percent, whichever is lower; a 90-day written-notice rule under Revised Code of Washington section 59.18.140; and a flat ban on any increase during the first 12 months of a tenancy. On top of those sit a separate 5 percent cap for manufactured-home lots, a set of narrow exemptions, and long-standing anti-retaliation, fair-housing, and source-of-income protections. Get all of them right and your increase holds; miss one and a tenant can refuse the overage and use the defect against you.
This is a genuinely new regime, so old guidance is dangerous. Before the 2025 law, Washington had no cap at all on the size of a rent increase, and the notice period was only 60 days. Any article, template, or memory that still describes Washington as a no-cap state, or that quotes a 60-day notice, is now wrong. Because the Consumer Price Index piece of the cap changes every year and the Department of Commerce republishes the maximum annually, treat every figure in this guide as a starting point and verify the current number before you serve anything.
Below, a detailed overview video summarizes the Washington framework; the sections that follow break down each piece — the HB 1217 cap and how it is calculated, the first-year freeze, the 90-day notice rule, when you may raise rent at all, the manufactured-home cap, the exemptions, what changed from the old law, retaliation, fair housing and source of income, local rules, and a step-by-step landlord playbook — plus a Washington-specific FAQ.
Washington Rent Increase Rules at a Glance
Statewide Cap
7% + CPI, 10% max, lower wins (HB 1217)
Notice Required
90 days written (RCW 59.18.140)
First 12 Months
No increase, any tenancy
Manufactured Lots
Flat 5% per year
The 2025 HB 1217 Statewide Rent Cap
The centerpiece of Washington rent-increase law is now House Bill 1217, the statewide rent-stabilization act that Governor Bob Ferguson signed in May 2025 and that took effect on May 7, 2025. It amends the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act in chapter 59.18 of the Revised Code of Washington and, for the first time in the state’s history, sets a hard ceiling on how much the rent can go up over a 12-month window — regardless of what the market would bear.
The 7% + CPI Formula, With a 10% Ceiling
The cap works as a “lower of” rule. Over any 12-month period, rent for a covered unit may not rise by more than 7 percent plus the Consumer Price Index, and in no case by more than 10 percent total. You take 7 percent, add the applicable CPI figure, and compare that sum to 10 percent — whichever number is lower is your maximum. When 7 percent plus CPI comes out below 10 percent, that lower figure controls; when inflation is high enough that 7 percent plus CPI would exceed 10 percent, the 10 percent ceiling caps you. In practice the ceiling bites only in high-inflation years; in ordinary years the cap lands somewhere in the high single digits.
How the CPI figure is set each year
The CPI portion is not a number you calculate yourself. The Washington Department of Commerce publishes the maximum allowable percentage for each calendar year, drawing on the June Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue area, released by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics in mid-July. The maximum was 10 percent for the remainder of 2025 and 9.683 percent for the 2026 calendar year. Because the figure is refreshed annually, look up the current published cap for the year in which your increase takes effect rather than reusing last year’s number.
The Cap Is Measured Over a Rolling 12 Months
The limit applies to any 12-month period of the tenancy, so you cannot stack two increases a few months apart to exceed the annual ceiling. Once a lawful increase has taken effect, the clock on the next one runs against that same rolling window. Treat the cap as the total permissible movement across a year, not the size of a single notice.
Do not rely on the old no-cap framing
For decades Washington had no statewide cap, and many older guides, forms, and property-management habits assume a landlord can raise rent by any amount with 60 days’ notice. That is no longer the law. Since May 7, 2025, an increase above the published cap on covered housing is unlawful, and the notice period is 90 days, not 60. If your process still uses the old numbers, update it before your next increase.
The cap has a 15-year sunset
Most provisions of House Bill 1217, including the general residential cap, are scheduled to expire on July 1, 2040 unless the Legislature extends them. The separate cap for manufactured and mobile-home lots is not set to sunset on that date. Because expiration and extension dates can change through later legislation, confirm the current status before relying on it.
Takeaway
On covered housing, the HB 1217 cap is 7 percent plus CPI, never more than 10 percent, measured over any rolling 12-month period, and the lower number always wins. The Department of Commerce publishes the exact maximum each year — 10 percent through 2025 and 9.683 percent for 2026. Pull the current figure before you set a number.
The First-Year Freeze: No Increase for 12 Months
Before you even reach the percentage cap, House Bill 1217 imposes a threshold rule that catches many landlords off guard: no rent increase of any amount is allowed during the first 12 months of a tenancy. This applies regardless of whether the tenancy is month-to-month or a fixed term, and it applies to the increase itself, not just to an increase over the cap.
The practical effect is that the earliest a covered landlord may raise the rent is at the 12-month anniversary of the tenancy, and even then only after serving the required 90-day written notice. Because the notice must run before the increase can take effect, in practice you plan the notice so the new rent begins no sooner than the day the first-year freeze lifts. Confirm the tenancy start date from the lease before you calculate any increase, because miscounting the first year is one of the easiest ways to serve a notice that is void on its face.
The freeze runs from the start of the tenancy, not the lease year
The 12-month clock starts when the tenancy begins, not on some later renewal date you would prefer. A renewal or a switch from a fixed term to month-to-month does not restart the freeze if the same tenant has been in place; it is the tenancy, not the paperwork, that is measured. When in doubt, count from the day the tenant first took possession.
Takeaway
No increase of any amount is allowed in the first 12 months of a Washington tenancy, month-to-month or fixed term. The earliest lawful increase is at the 12-month mark, and only after a proper 90-day notice. Count the first year from when the tenant took possession.
Notice: 90 Days in Writing
Even a perfectly-sized increase fails if you deliver it with the wrong notice. House Bill 1217 amended Revised Code of Washington section 59.18.140 to require at least 90 days’ advance written notice before a rent increase takes effect — a substantial jump from the 60 days the law required before 2025.
| Situation | Minimum written notice | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Standard rent increase (covered unit) | At least 90 days before the effective date | Applies month-to-month and at fixed-term renewal |
| Manufactured or mobile-home lot | At least 90 days before the effective date | Increase itself capped at 5 percent |
| Landlord claiming an exemption | At least 90 days, plus required exemption disclosure | Notice must state the basis for the exemption |
The 90-day period is a floor, not a ceiling. Some Washington cities require a longer notice or add documentation requirements, and where a local rule is more protective the longer period controls. A landlord who is claiming that the unit is exempt from the cap must say so in the notice and include the information the law requires; a bare increase notice that silently relies on an exemption can be challenged.
What a Proper Notice Contains and How to Serve It
A defensible rent-increase notice is in writing and states, at minimum: the tenant’s name and the property address, the current rent, the new rent, the effective date, and enough information for the tenant to see that the 90-day period and the cap are satisfied. A verbal announcement, a text message, or an email the tenant never agreed to accept as a delivery method is not proper service and does not start the clock. Serve it by a provable method — certified mail with return receipt, personal delivery with a signed acknowledgment, or another method your lease and local rules allow — and keep a copy of both the notice and the proof of delivery.
Takeaway
Give at least 90 days’ written notice under Revised Code of Washington section 59.18.140 before a covered increase takes effect — up from the old 60 days. If you claim an exemption, disclose it in the notice. Serve by a provable method and keep proof of delivery.
When You Can Raise the Rent at All
The cap and the notice rules only matter once you actually have the right to raise the rent. That right depends on the tenancy and on the first-year freeze.
During a Fixed-Term Lease: Generally Locked
While a fixed-term lease is running, the rent is set at the agreed amount for the whole term. You cannot raise it mid-term unless the lease itself contains an explicit clause that permits the change — and even then, the increase must still respect the first-year freeze, the HB 1217 cap, and the 90-day notice rule. Absent that clause, the tenant is entitled to the agreed rent through the end of the term.
At Renewal or on a Month-to-Month Tenancy
The two ordinary windows to raise rent are at lease renewal, when a new term begins, and during a month-to-month tenancy, where a landlord may change the rent going forward by serving the proper 90-day notice. Either way, the tenancy must already have passed its first 12 months, and the increase takes effect only after the full notice period runs. The tenant can accept the new rent and stay, or give proper notice and move out.
A limit on charging more for a shorter term
House Bill 1217 also constrains how much more a landlord may charge for a shorter lease term. The difference in rent a landlord may charge for a month-to-month tenancy compared with a longer fixed term is limited, so you cannot use term length as a workaround to extract a larger effective increase. Where this applies, keep the pricing difference within the statutory limit and document how you set it.
A mid-term or first-year increase is void
Trying to raise rent partway through a fixed-term lease with no clause, or during the first 12 months, does not simply fail quietly — the increase is unenforceable, and a tenant who keeps paying the original rent is in the right. Do not treat a tenant’s silence as agreement. Wait for the first year to pass and for a lawful window, then serve a proper 90-day notice.
Takeaway
You may raise rent at renewal or on a month-to-month tenancy with a 90-day notice, but only after the first 12 months, and never mid-term on a fixed lease unless the lease expressly allows it. The tenancy type and the first-year freeze decide whether you even have the authority.
Manufactured and Mobile-Home Lots: A Separate 5% Cap
Not all Washington rentals ride the same cap. If you rent out a lot in a manufactured-housing or mobile-home community — where the tenant owns the home and rents the ground beneath it — a different and stricter limit applies. The annual increase for a manufactured-home lot is capped at a flat 5 percent per year, with no CPI add-on and no 10 percent alternative.
Two features make this cap distinct. First, it is a fixed number rather than a formula, so there is nothing to look up each year: 5 percent is the ceiling. Second, unlike the general residential cap, the manufactured-home lot limit is not scheduled to expire on the 2040 sunset date — it is meant to be permanent. If your tenancy is a manufactured-home lot rather than a conventional apartment or house, use the 5 percent figure and do not apply the 7 percent plus CPI formula by mistake.
The 90-day notice still applies
The stricter 5 percent cap does not shorten the notice period. A manufactured-home lot increase still requires at least 90 days’ written notice, and the first-year freeze still applies. The only thing that changes for these lots is the size of the maximum increase.
Takeaway
A manufactured or mobile-home lot is capped at a flat 5 percent per year — no CPI, no 10 percent alternative, and no 2040 sunset. The 90-day notice and the first-year freeze still apply. Do not run the standard 7-percent-plus-CPI formula on a manufactured-home lot.
Exemptions From the HB 1217 Cap
Not every Washington rental is subject to the statewide cap. House Bill 1217 carves out several categories of housing — but the exemptions are narrow, some must be disclosed in the increase notice, and getting one wrong means the cap applied all along.
| Exempt category | The catch |
|---|---|
| New construction, first 12 years | Exempt only while the first certificate of occupancy is 12 years old or less — a rolling date that must be recalculated as the building ages |
| Certain owner-occupied buildings | Narrow: generally a small multi-unit building where the owner lives on site and the owner is not a large corporate entity; confirm the exact configuration |
| Qualifying affordable housing | Low-Income Housing Tax Credit units and nonprofit-owned affordable housing under an enforceable regulatory agreement are governed by their own affordability rules |
| Some subsidized tenancies | Where a separate government program already sets the rent, the general cap may not apply; verify the program’s rules |
The 12-Year New-Construction Exemption Rolls Forward
The most consequential exemption is for new construction: a building is exempt from the cap only while its first certificate of occupancy is 12 years old or less. This is a rolling date, not a permanent status. A building that is 11 years old and exempt becomes covered once it passes the 12-year mark, so the exemption must be recalculated against the certificate-of-occupancy date each year rather than assumed to stick. If you rely on this exemption, be ready to prove the certificate date for the specific unit.
Claiming an exemption is a disclosure obligation
An exemption is not something you get to keep quiet. When a landlord relies on an exemption to raise rent above the cap, House Bill 1217 requires the increase notice to state the exemption and include the information the law specifies. A notice that silently exceeds the cap without disclosing a valid basis invites a challenge, and a wrongly claimed exemption exposes the landlord to the same penalties as an over-cap increase.
Takeaway
Exemptions are real but narrow. New construction is exempt only for its first 12 years on a rolling date; certain owner-occupied and affordable-housing situations are also carved out. A landlord claiming an exemption must disclose it in the notice. When in doubt, assume covered and verify.
What Changed From the Old Law
Because Washington’s rent-increase rules changed so sharply in 2025, it is worth stating plainly what is different, so no one relies on an outdated playbook.
| Rule | Before May 7, 2025 | Under HB 1217 |
|---|---|---|
| Size of increase | No statewide cap — any amount | 7 percent plus CPI, or 10 percent, whichever is lower |
| Notice period | 60 days’ written notice | At least 90 days’ written notice |
| First year of tenancy | No special freeze | No increase of any amount for the first 12 months |
| Manufactured-home lots | No statewide cap | Flat 5 percent per year |
The most common mistake right now is treating Washington as it worked before 2025. Under the old regime, the only real constraint on the amount of an increase was market pressure and the 60-day notice under Revised Code of Washington section 59.18.140. Since May 7, 2025, that framing is simply wrong: there is a percentage cap, the notice is 90 days, and no increase at all is allowed in the first year. Any content or template still built on the old rules should be corrected before it is used.
Takeaway
The 2025 law changed four things at once: it added a percentage cap, extended notice from 60 to 90 days, added a first-year freeze, and set a 5 percent manufactured-home cap. Treating Washington as a no-cap, 60-day state is now a compliance error.
Retaliation, Fair Housing and Source of Income
Two more limits apply on top of the cap and notice rules, and an increase that clears the numbers can still be unlawful if it trips either one.
A Rent Increase Cannot Be Retaliatory
Washington law prohibits a landlord from raising rent in retaliation for a tenant’s exercise of a legal right — for example, requesting a needed repair, reporting a habitability or code violation to a government agency, or organizing with other tenants. When an increase follows shortly after protected activity, a retaliation presumption can arise, and the burden shifts to the landlord to show a legitimate, non-retaliatory reason. The safest practice is to time increases to the ordinary schedule — a renewal or an annual anniversary — and to document the market and cost reasons behind the number.
It Cannot Discriminate or Target a Source of Income
A rent increase also cannot be used to discriminate against a protected class under the federal Fair Housing Act and Washington’s own anti-discrimination law — race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, disability, and the additional classes Washington recognizes. Washington separately protects source of income under Revised Code of Washington section 59.18.255, which includes housing vouchers such as the Housing Choice Voucher, along with other subsidies and benefits. You cannot raise or set rent to push out, or refuse to accommodate, a tenant because they use a voucher or other lawful rental assistance, and the penalties for source-of-income discrimination are steep.
Consistency is your best defense
Increases applied evenly across comparable units on a regular schedule are far easier to defend than a one-off increase aimed at a single tenant. A selectively applied hike, or one that lands right after a complaint, invites both a retaliation defense and a fair-housing claim — even when the percentage is within the cap.
Takeaway
An increase inside the cap is still unlawful if it is retaliatory or discriminatory, including targeting a lawful source of income like a Housing Choice Voucher, which Washington protects under Revised Code of Washington section 59.18.255. Apply increases consistently, on schedule, with a documented reason.
Local Rules and Enforcement
House Bill 1217 is a statewide floor of tenant protection, and some Washington cities and counties layer additional requirements on top — longer notice periods, extra disclosures, or registration steps. Where a local rule is more protective than the state minimum, the local rule controls, so a notice that satisfies the 90-day state requirement can still fall short of a city ordinance. Confirm the local rule for the property’s exact address before you serve anything.
The enforcement side has real teeth. A landlord who charges rent above the cap, or who serves a defective notice, can face significant consequences: the law provides for statutory damages measured in months of unlawful rent, a substantial per-violation penalty, and the tenant’s attorney fees and costs. The Washington Attorney General’s Office has published guidance and complaint channels, and the Department of Commerce maintains a landlord resource center with the current published cap. Because the downside of getting an increase wrong now includes damages and fees rather than just an unpaid overage, the margin for error is far smaller than it was before 2025.
An unlawful increase can also collide with the rules for ending a tenancy. A landlord cannot use an oversized or improperly noticed increase as a back-door way to force a tenant out, and Washington now requires a stated cause to terminate most tenancies. If you are weighing a sharp increase against ending the tenancy, understand the eviction side first; see our guide to Washington eviction notice laws and, when a tenant is leaving voluntarily, our guide to Washington lease termination laws. Rent-increase disputes also frequently spill into deposit questions at move-out, which our Washington security deposit laws guide covers in detail.
The cost of an unlawful increase
An over-cap or improperly noticed increase is not a harmless overreach the tenant simply pays. The tenant may refuse the unlawful portion, and the landlord can be exposed to statutory damages, a per-violation penalty, and attorney fees. Build the extra 90-day lead time and the cap check into your process rather than learning the limits through a claim.
Takeaway
HB 1217 is a statewide floor; a stricter local rule controls. Enforcement carries real penalties — statutory damages, a per-violation penalty, and attorney fees — so verify the current cap and the local rule for the exact address before you serve.
The Washington Landlord Playbook
Put the whole framework into a repeatable sequence and a rent increase becomes routine instead of risky. Follow these steps every time.
Confirm the tenancy has passed 12 months
Count from the day the tenant first took possession. If the tenancy is under a year old, no increase of any amount is allowed yet, month-to-month or fixed term.
Confirm coverage versus exemption
Determine whether the unit is a standard covered residential tenancy, a manufactured-home lot, or exempt. For new construction, check whether the first certificate of occupancy is 12 years old or less, and be ready to disclose any exemption in the notice.
Pull the current published cap
For a covered unit, use the Department of Commerce maximum for the year the increase takes effect (9.683 percent for 2026), which is 7 percent plus CPI capped at 10 percent. For a manufactured-home lot, use the flat 5 percent figure.
Serve at least 90 days’ written notice
State the current rent, the new rent, and the effective date in writing, and serve by a provable method at least 90 days ahead. If you claim an exemption, include the required disclosure. Check for any longer local notice period.
Document everything
Keep a copy of the notice, the proof of delivery, the published cap figure you used, and a note of the reasons behind the increase. Consistent, documented increases served on schedule are the ones that hold up.
Need the notice itself?
A ready-to-fill notice keeps the required fields in place. See our free Washington rent increase notice form. Always tailor the numbers to your unit, confirm the first-year freeze has passed, and verify the current published cap before you serve.
Common Scenarios, Quickly Answered
✓ Usually Defensible
- Renewal increase within the cap. A 90-day written notice before renewal, sized at or under the current published maximum, on a tenancy past its first year.
- Month-to-month raise with proper notice. A written 90-day notice for an increase under the cap on a covered unit that has passed 12 months.
- Manufactured-home lot at 5 percent. A 5 percent increase on a mobile-home lot with a full 90-day notice.
- Consistent annual adjustment. The same schedule applied across comparable units with documented reasons.
✕ Likely Unlawful
- Increase over the cap. Any raise above the published maximum (or above 5 percent on a manufactured-home lot) without a valid, disclosed exemption.
- First-year increase. Any increase during the first 12 months of a tenancy, in any amount.
- Under-noticed raise. A notice giving fewer than 90 days, or a verbal or texted increase.
- Post-complaint increase. A raise issued soon after a repair request or code complaint — a retaliation presumption.
Rent Increases Go Smoother With the Right Tenant
The tenants who fight every lawful increase are often the ones who show red flags on screening. Comprehensive credit, income, and eviction-history reports catch the mismatch before you ever sign a lease.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much can a landlord raise the rent in Washington State?
Since May 7, 2025, under House Bill 1217, the annual rent increase for most Washington tenancies is capped at 7 percent plus the Consumer Price Index, or 10 percent, whichever is lower, over any 12-month period. The Washington Department of Commerce publishes the exact maximum each year from the June CPI for the Seattle area; the ceiling was 10 percent through the end of 2025 and 9.683 percent for the 2026 calendar year. Manufactured and mobile-home lot rents have a separate flat cap of 5 percent. Always verify the current published figure and confirm whether your unit is exempt before you set an increase, because the CPI portion changes every year.
Can a Washington landlord raise the rent during the first year of a tenancy?
No. House Bill 1217 prohibits any rent increase during the first 12 months of a tenancy, in any amount, regardless of whether the tenancy is month-to-month or a fixed term. The earliest a covered landlord may raise the rent is at the 12-month mark, and only after serving the required 90-day written notice. Confirm the tenancy start date before you calculate any increase.
How much notice must a Washington landlord give before raising rent?
At least 90 days’ advance written notice under Revised Code of Washington section 59.18.140, as amended by House Bill 1217. This replaced the old 60-day rule. Some cities require even longer, and a notice claiming an exemption from the cap must include additional information. A verbal announcement, a text, or an email the tenant never agreed to accept is not proper service. Serve by a provable method and keep proof of delivery.
What was Washington’s rent-increase rule before the 2025 law?
Before House Bill 1217 took effect on May 7, 2025, Washington had no statewide cap on the size of a rent increase. A landlord could raise the rent by any amount as long as they gave the required written notice, which was 60 days under the prior version of Revised Code of Washington section 59.18.140. The 2025 law added both a percentage cap and a longer 90-day notice period, so any guidance describing Washington as a no-cap state is now out of date.
Which Washington properties are exempt from the HB 1217 rent cap?
The main exemptions cover housing whose first certificate of occupancy was issued 12 years ago or less, certain owner-occupied buildings with a small number of units where the owner lives on site, and qualifying affordable housing such as Low-Income Housing Tax Credit properties and units owned by nonprofits under an enforceable regulatory agreement. The new-construction exemption is a rolling date that must be recalculated as a building ages. A landlord claiming an exemption must state it in the rent-increase notice. Confirm the exact configuration qualifies before relying on an exemption.
Can a Washington landlord raise the rent in the middle of a lease?
Generally no. During a fixed-term lease the rent is locked at the agreed amount unless the lease itself expressly allows a change, and no increase is permitted during the first 12 months of any tenancy. After the first year, a landlord may raise rent at renewal or on a month-to-month tenancy by serving the proper 90-day written notice and staying within the cap. The 2025 law also limits how much more a landlord may charge for a shorter lease term.
How much is the 2026 rent cap in Washington?
For the 2026 calendar year, the maximum annual rent increase for covered residential tenancies is 9.683 percent, published by the Washington Department of Commerce. That figure is 7 percent plus the applicable Consumer Price Index for the Seattle area, which came out below the 10 percent ceiling. Manufactured and mobile-home lots remain capped at 5 percent. The percentage is recalculated each year, so verify the current published cap before you set an increase.
Do manufactured and mobile-home lots have a different cap in Washington?
Yes. Rent for a manufactured or mobile-home lot is capped at a flat 5 percent per year, with no CPI add-on and no 10 percent alternative. Unlike the general residential cap, the manufactured-home lot limit is not scheduled to expire. If you rent out a lot in a manufactured-housing community, use the 5 percent figure rather than the standard residential cap.
Can a rent increase be illegal in Washington even if it is under the cap?
Yes. A rent increase within the numeric cap can still be unlawful if it is retaliatory, for example issued soon after the tenant requested repairs or reported a code violation, or if it discriminates against a protected class or targets a lawful source of income. Washington protects source of income under Revised Code of Washington section 59.18.255, which includes housing vouchers and other subsidies. Retaliation and fair-housing rules apply on top of the cap, not instead of it.
What is the safest way for a Washington landlord to raise rent?
Confirm the tenancy has passed 12 months, confirm whether the unit is covered or exempt, calculate the increase against the current published cap (or the 5 percent manufactured-home cap), serve a clear written notice at least 90 days ahead by a provable method, avoid raising rent mid-term or right after protected tenant activity, and keep a copy of the notice and proof of delivery. Documenting a legitimate, non-retaliatory reason turns a routine increase into one that holds up.
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