Washington Rent Increase Laws: What Landlords Can and Cannot Do
Washington enacted a statewide rent cap in 2025: annual increases are limited, barred in a tenant’s first year, and need ninety days’ notice. Here is how to raise rent legally in 2026.
Raising the rent in Washington changed in 2025. House Bill 1217 imposed a statewide cap on annual rent increases, barred any increase in a tenant’s first year, and lengthened the notice period to ninety days, so the dollar amount is no longer simply up to the landlord the way it was before.
This guide covers whether Washington has rent control, how much notice you must give, when you can raise the rent, and the limits that still apply. If you are setting rent for a new applicant, our overview of how to screen tenants step by step pairs well with the rules below.
Video: a plain-language walkthrough of Washington rent increase rules – notice periods, timing, and the limits on raising rent.
Key Takeaways: Washington Rent Increase Laws
- Statewide rent cap since 2025. House Bill 1217 limits annual rent increases across Washington.
- The cap is seven percent plus inflation or ten percent, whichever is lower – about nine and seven-tenths percent for 2026, published by the Department of Commerce.
- Ninety days’ notice is required, ninety-five if sent by certified mail, up from sixty before the law.
- No first-year increase. A landlord may not raise the rent during the first twelve months; new construction is exempt for twelve years.
Is There Rent Control in Washington?
Yes, as of 2025. Washington enacted statewide rent stabilization under House Bill 1217, which caps the annual rent increase at seven percent plus inflation or ten percent, whichever is lower. The Department of Commerce publishes the figure each June; the maximum for 2026 is about nine and seven-tenths percent, and a landlord may not raise the rent at all during the first twelve months of a tenancy.
New construction is exempt for its first twelve years, and the law is set to last fifteen years. The 2025 change also lengthened the notice period to ninety days. The first step for a Washington landlord is to confirm whether the unit is exempt and what the current cap is. Our overview of how to screen tenants step by step is a useful companion if you are setting rent for a new tenant rather than a renewal.
How Much Notice Before a Rent Increase in Washington?
Washington’s 2025 law lengthened the notice and capped the amount. Under House Bill 1217, a landlord must give at least ninety days’ written notice before a rent increase – ninety-five days if sent by certified mail – and may not raise the rent at all during the first twelve months of a tenancy.
The notice must state the new rent and the effective date, and the increase may not exceed the annual cap the Department of Commerce publishes each June. Our deeper look at Washington late fee laws covers the related charges that often change alongside the rent.
When Can You Raise the Rent?
Timing is where most rent-increase disputes start. An increase takes effect only after the ninety-day notice, never in the first year of a tenancy, and only within the annual cap. During a fixed-term lease the rent is locked for the term unless the lease itself contains an escalation clause, so a mid-term increase without that clause is not enforceable.
For a month-to-month tenancy, the increase takes effect only after the required notice period runs. You can read how the underlying tenancy ends and renews on our Washington eviction notice laws page, which covers the notice mechanics that rent changes share.
Retaliation and Discrimination Limits in Washington
Washington bars a retaliatory or discriminatory increase, and under the 2025 law an increase above the annual cap, or one imposed in the first year, is itself unlawful and gives the tenant remedies.
An increase that singles out a tenant because of a protected characteristic is separately unlawful as housing discrimination. For the federal baseline on protected characteristics, see our Fair Housing Act guide for landlords.
Writing a Valid Rent-Increase Notice
A Washington rent-increase notice is only effective if it is done right. Put it in writing, state the current rent, the new rent, and the exact date the new rent takes effect, and deliver it far enough ahead to satisfy the notice period. A vague or verbal notice, or one that shortchanges the timing, is invalid, and the old rent continues until a proper notice is given.
Keep a copy of the notice and proof of how and when you delivered it. If a tenant later disputes the increase, that dated record is what shows the notice was timely and complete.
Rent Increases and Fair Housing in Washington
An increase that is lawful in amount can still be unlawful in motive. Raising one tenant’s rent more steeply, or on a different schedule, because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, or disability is housing discrimination under the federal Fair Housing Act, which applies in Washington regardless of the lack of rent control.
The safeguard is consistency: set increases by an objective, even-handed method – market rate, a fixed schedule, or a documented cost basis – and apply it the same way to comparable units. Our deeper look at Washington security deposit laws shows the same even-handed discipline applied to deposits.
Screening Before You Raise the Rent
A rent increase is also a moment to think about who is in the unit. When a tenant declines an increase and moves on, the next applicant should be screened to the same standard you use for everyone, because the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act governs that report whether you are in Washington or anywhere else.
Get written consent, pull a consumer report for a permissible purpose, and send an adverse action notice if the report drives a denial. Our Washington tenant screening laws page and the broader tenant screening laws by state guide cover the screening half of the cycle.
A Compliant Washington Rent-Increase Process
Turn the rules into one repeatable sequence. First, confirm the tenancy type and the point in the term, since a fixed lease locks the rent until it ends. Second, set the new rent by an objective, even-handed method. Third, prepare a written notice stating the current rent, the new rent, and the effective date. Fourth, deliver it with the full notice period the law requires and keep proof. Fifth, make sure the timing is clear of any recent complaint so the increase cannot look retaliatory.
Handled this way, an increase in Washington is routine. The same discipline that keeps screening defensible – objective criteria, applied uniformly, documented – keeps a rent increase defensible too.
Common Mistakes That Create Liability
The recurring Washington errors are raising rent mid-lease without a clause that allows it, giving short or verbal notice, timing an increase right after a tenant’s complaint or repair request, applying steeper increases to some tenants than to comparable others, and – where a local cap applies – exceeding it. Most turn on timing, form, and motive, which is where the law imposes real limits even where the amount is not capped.
Set the number, follow the rules. Whether or not a local cap applies, Washington regulates the notice, the timing, and the motive of a rent increase. Build the written notice, the full notice period, and an even-handed increase method into your standard workflow.
Documentation and Recordkeeping in Washington
Because Washington regulates the notice, timing, and motive of an increase, your records are what prove you followed the rules. Keep a copy of every rent-increase notice, the current and new rent, the effective date, and proof of how and when it was delivered. A complete file is the answer to a tenant who claims the notice was late or never arrived.
Keep the increase method too – the market comparison, schedule, or cost basis behind the number – so you can show the increase was set by an objective standard and applied consistently. If a tenant alleges a retaliatory or discriminatory motive, that record of an even-handed method is your strongest rebuttal.
Set one retention policy and apply it to every tenant and every increase. A consistent multi-year record of notices, delivery proof, and the basis for each increase gives you the evidence to answer a fair housing inquiry or a dispute over whether the rent was lawfully raised. Our guide to verifying tenant income rounds out the financial side of managing a tenancy in Washington.
Do
- ✓Give written notice that states the new rent and its effective date, with the time the law requires.
- ✓Wait until the end of a fixed lease term to raise the rent, unless the lease expressly allows it sooner.
- ✓Apply increases consistently, by the same schedule and method, to comparable tenants.
- ✓Keep the timing clear of any complaint or repair request so the increase is not retaliatory.
- ✓Document the notice and how it was delivered, in case the increase is ever questioned.
Avoid
- ✕Raise the rent mid-lease when the lease does not permit it.
- ✕Skip or shorten the written-notice period the state requires.
- ✕Increase rent to punish a tenant for a complaint, repair request, or organizing – that is illegal retaliation.
- ✕Single out a tenant for a higher increase based on a protected characteristic.
- ✕Rely on a verbal notice instead of a dated written one.
Washington Rent Increase Laws: FAQ
Is there rent control in Washington?
Yes, as of 2025. House Bill 1217 imposed a statewide cap on annual rent increases, with limited exemptions, making Washington one of the few states with statewide rent stabilization.
How much can a Washington landlord raise the rent?
No more than seven percent plus inflation or ten percent, whichever is lower. The Department of Commerce publishes the figure each June; the maximum for 2026 is about nine and seven-tenths percent.
How much notice must a Washington landlord give to raise rent?
At least ninety days’ written notice, or ninety-five days if sent by certified mail, up from sixty days before the 2025 law. The notice must state the new rent and effective date.
Can a Washington landlord raise rent in the first year?
No. Under House Bill 1217 a landlord may not raise the rent during the first twelve months of a tenancy, whether it is month-to-month or fixed-term.
Which Washington properties are exempt from the rent cap?
New construction is exempt for its first twelve years from the certificate of occupancy, among certain other tenancies the legislature carved out.
Can a Washington landlord raise rent in retaliation?
No. Washington bars retaliatory and discriminatory increases, and an increase above the cap or during the first year is itself unlawful and gives the tenant remedies.
How long will Washington’s rent cap last?
The 2025 law is set to last fifteen years, with the maximum annual increase recalculated and published each June by the Department of Commerce.
Does a Washington rent increase need to be in writing?
Yes. The ninety-day notice must be in writing and state the new rent and effective date, and the increase must stay within the published annual cap.
How much notice must a Washington landlord give before raising rent?
It depends on the tenancy. For a month-to-month tenancy a Washington landlord must give the state’s required written notice before the new rent takes effect; for a fixed-term lease the rent generally cannot change until the term ends. Always put the new amount and the effective date in a dated written notice.
Can a Washington landlord raise rent in the middle of a lease?
Generally no. Unless the written lease expressly allows a mid-term increase, the rent is fixed for the term, so a Washington landlord must wait until the lease ends and give proper notice before changing it.
Related Washington Rent Increase and Rental Guides
- Rent increase laws by state – compare Washington to the rest of the country.
- Washington late fee laws – what you can charge for late rent.
- Washington security deposit laws – limits, deductions, and the return deadline.
- Washington eviction notice laws – notice periods and the eviction timeline.
- Washington habitability laws – your maintenance obligations as a landlord.
- Tenant screening laws by state – screen the tenant before you set the rent.
- Washington tenant screening laws – what you can check before renting.
Screen Washington Tenants the Compliant Way
Before you raise the rent, make sure the tenant is one you trust. Order FCRA-ready credit, criminal, and eviction reports and rent with confidence in Washington.
Published by Tenant Screening Background Check · Editorial Team
Established 2004. Our editorial team has spent two decades helping landlords and property managers run lawful, FCRA-compliant tenant screening across all 50 states. We translate state landlord-tenant codes and federal screening rules into processes you can actually follow.
Legal Disclaimer
This article is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Washington and federal laws change, and how they apply depends on your specific facts. Before acting on any screening, fee, deposit, or fair housing question, consult a licensed attorney in Washington. Reading this page does not create an attorney-client relationship.
