Washington's Residential Landlord-Tenant Act prohibits landlords from passing through new fees during a tenancy that were not disclosed in the original lease, including utility surcharges, trash fees, and capital improvement assessments under RCW 59.18.140.
Under RCW 59.18.140, all material lease terms including rent and recurring fees must be disclosed at lease signing; mid-tenancy additions require either tenant consent or a proper notice of rent increase. Pass-through utility billing is permitted only if the lease describes the methodology in writing, and landlords must provide tenants access to underlying utility bills on request under SMC 7.25 in Seattle and similar transparency rules in unincorporated King County. Capital expenditure pass-throughs of the type used in some California cities are not authorized under Washington law because rent control itself is preempted by RCW 35.21.830, leaving the regular rent-increase notice process as the only mechanism.
Imposing surprise fees mid-lease or charging pass-through utilities without disclosed methodology violates RCW 59.18.140 and Seattle SMC 7.25, exposing landlords to refunds, statutory damages, and attorney fees in tenant-initiated suits.
Redmond, WA
Redmond does not ban gas leaf blowers, but restricts their use to daytime hours under RMC 6.32. Residential yard equipment is permitted between 7 AM and 10 P...
Redmond, WA
Industrial-source noise received in Redmond residential areas may not exceed 60 dBA daytime and 50 dBA nighttime under RMC 6.32 and WAC 173-60. Overlake and ...
Redmond, WA
Redmond generally allows overnight residential street parking within the 72-hour continuous-parking limit. Downtown time zones, snow events, and posted no-pa...
Redmond, WA
Redmond restricts on-street RV and boat parking to 72 hours and regulates driveway storage under RMC Title 21. Many zones limit the number of recreational ve...
Redmond, WA
Redmond regulates driveway width, surfacing, and apron construction under RMC Title 21 and Public Works standards. Residential driveways are typically 10-24 ...
Redmond, WA
Standard residential fences up to 6 feet in side and rear yards and 4 feet in front yards do not require a building permit in Redmond. Permits are needed for...
See how Redmond's pass-through charges rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.