Kent, WA Rental Property Rules: Rent Control (2026)
Rent control rules in Kent, WA, also known as rent stabilization or rent cap ordinances, limit annual rent increases and protect tenants from displacement.
Key Facts
- Rent cap
- None (state preemption)
- Notice
- 60 days for increases
- Just cause
- RCW 59.18.650
- Relocation aid
- Not currently in Kent
Summary
Rent control is preempted by Washington RCW 35.21.830, so Kent cannot cap rent increases. Just-cause eviction and notice rules under RCW 59.18 still apply.
RCW 35.21.830 Controls on rent for residential structures — Prohibited — Exceptions. 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. [ 1981 c 75 s 1 .] Notes: Applicability to floating home moorage sites — 1981 c 75: "Nothing in this act shall be construed to preempt local ordinances that relate to the control of rents or other relationships at floating home moorage sites." [ 1981 c 75 s 3 .] Severability — 1981 c 75: "If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected." [ 1981 c 75 s 4 .]
Full Breakdown
Washington RCW 35.21.830 preempts cities from adopting ordinances that control the amount of rent charged for residential housing. Kent therefore has no rent ceiling, and landlords may raise rent to market levels with proper notice. A 2019 amendment to RCW 59.18.140 requires at least 60 days written notice before any rent increase in most tenancies, and landlords must offer specific pay-or-vacate notices under RCW 59.18.057. While Kent cannot cap amounts, state law does restrict reasons for termination: RCW 59.18.650 requires just cause for most evictions of tenants on month-to-month or fixed-term leases, including non-payment, lease violation, owner occupation, or substantial rehabilitation. Some Washington cities (Seattle, Federal Way, Auburn) have enacted relocation assistance for very large rent hikes, but Kent has not as of 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Kent have rent control?
Can a landlord evict without a reason?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kent
Compare Kent to another location·View the Washington rental property rules overview
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Rent Control in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle rent control.