Washington's Residential Landlord-Tenant Act and Seattle's Renting in Seattle ordinance prohibit landlord harassment of tenants, including utility shutoffs, lockouts, repeated entry without notice, and threats designed to force a tenant to vacate.
RCW 59.18.290 makes it unlawful for a landlord to remove a tenant by force, change locks, shut off heat, electricity, water, or gas, or remove the tenant's belongings without a court order. RCW 59.18.150 limits landlord entry to reasonable times with at least 48 hours written notice for inspections and 24 hours for repairs. Seattle's anti-harassment ordinance (SMC 22.206.180) goes further, banning verbal threats, false statements about immigration status, and discriminatory steering, with civil penalties up to $11,000 per violation. King County's unincorporated areas rely on the state statute. Tenants may sue for actual damages, statutory damages up to $1,000, and attorney fees.
Self-help eviction, utility shutoff, repeated unauthorized entry, or coercive threats violate RCW 59.18.290 and expose landlords to actual damages, $1,000 statutory damages per violation, and attorney fees in superior court actions.
Kent, WA
Kent decibel limits follow WAC 173-60 and KCC 8.05 using EDNA zones. Residential receiving limit is 55 dBA day and 45 dBA night. Commercial sources are cappe...
Kent, WA
Kent industrial sources are capped at 70 dBA day and 65 dBA night at another industrial property, but only 60 dBA day and 50 dBA night when received at a res...
Kent, WA
Commercial trucks over 10,000 pounds GVWR generally cannot park on Kent residential streets except for active loading. Warehouse districts and truck routes h...
Kent, WA
Kent follows Washington State Building Code EV-ready requirements for new multifamily and commercial buildings. Public chargers exist at Kent Station and sev...
Kent, WA
Kent driveway aprons require Public Works approval under KCC Title 6. New or widened driveways need a right-of-way construction permit, and vehicles must not...
Kent, WA
Kent has no city requirement to split shared fence costs with a neighbor. Washington common law controls boundary fences. Survey the property line before bui...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in King County.
See how Kent's tenant anti-harassment rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.