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.
Kirkland, WA
Leaf blowers and power equipment are restricted to 8 AM to 8 PM weekdays and 9 AM to 6 PM on weekends and holidays under KMC 11.84A. Kirkland has not adopted...
Kirkland, WA
Kirkland sits about 20 miles north of Sea-Tac and is lightly affected by commercial flights. Kenmore Air seaplanes and Renton Municipal general aviation caus...
Kirkland, WA
Kirkland does not impose a citywide overnight parking ban, but enforces the 72-hour rule, signed residential permit zones, and no-parking signs at parks, tra...
Kirkland, WA
Kirkland driveways must remain paved, accessible, and used for vehicle parking per KMC Title 115 zoning code, which limits front-yard paving and requires app...
Kirkland, WA
EV charging in Kirkland follows the Washington State Energy Code, which requires EV-ready capacity in new multifamily and commercial parking and protects pub...
Kirkland, WA
Under KZC 115.40, Kirkland fences may be up to 6 feet except within 15 feet of a street curb. Properties on a neighborhood access or collector street are cap...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in King County.
See how Kirkland's tenant anti-harassment rules stack up against other locations.
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