Washington Enacted a Statewide Rent Cap in 2025 (HB 1217)

RCW 35.21.830 provides that "the imposition of controls on rent is of statewide significance and is preempted by the state," barring cities and towns from enacting local rent control. In 2025 the Legislature passed HB 1217 (Chapter 209, 2025 Laws, signed May 7, 2025), codified at RCW 59.18.700 and related sections. It caps annual rent increases at "seven percent plus the consumer price index, or 10 percent, whichever is less," with no increase allowed during the first 12 months of a tenancy and a 90-day written notice required. Manufactured/mobile-home lot tenancies under RCW 59.20 are capped lower, at 5% annually. The Department of Commerce publishes the figure each year; the 2026 maximum is roughly 9.7%.

A landlord who charges rent above the cap may face an Attorney General enforcement action with civil penalties of up to $7,500 per violation, and tenants may recover damages including excess rent paid plus up to three months' rent under HB 1217 (RCW 59.18.700 et seq.).