Washington Rent Increase Notice Requirements

RCW 59.18.140 requires that 'a landlord shall provide a minimum of 90 days' prior written notice of an increase in the amount of rent to each affected tenant,' reduced to 30 days for tenancies subsidized based on tenant income. The 2025 Rent Stabilization Act (HB 1217), effective May 7, 2025, prohibits any rent increase during the first 12 months of a tenancy and caps later annual increases at the lesser of 10% or 7% plus CPI (5% for manufactured/mobile-home lots), with the Department of Commerce publishing the maximum each year. Increases generally may not take effect before a fixed term ends except in subsidized tenancies or by mutual consent.

A notice that fails the 90-day (or 30-day subsidized) requirement is invalid and the increase is unenforceable. An increase exceeding the HB 1217 cap can expose the landlord to the tenant's actual damages, a statutory penalty, and attorney fees under the Rent Stabilization Act's enforcement provisions.