Rent increase notice service

AN ACT Relating to modifying requirements for service of rent 1
increase notices; and amending RCW 59.18.140, 59.18.720, 59.18.700, 2
59.20.390, and 59.20.370. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
PART I5
RESIDENTIAL LANDLORD-TENANT ACT6
Sec. 101. RCW 59.18.140 and 2025 c 209 s 104 are each amended to 7
read as follows: 8
(1) The tenant shall conform to all reasonable obligations or 9
restrictions, whether denominated by the landlord as rules, rental 10
agreement, rent, or otherwise, concerning the use, occupation, and 11
maintenance of his or her dwelling unit, appurtenances thereto, and 12
the property of which the dwelling unit is a part if such obligations 13
and restrictions are not in violation of any of the terms of this 14
chapter and are not otherwise contrary to law, and if such 15
obligations and restrictions are brought to the attention of the 16
tenant at the time of his or her initial occupancy of the dwelling 17
unit and thus become part of the rental agreement.18
(2) Except for termination of tenancy and an increase in the 19
amount of rent, after 30 days' written notice to each affected 20
H-2868.1
HOUSE BILL 2452
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Representatives Connors, Macri, Engell, Peterson, Rude, Corry,
Richards, Scott, Salahuddin, Abbarno, Barkis, Reed, and Hill
Read first time 01/13/26. Referred to Committee on Housing.
p. 1 HB 2452
tenant, a new rule of tenancy may become effective upon completion of 1
the term of the rental agreement or sooner upon mutual consent.2
(3)(a) Except as provided in (b) and (c) of this subsection and 3
subsection (4)(b) of this section, a landlord shall provide a minimum 4
of 90 days' prior written notice of an increase in the amount of rent 5
to each affected tenant, and any increase in the amount of rent may 6
not become effective prior to the completion of the term of the 7
rental agreement. 8
(b) If the rental agreement governs a subsidized tenancy where 9
the amount of rent is based on the income of the tenant or 10
circumstances specific to the subsidized household, a landlord shall 11
provide a minimum of 30 days' prior written notice of an increase in 12
the amount of rent to each affected tenant. An increase in the amount 13
of rent may become effective upon completion of the term of the 14
rental agreement or sooner upon mutual consent. 15
(c) For a tenant whose lease or rental agreement was entered into 16
or renewed before May 7, 2025, and whose tenancy is for a specified 17
time, if the lease or rental agreement has more than 60 days but less 18
than 90 days left before the end of the specified time as of May 7, 19
2025, the landlord must provide written notice to the affected tenant 20
a minimum of 60 days before the effective date of an increase in the 21
amount of rent. 22
(4) Any written notice of a rent increase required by subsection 23
(3) of this section must be served to each affected tenant by at 24
least one of the following methods:25
(a) Personal delivery;26
(b) Mailing a copy of the notice. In such case, service is deemed 27
complete on the date that the notice is deposited in the United 28
States mail, with first-class postage prepaid, from within Washington 29
state and directed to the affected tenant's last known address. 30
However, if service is made by mail, a landlord shall provide an 31
additional five days' prior written notice of an increase in the 32
amount of rent; or33
(c) Affixing a copy of the notice in a conspicuous place on the 34
dwelling unit, such as by taping a copy of the notice to the dwelling 35
unit's front door.36
Sec. 102. RCW 59.18.720 and 2025 c 209 s 103 are each amended to 37
read as follows: 38
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(1)(a) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, a 1
landlord must provide a tenant with notice of rent increases in a 2
form that is substantially the same as the form provided in 3
subsection (3) of this section. 4
(b) Notice under this section must also((:5
(i) Comply)) comply with the requirements in RCW 59.18.140 6
((related to the number of days of prior written notice required for 7
a rent increase; and8
(ii) Be served in accordance with RCW 59.12.040)).9
(2) The notice of rent increase requirement in this section does 10
not apply if the rental agreement governs a subsidized tenancy where 11
the amount of rent is based on, in whole or in part, a percentage of 12
the income of the tenant or other circumstances specific to the 13
subsidized household. However, for purposes of this section, a 14
subsidized tenancy does not include tenancies where some or all of 15
the rent paid to the landlord comes from a portable tenant-based 16
voucher or similar portable assistance administered through a housing 17
authority or other state or local agency, or tenancies in other types 18
of affordable housing where maximum unit rents are limited by area 19
median income levels and a tenant's base rent does not change as the 20
tenant's income does. 21
(3) "TO TENANT(S): (tenant name(s))22
AT ADDRESS: (tenant address) 23
RENT AND FEE INCREASE NOTICE TO TENANTS24
This notice is required by Washington state law to inform you of 25
your rights regarding rent and fee increases. Your rent or rental 26
amount includes all recurring and periodic charges, sometimes 27
referred to as rent and fees, identified in your rental agreement for 28
the use and occupancy of your rental unit. Washington state limits 29
how much your landlord can raise your rent and any other recurring or 30
periodic charges for the use and occupancy of your rental unit.31
(1) Your landlord can raise your rent and any other recurring or 32
periodic charges identified in the rental agreement for use and 33
occupancy of your rental unit once every 12 months by up to seven 34
percent plus consumer price index, or 10 percent, whichever is less, 35
as allowed by RCW 59.18.700. Your landlord is not required to raise 36
the rent or other recurring or periodic charges by any amount.37
(2) Your landlord may be exempt from the limit on increases for 38
rent and other recurring or periodic charges for the reasons 39
described in RCW 59.18.710. If your landlord claims an exemption, 40
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your landlord is required to include supporting facts with this 1
notice. 2
(3) Your landlord must properly and fully complete the form below 3
to notify you of any increases in rent and other recurring or 4
periodic charges and any exemptions claimed. 5
Your landlord (name) intends to (check one of the following):6
__ Raise your rent and/or other recurring or periodic charges: 7
Your total increase for rent and other recurring or periodic charges 8
effective (date) will be (percent), which totals an additional $9
(dollar amount) per month, for a new total amount of $(dollar amount) 10
per month for rent and other recurring or periodic charges.11
This increase for rent and/or other recurring or periodic charges 12
is allowed by state law and is (check one of the following):13
__ A lower increase than the maximum allowed by state law.14
__ The maximum increase allowed by state law. 15
__ Authorized by an exemption under RCW 59.18.710. If the 16
increase is authorized by an exemption, your landlord must fill out 17
the section of the form below. 18
EXEMPTIONS CLAIMED BY LANDLORD19
I (landlord name) certify that I am allowed under Washington 20
state law to raise your rent and other recurring or periodic charges 21
by (percent), which is more than the maximum increase otherwise 22
allowed by state law, because I am claiming the following exemption 23
under RCW 59.18.710 (check one of the following): 24
__ The first certificate of occupancy for your dwelling unit was 25
issued on (insert date), which is 12 or less years before the date of 26
this increase notice for rent and other recurring or periodic 27
charges. (The landlord must include facts or attach documents 28
supporting the exemption.) 29
__ You live in a dwelling unit owned by a public housing 30
authority, public development authority, or nonprofit organization 31
where maximum rents are regulated by other laws or local, state, or 32
federal affordable housing program requirements, or a qualified low-33
income housing development as defined in RCW 82.45.010, where the 34
property is owned by a public housing authority, public development 35
authority, or nonprofit organization. (The landlord must include 36
facts or attach documents supporting the exemption.)37
__ You live in a qualified low-income housing development which 38
was allocated federal low-income housing tax credits by the 39
Washington state housing finance commission and there is an 40
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enforceable regulatory agreement under the low-income housing tax 1
credit program. (The landlord must include facts or attach documents 2
supporting the exemption.) 3
__ You live in a dwelling unit in which you share a bathroom or 4
kitchen facility with the owner, and the owner maintains a principal 5
residence at the residential real property. (The landlord must 6
include facts or attach documents supporting the exemption.)7
__ You live in a single-family owner-occupied residence in which 8
the owner-occupant rents or leases no more than two units or bedrooms 9
including, but not limited to, an attached or detached accessory 10
dwelling unit. (The landlord must include facts or attach documents 11
supporting the exemption.) 12
__ You live in a duplex, triplex, or fourplex in which the owner 13
occupied one of the units as the owner's principal place of residence 14
at the beginning of the tenancy, and the owner continues in 15
occupancy. (The landlord must include facts or attach documents 16
supporting the exemption.)" 17
(4) This section expires July 1, 2040. 18
Sec. 103. RCW 59.18.700 and 2025 c 209 s 101 are each amended to 19
read as follows: 20
(1)(a) Except as authorized by an exemption under RCW 59.18.710, 21
a landlord may not increase the rent for any type of tenancy, 22
regardless of whether the tenancy is month-to-month or for a term 23
greater or lesser than month-to-month: 24
(i) During the first 12 months after the tenancy begins; and25
(ii) During any 12-month period of the tenancy, in an amount 26
greater than seven percent plus the consumer price index, or 10 27
percent, whichever is less. 28
(b) This subsection (1) does not prohibit a landlord from 29
adjusting the rent by any amount after a tenant vacates the dwelling 30
unit and the tenancy ends. 31
(c) Beginning June 1, 2025, and annually thereafter, the 32
department of commerce shall calculate the maximum annual rent 33
increase percentage allowed under (a) of this subsection for the 34
following calendar year and publish the information on their website 35
and in a press release. For the purposes of this subsection, 36
"consumer price index" means the June 12-month percent change in the 37
consumer price index for all urban consumers, all items, for the 38
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Seattle area as published by the United States bureau of labor 1
statistics. 2
(2) If a landlord increases the rent above the amount allowed in 3
subsection (1) of this section as authorized by an exemption under 4
RCW 59.18.710, the landlord must include facts supporting any claimed 5
exemptions in the written notice of the rent increase. Notice must 6
comply with this section ((,)) and RCW 59.18.720((,)) and 59.18.140((, 7
and be served in accordance with RCW 59.12.040)). 8
(3) If a landlord increases rent above the amount allowed in 9
subsection (1) of this section and the increase is not authorized by 10
an exemption under RCW 59.18.710, the tenant must offer the landlord 11
an opportunity to cure the unauthorized increase by providing the 12
landlord with a written demand to reduce the increase to an amount 13
that complies with the limit created in this section. In addition to 14
any other remedies or relief available under this chapter or other 15
law, the tenant may terminate the rental agreement at any time prior 16
to the effective date of the increase by providing the landlord with 17
written notice at least 20 days before terminating the rental 18
agreement. If a tenant terminates a rental agreement under this 19
subsection, the tenant owes rent for the full month in which the 20
tenant vacates the dwelling unit. A landlord may not charge a tenant 21
any fines or fees for terminating a rental agreement under this 22
subsection. 23
(4)(a) Except as provided in (b) of this subsection, a landlord 24
may not include terms of payment or other material conditions in a 25
rental agreement that are more burdensome to a tenant for a month-to-26
month rental agreement than for a rental agreement where the term is 27
greater or lesser than month-to-month, or vice versa.28
(b) A landlord must provide parity between lease types with 29
respect to the amount of rent charged for a specific dwelling unit. 30
For the purposes of this subsection, "parity between lease types" 31
means that, for leases or rental agreements that a landlord offers 32
for a specific dwelling unit, the landlord may not charge a tenant 33
more than a five percent difference in rent depending on the type of 34
lease or rental agreement offered, regardless of whether the type of 35
lease or rental agreement offered is on a month-to-month or other 36
periodic basis or for a specified period. This five percent 37
difference may not cause the rent charged for a specific dwelling 38
unit to exceed the rent increase limit in subsection (1) of this 39
section. 40
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(5)(a) A tenant or the attorney general may bring an action in a 1
court of competent jurisdiction to enforce compliance with this 2
section or RCW 59.18.710, 59.18.720, or 59.18.140. If the court finds 3
that a landlord violated any of the laws listed in this subsection, 4
the court shall award the following damages to the tenant and 5
attorneys' fees and costs to the tenant who brings the action or the 6
attorney general: 7
(i) Damages in the amount of any excess rent, fees, or other 8
costs paid by the tenant; 9
(ii) Damages in an amount of up to three months of any unlawful 10
rent, fees, or other costs charged by the landlord; and11
(iii) Reasonable attorneys' fees and costs incurred in bringing 12
the action. 13
(b) The attorney general may bring an action under this 14
subsection notwithstanding whether the tenant has offered the 15
landlord an opportunity to cure, and may recover civil penalties of 16
not more than $7,500 for each violation in addition to other remedies 17
provided by this subsection. The attorney general may issue written 18
civil investigative demands for pertinent documents, answers to 19
written interrogatories, or oral testimony as required to investigate 20
or bring an action under this subsection. 21
(6) The remedies provided by this section are in addition to any 22
other remedies provided by law. 23
(7) A landlord may not report the tenant to a tenant screening 24
service provider for failure to pay the portion of the tenant's rent 25
that was unlawfully increased in violation of this section.26
(8) This section expires July 1, 2040. 27
PART II28
MANUFACTURED/MOBILE HOME LANDLORD-TENANT ACT29
Sec. 201. RCW 59.20.390 and 2025 c 209 s 203 are each amended to 30
read as follows: 31
(1)(a) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, a 32
landlord must provide a tenant with notice of rent increases in a 33
form that is substantially the same as the form provided in 34
subsection (3) of this section. 35
(b) Notice under this section must also: 36
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(i) Comply with the requirements in RCW 59.20.090(2) related to 1
the number of months of prior written notice required for a rent 2
increase; and 3
(ii) Be served in accordance with RCW ((59.12.040)) 59.20.150.4
(2) The notice of rent increase requirement in this section does 5
not apply if the rental agreement governs a subsidized tenancy where 6
the amount of rent is based on, in whole or in part, a percentage of 7
the income of the tenant or other circumstances specific to the 8
subsidized household. However, for purposes of this section, a 9
subsidized tenancy does not include tenancies where some or all of 10
the rent paid to the landlord comes from a portable tenant-based 11
voucher or similar portable assistance administered through a housing 12
authority or other state or local agency, or tenancies in other types 13
of affordable housing where maximum unit rents are limited by area 14
median income levels and a tenant's base rent does not change as the 15
tenant's income does. 16
(3) "TO TENANTS: (tenant name(s))17
AT ADDRESS: (tenant address) 18
RENT AND FEE INCREASE NOTICE TO TENANTS19
This notice is required by Washington state law to inform you of 20
your rights regarding rent and fee increases. Your rent or rental 21
amount includes all recurring and periodic charges, sometimes 22
referred to as rent and fees, identified in your rental agreement for 23
the use and occupancy of your manufactured/mobile home lot. 24
Washington state limits how much your landlord can raise your rent 25
and any other recurring or periodic charges for the use and occupancy 26
of your manufactured/mobile home lot. 27
(1) Your landlord can raise your rent and other recurring or 28
periodic charges once every 12 months by up to five percent, as 29
allowed by RCW 59.20.370. Your landlord is not required to raise the 30
rent or other recurring or periodic charges by any amount.31
(2) Your landlord may be exempt from the five percent limit on 32
increases for rent and other recurring or periodic charges for the 33
reasons described in RCW 59.20.380. If your landlord claims an 34
exemption, your landlord is required to include supporting facts with 35
this notice. 36
(3) Your landlord must properly and fully complete the form below 37
to notify you of any increases in rent and other recurring or 38
periodic charges and any exemptions claimed. 39
Your landlord (name) intends to (check one of the following):40
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__ Raise your rent and/or other recurring and periodic charges: 1
Your total increase in rent and other recurring or periodic charges 2
effective (date) will be (percent), which totals an additional $3
(dollar amount) per month, for a new total amount of $(dollar amount) 4
per month for rent and other recurring or periodic charges.5
This increase in rent and/or other recurring and periodic charges 6
is allowed by state law and is (check one of the following):7
__ A lower increase than the maximum allowed by state law.8
__ The maximum increase allowed by state law. 9
__ Authorized by an exemption under RCW 59.20.380. If the 10
increase is authorized by an exemption, your landlord must fill out 11
the section of the form below. 12
EXEMPTIONS CLAIMED BY LANDLORD13
I (landlord name) certify that I am allowed under Washington 14
state law to raise your rent and other recurring or periodic charges 15
by (percent), which is more than the maximum increase otherwise 16
allowed by state law, because I am claiming the following exemption 17
under RCW 59.20.380 (check one of the following): 18
__ You live on a manufactured/mobile home lot owned by a public 19
housing authority, public development authority, or nonprofit 20
organization where maximum rents are regulated by other laws or 21
local, state, or federal affordable housing program requirements, or 22
a qualified low-income housing development as defined in RCW 23
82.45.010, where the property is owned by a public housing authority, 24
public development authority, or nonprofit organization. (The 25
landlord must include facts or attach documents supporting the 26
exemption.) 27
__ You live in a manufactured/mobile home community that was 28
purchased during the past 12 months by an eligible organization as 29
defined in RCW 59.20.030 whose mission aligns with the long-term 30
preservation and affordability of your manufactured/mobile home 31
community, so the eligible organization may increase the rent and 32
other recurring or periodic charges for your manufactured/mobile home 33
community in an amount greater than allowed under RCW 59.20.370 as 34
needed to cover the cost of purchasing your manufactured/mobile home 35
community if the increase is approved by vote or agreement with the 36
majority of the manufactured/mobile home owners in your manufactured/37
mobile home community. (The landlord must include facts or attach 38
documents supporting the exemption.) 39
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__ Your manufactured/mobile home lot rental agreement is up for 1
first renewal after it was transferred to you under RCW 59.20.073, so 2
your landlord is allowed to make a one-time increase to your rent and 3
other recurring or periodic charges in an amount not limited by RCW 4
59.20.370. In order to exercise this one-time increase option, the 5
landlord must have provided you with notice of this option prior to 6
the final transfer of the rental agreement to you. (The landlord must 7
include facts or attach documents supporting the exemption, including 8
evidence that proper notice of this one-time increase option was 9
provided to you prior to the final transfer of the rental 10
agreement.)" 11
Sec. 202. RCW 59.20.370 and 2025 c 209 s 201 are each amended to 12
read as follows: 13
(1) Except as authorized by an exemption under RCW 59.20.380 and 14
as provided in RCW 59.20.060(2)(c), a landlord may not increase the 15
rent for any type of tenancy, regardless of whether the tenancy is 16
month-to-month or for a term greater than month-to-month:17
(a) During the first 12 months after the tenancy begins; and18
(b) During any 12-month period of the tenancy, in an amount 19
greater than five percent. 20
(2) If a landlord increases the rent above the amount allowed in 21
subsection (1) of this section as authorized by an exemption under 22
RCW 59.20.380, the landlord must include facts supporting any claimed 23
exemptions in the written notice of the rent increase. Notice must 24
comply with this section, RCW 59.20.390, 59.20.090(2), and be served 25
in accordance with RCW ((59.12.040)) 59.20.150. 26
(3) If a landlord increases rent above the amount allowed in 27
subsection (1) of this section and the increase is not authorized by 28
an exemption under RCW 59.20.380, the tenant must offer the landlord 29
an opportunity to cure the unauthorized increase by providing the 30
landlord with a written demand to reduce the increase to an amount 31
that complies with the limit created in this section. In addition to 32
any other remedies or relief available under this chapter or other 33
law, the tenant may terminate the rental agreement at any time prior 34
to the effective date of the increase by providing the landlord with 35
written notice at least 30 days before terminating the rental 36
agreement. If a tenant terminates a rental agreement under this 37
subsection, the tenant owes rent for the full month in which the 38
tenant vacates the manufactured/mobile home lot. A landlord may not 39
p. 10 HB 2452
charge a tenant any fines or fees for terminating a rental agreement 1
under this subsection. 2
(4)(a) A tenant or the attorney general may bring an action in a 3
court of competent jurisdiction to enforce compliance with this 4
section or RCW 59.20.380, 59.20.390, 59.20.060, or 59.20.170. If the 5
court finds that a landlord violated any of the laws listed in this 6
subsection, the court shall award the following damages to the tenant 7
and attorneys' fees and costs to the tenant who brings the action or 8
the attorney general: 9
(i) Damages in the amount of any excess rent, fees, or other 10
costs paid by the tenant; 11
(ii) Damages in an amount of up to three months of any unlawful 12
rent, fees, or other costs charged by the landlord; and13
(iii) Reasonable attorneys' fees and costs incurred in bringing 14
the action. 15
(b) The attorney general may bring an action under this 16
subsection notwithstanding whether the tenant has offered the 17
landlord an opportunity to cure, and may recover civil penalties of 18
not more than $7,500 for each violation in addition to other remedies 19
provided by this subsection. The attorney general may issue written 20
civil investigative demands for pertinent documents, answers to 21
written interrogatories, or oral testimony as required to investigate 22
or bring an action under this subsection. 23
(5) The remedies provided by this section are in addition to any 24
other remedies provided by law. 25
(6) A landlord may not report a tenant to a tenant screening 26
service provider for failure to pay the portion of the tenant's rent 27
that was unlawfully increased in violation of this section.28
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