Maybe you moved for work and kept your house. Maybe you inherited a townhome. Maybe you bought a second property as an investment and figured the renting part would be easy. Either way, you're a landlord now, and Washington's landlord-tenant law has opinions about almost everything you do.
That's a lot of rules. Rent increases, deposits, notices, entry, pets, repairs, ending a lease. Most of them come down to the same three habits: put it in writing, send it on time, keep a copy.
This post covers the Washington rules owners ask us about most, with extra attention to the rent cap that took effect in 2025. We'll point out where you need to check the current statute, because some of these rules have moved recently. We're a locally owned management company in Bothell, so we'll also share how this plays out for single-family homes and townhomes around here. This is general education, not legal advice. If you're in an active dispute, talk to a Washington attorney.
In This Guide
Why the Rules Matter More at Higher Rents
PMI Equitas manages 13 homes and townhomes, and the average rent across them is $4,210 a month. At that price, a paperwork mistake costs real money fast.
Say a move-out turns into a two-month dispute because a notice was wrong. At $4,210, that's $8,420 in rent you aren't collecting, before legal costs.
“At $4,210, that's $8,420 in rent you aren't collecting, before legal costs.”
Single-family tenants also expect more than apartment renters do. They want the yard to look right, the furnace to work, and the house to feel like a home. That makes the repair and habitability rules more relevant on a house than on a unit in a big complex.
Which Rules Apply to a Bothell Rental
State law is the main framework
Washington's Residential Landlord-Tenant Act, RCW 59.18, covers residential leases here. As far as we could confirm, Bothell has not adopted its own tenant-protection ordinance. The city says it is studying options such as longer rent-increase notice and caps on move-in fees and deposits. We couldn't confirm anything newer, so check the city's tenant protections page before you set fees or write a lease.
The county line matters
Bothell sits in both King and Snohomish counties. Which county your property is in decides which Superior Court would hear a landlord-tenant case. If you own on one side and a friend owns on the other, you can't assume your situations work the same way.
Also, don't borrow rules from somewhere else. A deposit cap or fee rule you read about for Seattle or unincorporated King County doesn't automatically apply to a Bothell address.
Washington's Rent Cap
Plenty of owners still repeat that Washington has no rent control. That was true until 2025. It isn't now.
Since May 7, 2025, state law limits how much and how often you can raise rent. The rules are:
- First year: No increase at all during the first 12 months of a tenancy.
- After that: An increase in any 12-month period can't exceed 7% plus the Seattle-area CPI, or 10%, whichever is lower.
- Who it covers: Month-to-month and fixed-term tenancies alike.
- Exemptions: Some units are exempt under RCW 59.18.710. Read the current text before you assume yours is one of them.
For 2026, the Department of Commerce published a cap of 9.683%. For 2027, it has published 10%. Don't mix the two up, and confirm the current figure before you send a notice.
What that looks like in dollars
Say a tenant has been in place for more than a year at $4,210. The 2026 cap lets you raise rent by up to about $408, which puts the top allowed rent near $4,618. That's a ceiling, not a target. Whether you should go that high depends on the market and on whether you'd rather keep a good tenant.
The law runs through July 1, 2040, so this is not a temporary rule.
Notice Rules for Rent Increases and Other Changes
The cap is only half of it. You also have to give proper written notice, and the timing is strict.
| Situation | What Washington requires |
|---|---|
| Rent increase | At least 90 days' written notice, and it can't take effect before the current lease term ends |
| Rent increase, income-based subsidized tenancy | At least 30 days' written notice |
| New rule of tenancy (anything besides ending the tenancy or raising rent) | 30 days' written notice, effective when the current lease term ends or sooner if both sides agree |
| Increase above the cap under an exemption | The written notice must state the facts supporting the exemption |
Some owners still say 60 days is enough for a rent increase. Since May 7, 2025, it isn't. A narrow transition rule exists for some leases that were already in place on that date, so if you have an older lease, check before you rely on it.
Renewals are where this gets tested
Renewal season is where the cap and the notice rules collide. You have to decide on the increase well before the lease ends, run the number against the cap, and deliver the notice on time.
One owner described how we handled a renewal this way: "Even after our contract ended, he assisted with the renewal process, which I truly appreciated." We try to work like that. A renewal is a legal event as much as a friendly one.
Resetting Rent Between Tenants
Here's a part owners like. Once a tenant moves out and the tenancy ends, you can reset the rent by any amount. The cap protects a sitting tenant, not the next one.
That makes turnover the natural time to bring a below-market rent up to where it belongs. We price against current comps, including Seattle property management rental listings and other Puget Sound rentals. A free rental analysis from us costs nothing and doesn't commit you to anything.
One catch on lease types. If you offer month-to-month and fixed-term leases on the same unit, they have to be offered on comparable terms. Rent for the same unit can differ by no more than 5% depending on lease type, and the gap can't push rent above the cap.
What Breaking the Rent Rules Costs
The exposure goes beyond fines:
- Court award: A court that finds a violation must award the tenant any excess rent or fees paid, plus up to three months of the unlawful charges, plus attorneys' fees.
- Early exit: The tenant can end the lease before the increase takes effect by giving at least 20 days' written notice. They owe rent only for the month they move out.
- No termination fees: You can't charge them for leaving that way.
- Screening reports: You can't report a tenant to a screening service for not paying the part of the rent that was unlawfully increased.
Move-In Checklists and Security Deposits
If you collect a deposit, Washington requires a written condition checklist at move-in, and it sets a deadline for returning the deposit after move-out. The exact timelines and penalties are the kind of detail you should confirm in the current statute rather than from memory. Skipping the checklist is the mistake that hurts most.
Picture an owner who self-managed for two years and never did a formal move-in inspection. The tenant leaves, and the hardwood floors are scratched. The owner has nothing signed that shows what condition the floors were in at the start, so withholding from the deposit becomes hard to defend. Missing a return deadline makes it worse.
A solid move-in record includes:
- Dated photos: Every room, plus appliances, floors, walls and the yard.
- A signed checklist: Both sides sign it, and the tenant gets a copy.
- Condition notes: Existing scuffs and stains written down, not assumed.
- Everything stored: We keep this in Rentvine so the files and dates are there when we need them.
Screening Applicants Fairly
Equitas is Latin for fairness, and the name is on the door for a reason. David Bennett, who owns PMI Equitas, represents the property owner. He also wants tenants' rights considered equally, because people who feel cared for tend to take care of the property.
On the legal side, fair housing is where the stakes jump. Under the 2025 adjusted figures, federal civil penalties for a first fair housing violation can run up to $26,262 per violation in a HUD administrative case. Fair housing rules also reach advertising, how you talk to applicants, and who gets a showing.
A few habits keep screening clean:
- Write your screening criteria down before you list.
- Apply the same criteria to every applicant.
- Check the current Washington rules on disclosing criteria and on screening reports.
- Keep the application and the reasons for your decision.
Every application we handle goes through background and financial checks, and we apply the same standards to each one. Consistency is the best defense you have.
Pets, ESAs and Service Animals
We encourage pets, with a catch. Pet owners are responsible for their animals, and the property owner makes the final call on whether pets are allowed.
Here's a view some owners find surprising. A clear pet policy often lowers your legal risk. Imagine an owner who lets a tenant keep a dog with nothing in writing and no pet deposit. The dog damages the yard and flooring, and the owner has no written basis for charges beyond the standard deposit. A written pet agreement gives you something to point to.
We use a pet screening service to set pet rent fairly based on things like age, size and vet status. A pet damage deposit may apply. The same service verifies emotional support and service animal status, which protects tenants' rights for those animals. Assistance animals are treated differently from pets under federal fair housing rules, so don't treat an ESA request like a pet application.
Townhomes and condos add one more layer. HOA rules on pets, parking and exterior work sit on top of your lease, so make sure tenants have them in writing too.
Entry, Repairs and Habitability
Washington requires written notice before you enter an occupied home for non-emergency reasons, and it sets repair timelines too. The notice periods and deadlines are specific, so check the current statute for the exact numbers before you promise a tenant anything.
Our own response targets are simple:
- Emergencies: We aim to be onsite within 30 to 45 minutes of notification.
- Non-emergencies: We respond and assess within 24 hours.
- Requests: Tenants can send them by portal, email, phone or text, so every request leaves a record.
We use local vendors we know, because a repair done right the first time protects the deposit, the tenant relationship and your habitability exposure at once. We can't promise zero maintenance problems. We can make sure each one is documented and handled.
Yard Care Needs Its Own Lease Language
Failure to maintain the yard is the most common tenant issue we see. It's also the one that quietly turns into deposit fights.
Your lease should say clearly who takes care of the yard. Vague wording like "tenant maintains grounds" leaves too much open. Grass grows much of the year in the Puget Sound area, so a gap in the lease can show up in any season.
Spell out the basics:
- Mowing and watering: Who does it, and how often.
- Leaves and debris: Who clears them, and when.
- Beds and hedges: Whether the tenant trims, or you hire someone.
- Photos: Take move-in photos of the yard so move-out comparisons are fair.
If you want the yard kept to a higher standard than the tenant would choose on their own, either pay a crew or say so in the lease before they sign.
Ending a Tenancy the Right Way
Washington has specific written notice rules for ending a tenancy, and they differ by the reason. The timeline you need depends on whether you're ending a month-to-month tenancy, responding to unpaid rent, or addressing a lease violation. Get the current rule before you write anything.
Picture a landlord who wants to sell and tells a month-to-month tenant verbally, with two weeks' warning. The tenant doesn't leave. Because the notice wasn't written or properly timed, any court action starts late, and the sale slips with it.
Strict doesn't mean safe. Washington's law is written to protect tenants. An owner who reacts aggressively but skips the proper written notices will lose more often than one who's reasonable and meticulous. If a tenancy does turn bad, we can process the eviction and work to limit the damage to your bottom line. We'd still rather fix a problem early than file.
How We Handle the Paperwork
David spent 31 years in software development doing quality assurance, requirements management and program management before starting this company. Quality assurance is mostly about catching small gaps before they become big problems. Lease documents and notices have a lot of small gaps to catch.
PMI Equitas is locally owned and independently operated. We run on Rentvine, so owners get monthly reports and dashboard access, and tenants get portal access for maintenance requests and billing. That keeps the paper trail in one place.
One owner told us, "I learned more and spent less." We try to explain the why behind each legal step so owners aren't just trusting us.
When It Makes Sense to Hand It Off
You don't need a manager to follow the law. Plenty of owners do it themselves. But the rules above add up, and one missed notice can cost more than a year of fees.
Our fee is a percentage of one month's rent each month, plus a leasing fee charged only when a tenant is placed. That fee covers photos, marketing, showings and the admin work. There are no fees until a tenant is placed. If you'd rather self-manage, our Lease Only service covers placement and nothing else.
We work across North King and South Snohomish counties, including rental properties in Kirkland, WA, Woodinville, Redmond and Kenmore. We also get the same legal questions from owners looking for property management in Lynnwood and Mill Creek. If rent notices, deposits or lease language feel harder than they should, we're open to a conversation.
FAQ
Can I raise rent during the first year of a tenancy?
No. Washington doesn't allow a rent increase during the first 12 months of a tenancy. After that, increases are limited by the state cap.
How much notice do I have to give before raising rent?
You need to give at least 90 days' written notice, and the increase can't take effect before the current lease term ends. Subsidized tenancies with income-based rent need only 30 days' notice.
Can I raise rent by any amount when a tenant moves out?
Yes. The cap applies to sitting tenants. Once a tenancy ends, you can reset the rent for the next tenant.
Does Bothell have its own landlord-tenant ordinance?
We couldn't confirm one. The city says it is studying options such as longer rent-increase notice and caps on move-in fees and deposits, so check the city's tenant protections page for updates.
Can I say no to pets?
Yes, you can set a pet policy for your property, and we help owners do that in writing. Emotional support and service animals are treated differently under fair housing rules, so those requests need to be handled carefully, not denied by default.
Do I need a property manager to follow these rules?
No, but the rules reward good documentation and timing, and a manager handles both for you. If you want to self-manage, our Lease Only option covers placement while you handle the rest.
