How often can rent be raised in Washington?

Washington does not limit how often rent may be raised — we have verified a frequency cap in only four states. The notice period applies to each increase, and the lease may impose its own limit.

Can a Washington landlord raise rent mid-lease?

Not on a fixed-term lease, unless the lease itself allows it. A fixed rent for a fixed term is the bargain both sides signed, and it binds the landlord too. Rent increases on a fixed-term tenancy normally take effect at renewal; the notice periods here govern month-to-month tenancies and renewals.

What happens if the notice is short or never given?

The increase is generally ineffective — the tenant owes the old rent until a proper notice has run its course. Some states say so expressly. A landlord who collects the higher amount without valid notice is usually collecting an overpayment, not rent.

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Rent Increases · Washington

Rent increase notice in Washington

A Washington landlord must give 90 days’ written notice before a rent increase takes effect.

Required notice

90 days

Raised from 60 days to 90 by 2025 c 209 (HB 1217), effective 7 May 2025 - the 60-day figure is out of date. The same Act caps increases at 7% plus CPI or 10%, whichever is less, in any 12-month period, and bars any increase during the first 12 months of tenancy (RCW 59.18.700). Exemptions in 59.18.710 include buildings under 12 years old and some owner-occupied small properties. A transitional 60-day rule applies to fixed-term leases that on 7 May 2025 had between 60 and 90 days left.

“A landlord shall provide a minimum of 90 days' prior written notice of an increase in the amount of rent to each affected tenant”

— RCW 59.18.140; RCW 59.18.700, 59.18.710

Washington has a statute specifically about rent increases

RCW 59.18.140; RCW 59.18.700, 59.18.710 addresses rent increases directly, so the 90days is a floor written for exactly this situation — not borrowed from the termination rules, as it is in 29 other states.

When the new rent can actually start

The notice period runs before the increase takes effect, not before you send it. Counting from the wrong end is the most common way a valid increase becomes an invalid one. In Washington, a notice served today makes the new rent collectable no earlier than 90days from now — and in most states it must also line up with a rent due date, so in practice the increase begins on the first rent date after the period expires, not on day 91 itself.

Rent is still owed at the old figure for the whole notice period. A tenant who pays the old amount during those 90 days is paying correctly, and treating the shortfall as arrears is a mistake that turns into a losing eviction case.

What the notice has to contain

Requirements vary, but a notice that includes all of the following is hard to attack anywhere:

The current rent and the new rent, as figures.
The date the new rent takes effect.
The address of the unit and the tenant’s name.
The date the notice was given, and a record of how it was delivered.

Keep proof of service. Where a dispute reaches a hearing, the argument is almost never about what the notice said — it is about whether the tenant received it, and when.

The detail specific to Washington

Notice is not the same as a cap

A notice period controls when rent can rise. It says nothing about how much. Only a handful of states cap the amount — California, Oregon and Washington do so statewide, and a number of cities do it locally through rent control or stabilisation. Everywhere else, a landlord who gives proper notice may raise the rent by any amount the market will bear.

Which means a short notice period is not the same as a weak protection, and a long one is not the same as a strong one. North Carolina requires only 7 days; Maryland requires 90. Neither caps the increase.

How this compares

Across the United States the requirement runs from 7 days to 90. Washington sits at 90. See every state side by side, including which ones have a real statute and which borrow from their termination rules.

Other states requiring 90 days

Maryland Oregon

Common questions

How much notice must a landlord give before raising rent in Washington?: 90 days' written notice under RCW 59.18.140; RCW 59.18.700, 59.18.710. Raised from 60 days to 90 by 2025 c 209 (HB 1217), effective 7 May 2025 - the 60-day figure is out of date. The same Act caps increases at 7% plus CPI or 10%, whichever is less, in any 12-month period, and bars any increase during the first 12 months of tenancy (RCW 59.18.700). Exemptions in 59.18.710 include buildings under 12 years old and some owner-occupied small properties. A transitional 60-day rule applies to fixed-term leases that on 7 May 2025 had between 60 and 90 days left.
How often can rent be raised in Washington?: Washington does not limit how often rent may be raised — we have verified a frequency cap in only four states. The notice period applies to each increase, and the lease may impose its own limit.
Can a Washington landlord raise rent mid-lease?: Not on a fixed-term lease, unless the lease itself allows it. A fixed rent for a fixed term is the bargain both sides signed, and it binds the landlord too. Rent increases on a fixed-term tenancy normally take effect at renewal; the notice periods here govern month-to-month tenancies and renewals.
What happens if the notice is short or never given?: The increase is generally ineffective — the tenant owes the old rent until a proper notice has run its course. Some states say so expressly. A landlord who collects the higher amount without valid notice is usually collecting an overpayment, not rent.

Serve the notice on the right date

Pacific Rentals Pro knows your state’s notice period, counts back from the date you want the new rent to start, and keeps the record of what was sent and when. The Washington rule on this page is the same data the app runs on.

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Read against the cited source on November 6, 2026. Authority: RCW 59.18.140; RCW 59.18.700, 59.18.710. General information about Washingtonlaw, not legal advice — statutes change and city ordinances can impose longer notice and caps the state does not. Rent-controlled and rent-stabilised units follow separate rules.