Washington Residential Lease Agreement (2026)

Q: How much security deposit can a landlord charge in Washington?

Washington has no statutory cap on security deposits (No statutory limit); the amount must be stated in the lease and returned per statute.

Q: When must the deposit be returned in Washington?

Within 30 days after the tenant moves out, with an itemized statement of deductions (RCW 59.18.280(1)(a)).

Q: Does this lease include the disclosures Washington requires?

Yes. The Disclosures section asks you the yes/no questions each Washington statute requires (for example flood zone, sprinklers, mold or bed bugs) and prints the actual statutory statement — in bold or larger type where the law demands it — with its citation, plus the federal lead-paint notice for pre-1978 buildings. Forms that must be separate documents are listed as attachments.

Q: Is this lease legally binding once signed?

A written lease signed by landlord and all adult tenants is an enforceable contract in Washington. Electronic signatures are valid under the federal ESIGN Act and the state UETA. No notarization is required for a residential lease.

Q: Can I use this for a month-to-month rental?

Yes — choose 'Month-to-month' in the Term step. The tenant's notice period is set to Washington's statutory minimum, and the lease states that the landlord may end the tenancy only for a cause permitted by RCW 59.18.650.

A complete, state-specific lease for a house, apartment or condo with every disclosure your state requires.

Updated September 2026≈ 12 minReviewed against RCW 59.18.280 · RCW 59.18.270 · RCW 59.18.170

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What you'll get

Sample first page of the Residential Lease Agreement. Your answers fill in the blanks; the clauses required in Washington are added automatically.

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What this document covers

Parties, occupants and joint liability
Premises, furnishings and parking
Fixed or month-to-month term and holdover
Rent, due date, payment methods and late fees
Security deposit cap, holding and return deadline
Who pays which utilities
Maintenance, repairs and landlord entry notice
Pets, smoking, subletting and renter's insurance
Early termination and move-out
State disclosures and federal lead-paint notice

Washington rules that this document follows

Security deposit limit	No statutory limitSource: No statutory limit (RCW 59.18.260; holding fee ≤ 25% of first month's rent per RCW 59.18.253)
Deposit return deadline	30 days after move-outSource: RCW 59.18.280(1)(a)
Interest on deposit	Not requiredSource: RCW 59.18.270 (trust account required; interest belongs to landlord unless agreed)
Late fees	Max 1.5% of the tenant's total monthly rent (HB 1217, 2025); no fee if paid within 5 days of due dateSource: RCW 59.18.170(2)
Landlord entry notice	48 hoursSource: RCW 59.18.150(6) (2 days; 1 day to show to prospective tenants/buyers)
Notice to end month-to-month	Landlord: cause required / Tenant 20 daysSource: RCW 59.18.650 (landlord may end tenancy only for enumerated cause with 60–120 days' notice); tenant 20 days (RCW 59.18.200)
Just cause to end tenancy	RequiredSource: RCW 59.18.650
Rent increase rules	7% + CPI or 10%, whichever lower (2026 cap: 9.683%); no increase in first 12 months; 90 days' written notice; exemptions for new construction (<12 yrs), owner-occupied duplex/triplex, etc.Source: RCW 59.18.700–59.18.710 (HB 1217, eff. 5/7/2025); RCW 59.18.140
Required disclosures	Lead-Based Paint Disclosure (pre-1978 housing); Fire Protection and Evacuation Information; Mold Information; Owner and Agent Identification; Move-In Condition Checklist; Nonrefundable Fees; Flood Risk Disclosure; Seattle Voter Registration and Renter InformationSource: Washington Residential Landlord-Tenant Act, RCW Chapter 59.18

Rules current as of 2026-10-27. Statutes change; verify before relying on them.

How to use this Residential Lease Agreement in Washington

A residential lease in Washington should identify every adult tenant, describe the premises, state the term, the rent and how it is paid, the security deposit and how it will be returned, who pays which utilities, the rules on pets, smoking and subletting, and the disclosures Washington law requires. This generator walks you through each of those items in order, checks the deposit and late fee against Washington's statutory caps, and drafts the clauses for you.

Before you start, gather: the legal names and mailing addresses of the landlord and all tenants, the property address and the number of units in the building, the move-in date, the rent amount and due day, the deposit amount and the bank where it will be held (some states require this), whether the building was built before 1978 (federal lead-paint rule), and the answers to your state's disclosure questions (for example whether the property is in a FEMA flood zone — check msc.fema.gov).

After you preview the document, download the PDF, have every adult tenant and the landlord sign (electronic signatures are valid), give each party a copy together with every attachment listed at the end of the lease, and complete a move-in inspection checklist with photos. Keep the signed lease for at least four years after the tenancy ends.

Frequently asked questions

How much security deposit can a landlord charge in Washington?

Washington has no statutory cap on security deposits (No statutory limit); the amount must be stated in the lease and returned per statute.

When must the deposit be returned in Washington?

Within 30 days after the tenant moves out, with an itemized statement of deductions (RCW 59.18.280(1)(a)).

Does this lease include the disclosures Washington requires?

Yes. The Disclosures section asks you the yes/no questions each Washington statute requires (for example flood zone, sprinklers, mold or bed bugs) and prints the actual statutory statement — in bold or larger type where the law demands it — with its citation, plus the federal lead-paint notice for pre-1978 buildings. Forms that must be separate documents are listed as attachments.

Is this lease legally binding once signed?

A written lease signed by landlord and all adult tenants is an enforceable contract in Washington. Electronic signatures are valid under the federal ESIGN Act and the state UETA. No notarization is required for a residential lease.

Can I use this for a month-to-month rental?

Yes — choose 'Month-to-month' in the Term step. The tenant's notice period is set to Washington's statutory minimum, and the lease states that the landlord may end the tenancy only for a cause permitted by RCW 59.18.650.

Other names

rental agreement
residential tenancy agreement
apartment lease
house rental contract
tenancy agreement
lease contract
rental contract

Other states

FormsByState provides self-help document templates and general information, not legal advice. We are not a law firm. For advice about your situation consult a licensed attorney in your state.