A Washington residential lease agreement (“rental agreement”) is a legal contract between a landlord overseeing a residential property and a tenant who wishes to rent it. A residential lease may, on or before move-in, additionally require a security deposit from the tenant as assurance against future property damage. There are additional disclosures and tenancy rules that apply in the city of Seattle.
These disclosures are required for some or all residential lease agreements in Washington:
| Disclosure | Applicable To |
|---|---|
| Landlord’s Name and Address | All Units |
| Fire Safety and Protection | All Multi-Family Units |
| Mold | All Units |
| Move-In Checklist | All Units Charging a Security Deposit |
| Security Deposit Holdings | All Units Charging a Security Deposit |
| Non-Refundable Fees | Units Charging Non-Refundable Fees |
| Seattle Renter’s Handbook and Voter Registration Packet | All Units in Seattle |
| Lead Paint | All Units Built Before 1978 |
Applicable to all Washington rentals.
Wisconsin leases must contain the name and address of the landlord or authorized agent. This enables smooth communication of any important legal notice. This contact information is most often written in the lease agreement, for maximum convenience. The landlord has an obligation to notify the tenant in the event of a change in contact information. [1]
Applicable to all Washington multi-family rentals.
Washington landlords must provide information relating to smoke detectors, fire sprinklers, alarms, fire safety systems and evacuation plans. This may be provided as a written notice or checklist, and must include a diagram of emergency evacuation routes. It should be signed by both the landlord and tenant, with copies given to each party. [2]
These are the required points of disclosure:
Applicable to all Washington rentals.
Washington requires all landlords to provide information about the dangers of indoor mold in the form of a lease disclosure or notice, posted in a conspicuous location. The disclosure must include information about best practices to prevent and limit the growth of mold and attendant health risks. [3]
This informational guide will satisfy Washington disclosure requirements.
Applicable to any Washington rental collecting a security deposit.
Washington landlords wishing to collect a security deposit must provide a written move-in checklist that takes inventory of the rental property at the beginning of the new lease. The inventory must be signed and dated by each party, with party keeping a copy. This allows accurate assessment of damages and deductions upon move-out. [4]
To be valid, the checklist must, at minimum, document the condition of:
Walls, including wall paint and wallpaper Carpets and other flooring AppliancesA landlord can only deduct from a security deposit for items whose condition was reasonably described in the move-in checklist. [7]
Applicable to any Washington rental holding a security deposit.
Washington landlords who collect a security deposit must provide holding information to the tenant as a form of receipt. The receipt must include the name and location of the depository. [5]
SECURITY DEPOSIT HOLDINGS. The security deposit collected as per this lease agreement can be found in a trust account at:
NAME OF DEPOSITORY:_________
LOCATION:____________________________________
Applicable to any Washington lease which imposes non-refundable fees.
Charges not agreed by the tenant in the lease may be refundable upon lease termination. For Washington landlords to charge a non-refundable fee, it must be disclosed and agreed as such in the lease. [9]
Applicable to Seattle rentals (not required in other cities).
Seattle landlords must distribute a Renter’s Handbook to new and prospective tenants. This handbook contains tenant rights information and a voter registration packet.
Applicable to any rental units built prior to 1978.
For any property built before 1978, federal law requires that a Washington residential lease must contain a lead-based paint disclosure. This requires landlords to do the following:
The following lease agreement disclosures and addenda are not required by Washington law in residential lease agreements, but assist with tenant management and help limit landlord liability.
| Optional Disclosure | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Asbestos | Informs tenants about any asbestos hazards related to the property. Tenants can take precautions to reduce asbestos hazards by avoiding any disturbance of asbestos fibers. |
| Bed Bugs | Informs tenants whether the property or an adjacent unit has a history of suspected bed bug infestation, and reminds the tenant of the obligation to report suspected infestation immediately. |
| Late/Returned Check Fees | Specifies late fees or returned check fees related to the lease. Washington caps late fees at $20 or 20% of the monthly rental amount, whichever is greater. Returned check fees are capped at $40 per check. Fees must be disclosed in the lease. [6] |
| Medical Marijuana Use | Informs tenants about policy related to medical marijuana use on the rental property. Washington allows landlords to restrict marijuana usage to non-smoking methods only, or allow use only in designated smoking areas. |
| Shared Utilities Arrangements | Discloses how charges are billed to individual tenants, when multiple rental units share a utility meter for the whole building or property. This ensures tenants receive fair charges and understand what uses contribute to their bill. |
| Smoking | Informs tenants of designated smoking areas that do not interfere with the quiet enjoyment of other tenants. |
Some Washington cities, like Seattle, have more comprehensive rules than the statewide standard. Always check local laws.
Mandatory disclosures outline important health, safety, and property information for both landlord and tenant safety. A landlord who fails to provide federally or state-mandated disclosures could face legal consequences or monetary penalties, either from a tenant lawsuit or from state officials.
Failure to comply with the federal lead-based paint hazard disclosure risks fines of tens of thousands of dollars per violation.
(15) Designate to the tenant the name and address of the person who is the landlord by a statement on the rental agreement or by a notice conspicuously posted on the premises. The tenant shall be notified immediately of any changes in writing, which must be either (a) delivered personally to the tenant or (b) mailed to the tenant and conspicuously posted on the premises. If the person designated in this section does not reside in the state where the premises are located, there shall also be designated a person who resides in the county who is authorized to act as an agent for the purposes of service of notices and process, and if no designation is made of a person to act as agent, then the person to whom rental payments are to be made shall be considered such agent.
(12)(a) Provide a written notice to all tenants disclosing fire safety and protection information. The landlord or his or her authorized agent must provide a written notice to the tenant that the dwelling unit is equipped with a smoke detection device as required in RCW 43.44.110. The notice shall inform the tenant of the tenant’s responsibility to maintain the smoke detection device in proper operating condition and of penalties for failure to comply with the provisions of RCW 43.44.110(3). The notice must be signed by the landlord or the landlord’s authorized agent and tenant with copies provided to both parties.
(13) Provide tenants with information provided or approved by the department of health about the health hazards associated with exposure to indoor mold. Information may be provided in written format individually to each tenant, or may be posted in a visible, public location at the dwelling unit property. The information must detail how tenants can control mold growth in their dwelling units to minimize the health risks associated with indoor mold. Landlords may obtain the information from the department’s web site or, if requested by the landlord, the department must mail the information to the landlord in a printed format. When developing or changing the information, the department of health must include representatives of landlords in the development process.
(2) No deposit may be collected by a landlord unless the rental agreement is in writing and a written checklist or statement is provided by the landlord to the tenant at the commencement of the tenancy specifically describing the condition and cleanliness of or existing damages to the premises, fixtures, equipment, appliances, and furnishings including, but not limited to:
(a) Walls, including wall paint and wallpaper; (b) Carpets and other flooring; (c) Furniture; and (d) Appliances.(3) The checklist or statement shall be signed and dated by the landlord and the tenant, and the tenant shall be provided with a copy of the signed checklist or statement. The tenant has the right to request one free replacement copy of the written checklist.
The landlord shall provide the tenant with a written receipt for the deposit and shall provide written notice of the name and address and location of the depository and any subsequent change thereof.
(b)(1) Subsequent to the commencement of an action on the check (subsection (a)) but prior to the hearing, the defendant may tender to the plaintiff as satisfaction of the claim, an amount of money equal to the face amount of the check, a reasonable handling fee, accrued interest, collection costs equal to the face amount of the check not to exceed forty dollars, and the incurred court costs, service costs, and statutory attorneys’ fees.
No portion of any deposit may be withheld:
(i) For wear resulting from ordinary use of the premises;
(ii) For carpet cleaning unless the landlord documents wear to the carpet that is beyond wear resulting from ordinary use of the premises;
(iii) For the costs of repair and replacement of fixtures, equipment, appliances, and furnishings if their condition was not reasonably documented in the written checklist required under RCW 59.18.260; or
(iv) In excess of the cost of repair or replacement of the damaged portion in situations in which the premises, including fixtures, equipment, appliances, and furnishings, are damaged in excess of wear resulting from ordinary use of the premises but the damage does not encompass the item’s entirety.
How Long Can a Residential Lease Be in Washington? Depending on circumstances, in Washington it’s usually possible to have a lease of any length of time, as long as the length of the lease term is specific and agreed in writing by the landlord and tenant (and notarized, if for a term longer than one year). Oral leases can almost never be for a term of more than one year. Read more » Is a Contract to Lease Binding in Washington? Yes, a contract to lease is legally binding in Washington. To be valid, a contract to lease may have to be written, especially for a fixed term over one year. Oral leases may be valid in some cases (especially when both parties later behave as though there’s an enforceable oral lease), but often have strict limitations on enforceability for things like length of the lease term. Read more » Do Lease Agreements Need to Be Notarized in Washington? Lease agreements only need to be notarized in Washington if they are for a term of more than one (1) year. Otherwise, a notary helps establish the identity of the people signing the lease, if there’s a claim of fraud, but a notary isn’t necessary for a lease of one year or less to be valid. Read more » Can a Lease Automatically Renew in Washington? Yes, a lease can automatically renew in Washington. Most rental agreements will automatically renew when the initial tenancy period is over. Past this point, the lease becomes a month-to-month rental agreement, with the same basic terms and conditions otherwise as the original lease. In some cases, such as if rent is being paid weekly, the lease may become a week-to-week lease. Read more »
