Washington security deposit rules for landlords

Free tool: Security deposit return letter → Your legal deadline as a countdown, plus a printable itemized letter. Texas, Washington, and Florida.

Washington's deposit rules reward landlords who document — at move-in and at move-out. Here's what the law requires, linked to the statute.

Source: RCW 59.18.280, RCW 59.18.260 · verified October 3, 2026

Before you collect a deposit: the checklist

Washington requires a written checklist or statement describing the condition and cleanliness of the unit and its furnishings at move-in, signed and dated by you and the tenant, with a copy to the tenant. Without it, you can't collect a deposit at all — and at move-out you can't deduct for anything that wasn't on it.

Take photos alongside the checklist. A move-in and move-out checklist with the same rooms in the same order makes the comparison easy.

The deadline

30 days after the day the rental agreement ends and the tenant has moved out (or the day you learn they abandoned the unit). Enter the move-out date in the security deposit return letter tool for the exact date.

What to send

Give a full and specific statement of why you are keeping any of the deposit, together with the refund. For damage charges include copies of estimates, invoices, or receipts; if you did the repair yourself, list the time spent and a reasonable hourly rate.

What you can't deduct

You can't deduct for ordinary wear and tear, routine carpet cleaning without damage beyond ordinary use, or anything that wasn't on the written move-in checklist.

How to send it

Deliver it in person or by first-class mail to the tenant's last known address.

If you miss it

Miss the 30 days and you can owe the tenant the full deposit. A court can award up to twice the deposit if the refusal was intentional, plus attorney's fees.

Related Washington rules worth knowing

• Late fees: No late fee is allowed if rent is paid within five days after the due date. With rent due on the 1st, a fee can apply only if rent is still unpaid after the 6th — and then it may run from the 2nd. Check a fee with the late fee calculator.
• Rent increases: Washington limits rent increases for most rentals to the lesser of 7% plus inflation or 10% in any 12 months, bars any increase during the first 12 months of a tenancy, and requires at least 90 days' written notice on the state's form. Some newer buildings and other tenancies are exempt.
• Local rules: some Washington cities, including Seattle, add their own requirements on deposits and fees. Check your city's rules if you rent inside city limits.

A Washington move-out checklist

1. Make sure you had a signed move-in checklist — and pull it out.
2. Inspect with photos, room by room, against it.
3. Gather invoices, receipts, or estimates for every damage charge.
4. Count 30 days from the end of the tenancy and move-out.
5. Send the statement, the documentation, and the refund — in person or by first-class mail.
6. Keep copies of everything.

This guide covers RCW 59.18.260 and 59.18.280 and was verified against the statutes on October 3, 2026. It's general information, not legal advice.

Common questions

General information, not legal or tax advice. Where we state a law, we link the statute and re-check it on a schedule; your city or county can add rules of its own.