Washington rental housing laws

What it would do: Authorizes counties, cities, and towns to impose a local option excise tax up to 4 percent on short-term rental lodging, with revenue deposited into an essential affordable housing local assistance account for affordable housing, supportive services, and rental assistance programs.

What it would do: Allows tenants age 55 or older in manufactured home communities to have at least one roommate, including homesharing arrangements involving service exchanges or financial consideration, provided the roommate's residence does not violate community age restrictions.

What it would do: Prohibits business entities with interests in five or more manufactured housing communities or 200+ lots from purchasing additional communities or lots, and prohibits investment entities from purchasing any communities or lots. Violations are unfair consumer practices subject to civil penalties up to $100,000 per violation and forced sale.

What it would do: Creates a rent credit reporting pilot program administered by the Department of Commerce to allow landlords to report tenant rent payment information to consumer reporting agencies, with up to 10 landlords and 100 tenants participating, requiring a report to the legislature by July 1, 2028.

What it would do: Limits rent and fee increases to 7% annually for residential and manufactured/mobile home tenancies, with exemptions for newer buildings and nonprofit housing. Requires 180-day notice for increases of 3% or more and allows tenants to terminate leases if increases exceed the cap.

What it would do: Prohibits landlords and agents from contracting with service providers that coordinate rental pricing data across multiple landlords, and prohibits service providers from coordinating such data. Violations are treated as unfair or deceptive acts under the consumer protection act, enforceable by the attorney general or private parties.

What it would do: Authorizes counties, cities, and towns to impose a special excise tax up to 4 percent on short-term rental lodging to fund affordable housing, workforce housing, supportive housing services, rental assistance, and related social services, with up to 15 percent retained for administration.

What it would do: Requires landlords to accept personal checks, cashier's checks, money orders, and mail payments for rent, except personal checks from tenants with recent nonsufficient funds incidents. Specifies that partial rent payments do not reinstate leases or dismiss unlawful detainer proceedings.

What it would do: Creates a senior independent housing ombuds program to investigate complaints from residents 55 and older in independent senior housing, requires annual registration of senior housing facilities with the Department of Commerce, establishes a statewide database of senior housing inventory, and makes violations of landlord-tenant law in senior housing subject to consumer protection enforcement.

What it would do: Prohibits landlords from restricting tenants' installation of portable cooling devices except for safety, building code, or electrical capacity reasons, and requires landlords to prioritize disabled tenants' cooling needs. Prevents utility disconnections and evictions during extreme heat alerts.

What it would do: Creates the office of the state senior independent living ombuds to investigate complaints from seniors in independent living facilities and continuing care retirement communities, establish uniform reporting systems, and coordinate with other ombuds offices.

What it would do: Establishes a task force to study and recommend revisions to Washington's residential landlord-tenant act, with findings due July 1, 2027. Imposes a 36-month moratorium on cities, code cities, and counties enacting new ordinances regulating the residential landlord-tenant relationship.

What it would do: Amends Washington's residential landlord-tenant laws to streamline eviction procedures, reduce timelines for unlawful detainer actions, modify notice requirements for various eviction grounds, and clarify tenant obligations and landlord remedies for lease violations.

What it would do: Creates a tenant assistance program administered by the Department of Commerce through grants to public housing authorities, providing up to $400 monthly payments to renters earning at or below 80 percent of median household income who spend over 30 percent of income on housing costs. Funds the program through a portion of document recording fees from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2032.

What it would do: Creates a manufactured/mobile home rental assistance program administered by the department of commerce to provide low-income tenants monthly assistance up to $200 or 50 percent of rent, with eligibility based on income, age over 55, and rent increases exceeding inflation. Appropriates $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2026.

What it would do: Beginning January 1, 2026, imposes a six percent special excise tax on short-term rental lodging facilitated through platforms, with revenue deposited into a new essential affordable housing local assistance account for counties, cities, and towns to fund affordable housing programs and infrastructure projects.

What it would do: Amends residential and manufactured housing landlord-tenant laws to strengthen tenant protections by requiring longer notice periods for certain evictions, establishing affirmative defenses for nonpayment when landlords fail maintenance duties, and expanding grounds for wrongful eviction liability.

What it would do: Expands criminal trespass law to include former tenants no longer occupying premises under a valid rental agreement, and authorizes peace officers to remove such persons without delay based on a signed declaration from the property owner.

What it would do: Preempts cities and counties from enacting or enforcing ordinances regulating rent amounts or landlord-tenant agreements under chapters 59.18 and 59.20 RCW for private residential rental properties, except those publicly owned, publicly managed, or providing low-income housing under joint public-private agreements.