Washington Security Deposit Law: Limits, Deadlines, and Penalties
What Washington landlords can charge, when deposits must be returned, and what it costs to get it wrong. Last reviewed 2026-08-12.
How much can a landlord charge in Washington?
The Residential Landlord-Tenant Act sets no cap on security deposits for ordinary rentals, though cities can and do — Seattle caps deposits plus nonrefundable move-in fees at one month's rent. For manufactured/mobile home tenancies under the MHLTA, EHB 1217 (2025) caps combined move-in fees and deposits at one month's rent, or two months if the tenant has pets.
No statewide limit on pet deposits for standard rentals (none may be charged for service animals); for manufactured/mobile home tenancies, pets raise the 2025 combined deposit-and-fee cap from one month's rent to two.
When must the deposit be returned?
Within 30 days after the tenancy terminates and the tenant vacates (or within 30 days after the landlord learns of abandonment), the landlord must send a full and specific statement of the basis for retaining any deposit, with supporting documentation, plus any refund due. The deadline was extended from 21 to 30 days by HB 1074, effective July 23, 2023.
The landlord must provide a full and specific statement plus documentation substantiating the charges — receipts, invoices, or estimates (with repair completion documentation to follow for estimates). No withholding is allowed for the condition of fixtures, appliances, or furnishings unless their move-in condition was documented in the written checklist required by RCW 59.18.260.
What happens if a landlord misses the deadline?
A landlord who fails to send the statement and documentation within 30 days is liable for the full deposit and is barred from keeping any of it or asserting claims against it, absent circumstances beyond the landlord's control. Courts may award the tenant up to twice the deposit for an intentional refusal to provide the statement or refund, and the prevailing party recovers attorney fees.
Interest and holding requirements
No interest is owed to the tenant; unless otherwise agreed, interest earned on the deposit belongs to the landlord.
Deposits must be placed in a trust account with a bank or licensed escrow agent, the tenant must receive a written receipt and notice of where the deposit is held, and no deposit may be collected at all unless there is a written rental agreement with a signed move-in condition checklist (RCW 59.18.260, 59.18.270).
Recent changes to the law
HB 1074 (effective July 23, 2023) extended the return deadline from 21 to 30 days and requires landlords to substantiate withholdings with receipts, invoices, or estimates, barring deductions for conditions not documented on the move-in checklist. EHB 1217 (signed May 7, 2025, effective immediately) capped rent increases statewide and capped combined move-in fees and deposits at one month's rent (two with pets) — but that deposit cap applies only to manufactured/mobile home (MHLTA) tenancies; proposed RLTA-wide fee and deposit caps were removed before passage.
What Washington landlords get wrong
Washington has the most paperwork-heavy deposit regime of any state in this group. You cannot legally collect a deposit without a written lease and a move-in checklist signed by both parties, the deposit must sit in a disclosed trust account, and since 2023 every withholding must be backed by receipts, invoices, or estimates — undocumented move-in conditions are unchargeable. Wear and tear resulting from ordinary use is never deductible, and carpet cleaning can only be charged in defined circumstances. Landlords may offer an optional, nonrefundable monthly fee in lieu of a deposit under RCW 59.18.670, but it must be offered evenhandedly to all approved applicants. Holding deposits are capped at 25% of first month's rent. Seattle and some other cities layer on caps and installment rights, so check local ordinances.
The law itself
Frequently asked questions
How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Washington?
30 days after the tenancy ends and you move out, extended from 21 days by a 2023 law. The landlord must mail a full and specific statement of any amounts kept, with documentation like receipts, invoices, or estimates, plus your refund. Miss the deadline and the landlord owes the entire deposit and loses the right to keep any of it.
Can a Washington landlord keep my deposit without a move-in checklist?
No. A landlord may not collect a security deposit at all unless the rental agreement is in writing and includes a checklist describing the unit's condition, signed by both of you at move-in. Without that documented baseline, the landlord cannot withhold anything for the condition of fixtures, carpets, appliances, or furnishings — and undocumented deductions expose the landlord to liability.
What is a fee in lieu of a security deposit in Washington?
Under RCW 59.18.670, a landlord may offer approved applicants the option of paying a smaller, nonrefundable recurring fee instead of a full deposit. It is strictly optional — you can always choose a traditional deposit instead — and the fee is not rent, so you cannot be evicted for not paying it. Remember: you get none of that fee money back at move-out.
Does Washington limit how much a landlord can charge for a deposit?
Not statewide for standard rentals — the RLTA sets no dollar cap, though holding deposits to reserve a unit are capped at 25% of first month's rent, and cities like Seattle cap deposits plus move-in fees at one month's rent. For manufactured/mobile home lot tenancies, a 2025 law caps combined deposits and move-in fees at one month's rent, or two months with pets.
Keep reading
Deposit deadlines are easy to miss — until they cost you triple.
Vantric tracks your leases, deposits, and move-out dates in one place, built for landlords with 1–10 units.
Start Free TrialThis page is general information, not legal advice. Statutes change — verify against the official text linked above or consult a local attorney before acting.