WA · Free to generate and download
State-specific leases, notices, checklists, and addenda for a Washington rental. Legal notes last reviewed 2026-08-15. LeaseGen.io is not a law firm.
Compare all 50 states on the full cheat sheet.
Screen an applicant, write the lease, and document the move-in.
Receipts, entry, rent changes, renewals, and papers that amend who lives there.
Give notice, inspect at surrender, and account for the deposit. Use an eviction notice only for unpaid rent or a lease violation.
Short summaries of the rules that shape Washington leases, notices, and deposit papers on LeaseGen.io. Last reviewed 2026-08-15. Not legal advice.
Washington does not cap how large a residential security deposit may be. A written rental agreement must explain the deposit. Give a move-in checklist. Unused deposit plus an itemized list is generally due within 30 days (Wash. Rev. Code § 59.18.280).
A tenant may end a month-to-month tenancy with at least 20 days’ notice before the end of the period. After 12 months, a landlord generally needs a qualifying just-cause reason (Wash. Rev. Code §§ 59.18.200, 59.18.650).
Except in an emergency, the landlord must give at least two days’ notice before entering (Wash. Rev. Code § 59.18.150).
Washington generally requires at least 60 days’ written notice before a rent increase takes effect (Wash. Rev. Code § 59.18.140). Seattle and other cities may require more.
Washington’s 14-day pay-or-vacate notice is the usual rent step. Just-cause rules apply to many terminations after 12 months. Seattle adds local notices.
RCW 59.18.650 requires a listed cause to terminate many tenancies after 12 months.
Washington residential leases commonly need these statewide disclosures. The lease generator adds them when your answers trigger them.
After 12 months, ending or refusing to continue many tenancies requires a listed cause and the statutory notice. Seattle adds local rules.
Provide a written checklist or statement of the unit’s condition at the start of the tenancy if you take a deposit.
These Washington cities often have rent-control, just-cause, or relocation rules on top of state law. Confirm the ordinance before you raise rent or decline to renew.
seattle · tacoma