Here’s what tenants in Washington should know about rent increase laws in 2025:
Key Changes
- Notice Period: Landlords must provide tenants with at least 180 days’ notice before implementing any rent increases.
- Rent Increase Cap: There is a cap on annual rent increases tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), with a maximum ceiling of 7% per year.
- Mandatory Disclosure: Landlords must include a detailed breakdown of the reasons for the rent increase in their written notices.
- Penalties for Non-Compliance: Landlords who fail to adhere to these new laws face penalties, including fines and restrictions on future rent increases.
House Bill 1217
- House Bill 1217 would prevent landlords from raising rent by more than 7% annually for existing tenants.
- It would also limit various types of rental fees and require landlords to provide at least 180 days’ notice for rent increases over 3%.
- The bill includes a private cause of action for tenants to sue landlords and makes the rent and fee restrictions subject to enforcement by the Washington State Attorney General. The lease restrictions apply to apartments, houses, and mobile home parks.
- Exemptions to the 7% rent increase cap exist for some properties including: apartments under 11 years old, new apartments for the first ten years, and owner-occupied units. Landlords can still raise rent any amount between one tenant and the next.
The Fine Print
- The legislation would limit annual rent increases to 7% every 12 months for tenants and require six months’ notice for rent increases of 3% or more, though landlords could set a rent above the 7% cap for the unit when a new tenant signs a lease.
- Newly constructed dwellings — those built in the past 10 years — would be exempt from the annual rent cap, as would public affordable housing developments and some owner-occupied units, such as duplexes where the owner lives on one half of the property.
Existing Washington Law
- Landlords have the freedom to increase rents without a cap, allowing them to adjust the rental prices according to the market demand.
- Landlords are required to provide a minimum of 60 days’ written notice before raising the rent. This rule applies to both month-to-month tenants and those with leases that convert to month-to-month.
- In Seattle, if a landlord raises the rent by more than 10%, tenants can request relocation assistance.
Contradictory Information
- Some sources claim landlords must give tenants a 60-day notice for any rent increase, while others claim landlords must provide tenants with at least 180 days’ notice before implementing any rent increases.
- Some sources claim landlords have freedom to increase rents without a cap, while others claim there is a cap on annual rent increases tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), with a maximum ceiling of 7% per year.
It is important for both tenants and landlords to stay informed of any new changes to the law.
Sources:
- https://www.nextbrick.co/blog/washington-rent-increase-laws-2025-a-guide-for-homeowners
- https://ota.dc.gov/release/rhc-publishes-new-rent-increase-caps-25-elderlydisability-tenants-48-other-rent-controlled
- https://www.steadily.com/blog/rent-increase-laws-regulations-washington
- https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2025/01/16/rent-increase-cap-law-washington-state
