In Washington, a landlord can raise your rent once in any 12-month period after the first year of your tenancy, and the increase is capped at 7% plus the Seattle-area Consumer Price Index or 10%, whichever is lower. For increases taking effect in 2026, that maximum is 9.683%.1Washington Department of Commerce. HB 1217 Landlord Resource Center Your landlord also has to give you at least 90 days’ written notice on a state-prescribed form, and no rent increase at all is allowed during the first 12 months you live in the unit.
The Once-Per-Year Rule and First-Year Freeze
Washington’s rent stabilization law, passed in 2025, sets a firm frequency. Under RCW 59.18.700, a landlord cannot raise rent during the first year of your tenancy, whether you signed a fixed-term lease or you’re month to month.1Washington Department of Commerce. HB 1217 Landlord Resource Center After that first year, an increase is permitted only once in any 12-month window. If you received a raise effective in February, the next one cannot take effect until the following February at the earliest. A landlord cannot stack two smaller increases a few months apart to work around the cap.
How Much the Rent Can Go Up in 2026
The cap formula is 7% plus the annual change in the Seattle-area CPI, or 10%, whichever comes out lower. The Washington Department of Commerce calculates and publishes the maximum each year. For increases taking effect between January 1, 2026, and December 31, 2026, that number is 9.683%.1Washington Department of Commerce. HB 1217 Landlord Resource Center Because 10% is the absolute ceiling, the cap cannot climb above that figure no matter how high inflation runs.
Some properties are exempt from the cap under RCW 59.18.710. If your landlord claims your unit qualifies for an exemption, the state notice form has a dedicated section where they must identify which exemption applies and give the supporting facts.2Washington State Legislature. RCW 59.18.720 – Landlord Notice of Rent Increases Form You should always get a clear written explanation, not a vague reference to “an exception.”
Notice Period and the Required Form
Washington requires at least 90 days’ prior written notice before any rent increase takes effect.3Washington State Legislature. RCW 59.18.140 – Reasonable Obligations or Restrictions The higher rent cannot begin before the current lease term ends, and it has to start at the beginning of a new rental period. If your landlord hands you a notice on March 15, the earliest the new rent can kick in is July 1.
The notice must use a specific state-prescribed form. It has to state the percentage increase, the new dollar amount, and whether the landlord claims the cap doesn’t apply.2Washington State Legislature. RCW 59.18.720 – Landlord Notice of Rent Increases Form A text message, an email, or a casual letter saying “rent is going up next month” doesn’t satisfy the statute.
One exception: if you’re in subsidized housing and your rent is calculated based on your household income, the landlord only needs to give 30 days’ written notice.3Washington State Legislature. RCW 59.18.140 – Reasonable Obligations or Restrictions
Fixed-Term Leases vs. Month-to-Month
A fixed-term lease locks your rent for the whole term. Your landlord cannot raise it mid-lease unless you both agree in writing.3Washington State Legislature. RCW 59.18.140 – Reasonable Obligations or Restrictions When the term ends, the landlord can propose a higher rent for renewal, but the cap and the 90-day notice rule still apply. If your lease renews automatically, watch the calendar for when the notice window opens.
Month-to-month tenants have more exposure. After the first 12 months, your landlord can propose an increase at any time, as long as they deliver the 90-day notice and stay within the annual cap and the once-per-12-months rule.
Stricter Rules in Seattle and Tacoma
Where a city sets stricter rules, the city rule controls. Seattle requires 180 days’ advance written notice for any housing cost increase, twice the state minimum, and the term “housing cost” reaches beyond base rent to include recurring fees.4City of Seattle – Renting in Seattle. Receiving Notice from Your Landlord Seattle also runs an Economic Displacement Relocation Assistance program that can help lower-income tenants move when housing costs jump 10% or more within a 12-month period.5City of Seattle. Economic Displacement Relocation Assistance (EDRA)
Tacoma also requires 180 days’ written notice, delivered on a city-established form that describes the local relocation assistance program and shows how any payment would be calculated.6City of Tacoma. Renting in Tacoma Tacoma’s relocation assistance is triggered when a rent increase exceeds 5% and the tenant chooses to move, with the payment scaled to the size of the increase.
Manufactured and Mobile Home Space Rentals
If you own a manufactured or mobile home and rent the space it sits on, different rules apply under the Manufactured/Mobile Home Landlord-Tenant Act. Space rent cannot go up by more than 5% per year, the park owner has to give at least three months’ written notice, and no increase is allowed during the first 12 months of the tenancy.7Washington State Office of the Attorney General. Manufactured/ Mobile Home Landlord-Tenant Act For leases shorter than one year, space rent cannot go up during the term at all. Longer leases may allow an annual increase, but only if the lease itself sets out the amount or the formula.
When a Rent Increase Is Illegal
An increase can be unlawful for reasons beyond exceeding the cap or skipping the notice. Washington law prohibits raising rent to retaliate against a tenant who reported code violations, requested repairs, joined a tenant organization, or took part in court proceedings tied to the tenancy.8Washington State Legislature. RCW 59.18.240 – Reprisals or Retaliatory Actions by Landlord Prohibited If the increase lands within 90 days of one of those actions, the law presumes it was retaliatory and puts the burden on the landlord to prove otherwise, though the presumption does not apply if you were behind on rent or in breach of your lease when the notice went out.9Washington State Legislature. RCW 59.18.250 – Reprisals or Retaliatory Actions by Landlord Presumptions
An increase that targets tenants based on a protected characteristic violates the federal Fair Housing Act and Washington’s anti-discrimination law. Washington’s protected classes include race, color, national origin, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, familial status, disability, and veteran or military status.10Washington State Human Rights Commission. Housing Discrimination
What to Do If Your Notice Doesn’t Add Up
Run the notice through a short checklist. Did you get the full 90 days, or 180 in Seattle or Tacoma? Is it on the state-prescribed form? Does the increase stay within the annual cap? Has it been at least 12 months since your tenancy began or since the last increase? A “no” on any of these is a problem with the notice.
Put your objection in writing and name the specific defect. A notice that fails the statutory requirements does not obligate you to pay the higher amount. Keep paying your current rent on time in the meantime, because falling behind weakens your position and can wipe out the retaliation presumption if that becomes an issue.
If the landlord won’t budge, you can file a complaint with the Washington State Attorney General’s office or, for discrimination claims, the Washington State Human Rights Commission. Small claims court is an accessible option for disputes over the dollar amount, and tenant rights organizations across the state can help you sort out whether the increase breaks the law and what remedy fits your situation.