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Issaquah landlord rules — verified 2026-10-15

Issaquah landlord-tenant laws in 2026: one local rule, and the state law around it

Issaquah has one local landlord rule: IMC 5.52.030 (Ordinance 2986, effective October 6, 2022) requires 120 days' written notice for a rent increase greater than 3%. There is no city move-in cap, late-fee cap or registry, and rentals of nine or fewer units need no city business licence. Washington's 9.683% cap and 90-day floor apply.

Check a Issaquah rent increase →Issaquah property management

Written and verified by

Grisel Castro, Property Manager — RexMont Property Management

Grisel Castro

Property Manager · WA Lic. #137529

Author · RexMont Property Management

Adriano Tori, Designated Broker — RexMont Real Estate

Adriano Tori

Designated Broker · WA Lic. #27660

Reviewer · accountable for every account

Last verified 2026-10-15 against the sources listed at the foot of this page. This is RexMont Property Management's working summary for owners, not legal advice; a lease or a notice with money on it goes past a Washington landlord-tenant attorney. Questions to pm@rexmont.com.

Issaquah rules at a glance (IMC unless stated)
RuleNumberSectionEffective
Written notice for a rent increase greater than 3%120 daysIMC 5.52.030(A)2022-10-06 (Ord. 2986)
Notice for subsidized, income-based tenancies30 daysIMC 5.52.030(B)2022-10-06 (Ord. 2986)
Notice for a rent increase of 3% or less90 daysRCW 59.18.140(3)(a)2025-05-07
City move-in cap, late-fee cap, first-in-time or just-cause ordinanceNoneIMC 5.52 (notice only)Checked 2026-10-15
City business licence exemption for residential rentals≤ 9 units at one location exemptIMC 5.02.070(C)2022 (Ord. 2972)
Issaquah business licence, where required$60 new / $50 renewalCity fee schedule2026
Rental registration or inspection programNoneIssaquah Municipal CodeChecked 2026-10-15

How much notice does an Issaquah landlord give for a rent increase?

Under IMC 5.52.030(A) every rental agreement in Issaquah is deemed to require not less than 120 days' written notice for a rent increase greater than 3%, and the agreement states the dollar amount of the rent or the increase. Income-based subsidized tenancies get 30 days (IMC 5.52.030(B)). An increase of 3% or less falls back to the state's 90 days (RCW 59.18.140). Unlike Kirkland and Redmond, Issaquah has no 180-day tier.

With the 2026 state cap at 9.683%, any meaningful Issaquah increase is over 3%, so 120 days on the state form (RCW 59.18.720) is the working rule. The increase cannot take effect in the first 12 months of the tenancy (RCW 59.18.700).

Does Issaquah cap deposits, late fees or screening?

No. IMC Chapter 5.52 contains the notice rule, a bar on lease clauses that waive the chapter, and transition language; nothing on move-in costs, late fees, first-in-time or just cause. Those follow Washington law: a written move-in checklist and a disclosed trust account (RCW 59.18.260–.270), a refund or itemized statement within 30 days (RCW 59.18.280), late fees under RCW 59.18.170, and the statewide just-cause list in RCW 59.18.650 with 90 days for owner move-in or the sale of a single-family house.

Do I need an Issaquah business licence to rent out a house?

Not for a small portfolio. IMC 5.02.070(C) exempts any residential rental or leasing activity that does not involve more than nine residential units at one location in the city (Ordinance 2972, 2022). Ten or more units at one address need the Issaquah endorsement on the state business licence: $60 new, $50 at renewal, plus Department of Revenue processing fees. Issaquah has no rental registration or inspection program.

Two boundary notes. Klahanie and Mirrormont sit outside the city limits in unincorporated King County, where Issaquah's code does not apply and King County's rules do. And many Issaquah Highlands and Talus homes sit under association covenants that limit rentals or require registration with the association; the CC&Rs are read before the home is listed for rent.

Which state rules govern the rest of an Issaquah tenancy?

The 2026 cap of 9.683% in any 12 months on covered tenancies and the 12-month freeze after move-in (RCW 59.18.700); the RCW 59.18.710 exemptions (first certificate of occupancy 12 or fewer years old; owner-occupied home renting no more than two units or bedrooms; owner-occupied duplex to fourplex, unavailable to corporate or LLC-with-corporate-member owners); the state rent-increase notice form (RCW 59.18.720); two days' notice to enter, one for showings (RCW 59.18.150).

Where the city and the state both speak, the longer notice governs: Issaquah's 120 days for an increase over 3%, the state's 90 days otherwise.

Step by step

Serving an Issaquah rent-increase notice

  1. 1

    Confirm the tenancy is at least 12 months old on the effective date and no increase took effect in the past 12 months (RCW 59.18.700).

  2. 2

    Check the increase against the 2026 cap of 9.683% on a covered tenancy, or confirm an RCW 59.18.710 exemption and gather the facts.

  3. 3

    Pick the notice period: 90 days at 3% or below, 120 days above 3% (IMC 5.52.030).

  4. 4

    Complete the state form in RCW 59.18.720 with the dollar amount of the new rent and the increase and an effective date at the start of a rental period.

  5. 5

    Serve under RCW 59.12.040 and keep proof; count the days from the day after service.

RexMont Rent Read

What would your Issaquah home rent for under these rules?

Your monthly rent range in seconds, next to what the home would sell for today and the rent-vs-sell math. Estimate, not an appraisal.

Estimate, not an appraisal. Rents from RexMont’s licensed NWMLS data and licensed rental comps; the full read with the comps goes by email.

Washington rules that apply in Issaquah (RCW 59.18)
RuleNumberSectionEffective
Maximum rent increase in any 12 months (covered tenancies)9.683% for Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2026RCW 59.18.700(1)(a)(ii); WA Commerce2026-01-01
No rent increase during the first 12 months of a tenancy12 monthsRCW 59.18.700(1)(a)(i)2025-05-07
Minimum written notice before any rent increase90 daysRCW 59.18.140(3)(a)2025-05-07
Rent increase notice must use the state form and state any exemption with supporting factsForm in the statuteRCW 59.18.720; RCW 59.18.700(2)2025-05-07
Cap exemption: first certificate of occupancy issued 12 or fewer years before the notice12 yearsRCW 59.18.710(1)(a)2025-05-07
Cap exemption: owner-occupied single-family residence renting no more than two units or bedrooms (incl. an ADU)2 units or bedroomsRCW 59.18.710(1)(f)2025-05-07
Cap exemption: owner-occupied duplex, triplex or fourplex; not available to REITs, corporations or LLCs with a corporate member2–4 unitsRCW 59.18.710(1)(g), (2)2025-05-07
Notice to end a tenancy for owner or immediate-family move-in, or to sell a single-family home90 daysRCW 59.18.650(2)(d)–(e)2021 (as amended)
Tenant may pay deposits, non-refundable fees and last month's rent in installments (3 on a lease of 3+ months, 2 on a shorter term); holding fee capped3 / 2 installments; holding fee ≤ 25% of first month's rentRCW 59.18.6102020 (c 169)
Deposit refund or itemized statement after move-out30 daysRCW 59.18.2802023 amendment
Notice before entering the unit (1 day to show it to prospective tenants or buyers)2 daysRCW 59.18.150(6)2011 amendment

The rules, handled

Every notice on this page goes out on the right day, from a licensed Issaquah manager.

RexMont manages single-family homes in Issaquah at a published 8–10% of rent, with the renewal, the rent-increase notice and the deposit itemization treated as compliance documents first. The same brokerage lists the home when selling wins.

Issaquah property management →What property management costs →Washington rent-increase calculator (9.683%) →Landlord laws by city →Sell rental property in Issaquah →

Your property management team

The people managing your Issaquah rental.

Meet the full team →
Grisel Castro, Property Manager — RexMont Property Management

Grisel Castro

Property Manager · WA Lic. #137529

Leads leasing, pricing, renewals, and owner strategy

Real people, not a call center. Adriano Tori, Designated Broker (WA Lic. #27660), is accountable for every account.

FAQ

Issaquah landlord law — questions owners ask

How much notice to raise rent in Issaquah?

120 days' written notice for an increase greater than 3% (IMC 5.52.030), 90 days under state law at 3% or below. Issaquah has no 180-day tier. The notice states the new rent in dollars on the state form and cannot take effect in the first 12 months of the tenancy.

Does Issaquah cap security deposits or late fees?

No. Issaquah's tenant-protection chapter covers notice only. Deposits follow the state's checklist, trust-account and 30-day refund rules (RCW 59.18.260–.280) and late fees follow RCW 59.18.170; there is no city dollar cap.

Do I need an Issaquah business licence to rent my house?

No, for nine or fewer units at one location (IMC 5.02.070(C)). Ten or more units at one address need the Issaquah endorsement on the state licence, $60 new and $50 at renewal. There is no rental registration program.

My house is in Klahanie. Does Issaquah's rule apply?

No. Klahanie and Mirrormont are unincorporated King County, outside Issaquah's jurisdiction, so IMC 5.52 does not apply there; Washington's 90-day notice and King County's rules do. Check the city-limits map before serving a notice.

Can my HOA stop me from renting an Issaquah Highlands house?

Association covenants can cap the share of rented homes, set minimum lease terms or require registration with the association, and they bind the owner regardless of city law. We read the CC&Rs and the association's rental policy before pricing or listing any covenant-controlled home.

How much can I raise the rent in 2026?

For a covered tenancy, no more than 9.683% in any 12-month period during 2026 (RCW 59.18.700; Commerce). Nothing in the first 12 months of the tenancy. The notice uses the state form in RCW 59.18.720 and goes out at least 90 days ahead under RCW 59.18.140, or longer where the city requires it.

Sources and verification

Every rule above was read at its source on 2026-10-15.

Statutes and codes change; a figure that fails its next check is removed from this page rather than left to age. Washington Commerce publishes the following year's rent-increase maximum each July, and the 2026 figure of 9.683% is replaced here when the next one is announced.

  1. IMC 5.52.030 — Notice of rent increase — checked 2026-10-15
  2. IMC Chapter 5.52 — Tenant Protections (section list) — checked 2026-10-15
  3. City of Issaquah — Council: Tenant Protections (Ordinance 2986, effective October 6, 2022) — checked 2026-10-15
  4. IMC 5.02.070 — Business licence exemptions (nine or fewer residential units) — checked 2026-10-15
  5. City of Issaquah — Business Licenses ($60 / $50; Klahanie and Mirrormont outside city limits) — checked 2026-10-15
  6. WA Commerce — Commerce announces 9.683% rent cap for 2026 — checked 2026-10-15
  7. RCW 59.18.700 — Rent increase limits (cap formula, 12-month freeze, Commerce publication) — checked 2026-10-15
  8. RCW 59.18.710 — Exemptions from the rent increase limit — checked 2026-10-15
  9. RCW 59.18.720 — Rent and fee increase notice form — checked 2026-10-15
  10. RCW 59.18.140 — Notice requirements for rent increases (90 days) — checked 2026-10-15
  11. RCW 59.18.650 — Just cause to end a tenancy — checked 2026-10-15
  12. RCW 59.18.610 — Installment payments of deposits and fees; holding fee cap — checked 2026-10-15
  13. RCW 59.18.280 — Deposit refund and itemized statement — checked 2026-10-15
  14. RCW 59.18.150 — Landlord's right of entry — checked 2026-10-15

Last verified 2026-10-15. Not legal advice.