Washington deposit law · move-in caps by city
Security deposit rules for Washington landlords in 2026, with the Seattle, Kirkland and Redmond caps
In short
A Washington landlord may collect a deposit only with a written lease, a signed move-in checklist and a Washington trust account, and must return it or an itemized statement within 30 days of move-out (RCW 59.18.260–.280). Seattle caps deposit plus fees at one month's rent with a 25% pet deposit on top; Kirkland and Redmond cap move-in costs at one month.
Updated · Adriano Tori, Designated Broker
Part of Guides for owners from RexMont Property Management.
Page author
Adriano Tori
Founder & Designated Broker — RexMont Real Estate · WA Lic. #27660
Adriano leads RexMont Real Estate — the most-reviewed real estate brokerage in Seattle and the Eastside. 1,200+ closed transactions, $1B+ in production, and 1,242 five-star Google reviews.
The deposit is the part of landlording that ends up in small-claims court. I'm Adriano Tori, Designated Broker of RexMont Real Estate. Our property manager, Grisel Castro, runs every move-in and move-out as a documentation exercise, because the statute is explicit about what a landlord must do before taking a deposit and after returning it, and the penalties run to twice the deposit plus the tenant's attorney fees. The state rules first, then the city caps in one table, then the checklist we use.
What does Washington law require before, during and after a deposit?
| Rule | Section | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| Written lease, written terms for keeping the deposit | RCW 59.18.260 | No deposit may be collected unless the rental agreement is in writing and states the conditions under which any part may be withheld. |
| Signed move-in checklist | RCW 59.18.260 | A written checklist describing the condition, cleanliness and existing damage of the unit and its contents (walls, flooring, furniture, appliances), signed and dated by landlord and tenant, with a copy to the tenant. Collect a deposit without it and the landlord is liable for the full deposit. |
| Trust account and receipt | RCW 59.18.270 | The deposit goes into a trust account at a Washington financial institution or licensed escrow agent; the tenant gets a written receipt and written notice of the depository's name, address and location. Interest goes to the landlord unless agreed otherwise. |
| Nonrefundable fees | RCW 59.18.285 | Nonrefundable money may not be called a deposit; a fee is nonrefundable only if a written agreement says so, otherwise it is a refundable deposit. |
| Installments and holding fees | RCW 59.18.610 | On written request, deposits, nonrefundable fees and last month's rent are payable in three equal monthly installments for tenancies of three months or longer (two for shorter ones), with no fee or interest; a landlord may decline only when deposits and fees total 25% or less of the first month's rent and no last month's rent is due up front. A fee to hold the unit is capped at 25% of the first month's rent. |
| Return within 30 days | RCW 59.18.280 | A full and specific itemized statement of what was kept, with copies of estimates or invoices for damage charges (and receipts, time and hourly rate for the landlord's own repairs), plus any refund, within 30 days after the tenancy ends and the tenant vacates. No deduction for wear resulting from ordinary use. |
| Penalty | RCW 59.18.280 | A landlord who misses the 30 days owes the full deposit and loses the right to keep any of it; a court may award up to two times the deposit for an intentional refusal; the prevailing party recovers attorney fees. |
| Suing for damage above the deposit | RCW 59.18.280 | For agreements entered on or after July 23, 2023, an action to recover more than the deposit must be started within three years of the tenancy ending. |
What are the move-in caps in Seattle, Kirkland and Redmond?
Three of the six cities we manage in add a cap on top of the state rules. The others apply state law only as of this review; check the current city code before signing anything.
| City | Cap on deposit + move-in fees | Pet deposit | Installments | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle | One month's rent, and nonrefundable fees only for cleaning and screening, capped at 10% of one month's rent | Up to 25% of the first month's rent, in addition to the cap | 6 equal monthly installments for leases of 6 months or longer; 4 for 30 days to 6 months; 2 for month-to-month; pet deposit in 3; no extra fee or interest | SMC 7.24; Renting in Seattle, Move-in fees and deposits; SDCI, Move-in charges |
| Kirkland | One month's rent total for move-in fees and security deposits, including pet deposits | Inside the one-month total | State installment rules (RCW 59.18.610) apply | Ordinance O-4810, effective September 17, 2022; City of Kirkland, Tenant Protections |
| Redmond | Move-in fees and security deposits combined may not exceed one month's rent | Inside the one-month total | State installment rules apply; the 2022 ordinance also provides six monthly installments for leases of six months or longer | RMC 9.54.040–.050 (Ordinance 3091, 2022); City of Redmond, Housing and Homelessness Resources |
| Bellevue, Issaquah, Sammamish | No city cap found as of 2026-10-15; RCW 59.18 governs | State rules | RCW 59.18.610 | Our review of each city's code pages |
Redmond also caps late fees at 1.5% of monthly rent (RMC 9.54), and Seattle's rental-fee ordinance passed on August 11, 2026 narrows the fees a landlord may charge from July 1, 2027 (Council Bill 121254, per the Mayor's FAQ); the 25% pet deposit survives it, separate pet fees do not. Those details live on our city landlord-law pages.
What can I deduct from the deposit, and how do I prove it?
Unpaid rent and utilities the lease makes the tenant responsible for, cleaning to the move-in standard, and damage beyond ordinary wear, each tied to a line on the signed move-in checklist and backed by an estimate or an invoice. The statute's standard is “full and specific”: “cleaning $400” fails, “carpet cleaning, living room and hall, pet stains documented at move-out photo 14, invoice attached, $185” holds.
- Ordinary wear is not deductible:faded paint, minor nail holes, carpet traffic wear and worn finishes after a multi-year tenancy are the landlord's cost.
- Depreciation applies to replacements: charging a tenant the full price of a 12-year-old carpet is the kind of deduction a judge reverses with the double-deposit penalty attached.
- Your own labour: allowed, with a statement of the time spent and the hourly rate, plus receipts for materials (RCW 59.18.280).
- The 30 days is a hard clock: mail the statement first class or hand it over inside the window; if the tenant abandons the unit, the clock runs from the day you learn of it.
What does a compliant move-in and move-out look like?
- Written lease with the deposit terms and any nonrefundable fee stated as such (RCW 59.18.260, .285).
- Room-by-room condition checklist covering walls, paint, flooring, appliances and fixtures, signed and dated by both parties, with the tenant's copy delivered the same day.
- Dated photographs and a short video walk-through filed with the checklist; not required by statute, decisive in a dispute.
- Deposit placed in a Washington trust account; receipt and depository notice given to the tenant in writing (RCW 59.18.270).
- City cap checked before the amounts are set: Seattle, Kirkland and Redmond at one month, with Seattle's 10% fee limit and 25% pet deposit (table above); installment schedule offered in writing where the tenant asks.
- At move-out, the same checklist walked again with the tenant where possible, photographs matched line by line, estimates or invoices gathered, and the itemized statement and refund sent within 30 days (RCW 59.18.280).
This is the standard every RexMont tenancy runs on, and the reason our Pet Damage Guarantee can promise up to $1,000 beyond the deposit for a pet we approved: the documentation is what makes the deduction, and the guarantee, enforceable.
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Next step
Have every move-in and move-out documented to the statute.
RexMont manages single-family homes in Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Issaquah and Sammamish at 8%, 9% or 10% of rent collected, with the checklist, the trust account, the photographs and the 30-day accounting handled on every tenancy.
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The people managing your Seattle rental.
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.
In writing, in the management agreement
Six written guarantees on every Seattle account.
- Paid-on-Performance Guarantee
- 30-Day Leasing Guarantee
- 12-Month Tenant Guarantee
- Eviction Fee Guarantee
- Pet Damage Guarantee
- Fair Exit Guarantee
Certain conditions apply. Full guarantee terms.
FAQ
Security deposits in Washington — questions owners ask
How long does a Washington landlord have to return a security deposit?
30 days after the tenancy ends and the tenant vacates, RCW 59.18.280. Within that window the landlord gives the tenant a full and specific itemized statement of what was kept and why, with copies of estimates or invoices for damage charges, and refunds the rest. Miss the deadline and the landlord owes the full deposit and loses the right to keep any of it; a court may award up to two times the deposit for an intentional refusal.
Is there a cap on security deposits in Washington?
State law sets no dollar cap, but it requires a written agreement, a signed move-in checklist and a trust account before any deposit is collected, and it gives tenants the right to pay deposits and fees in installments (RCW 59.18.610). Seattle, Kirkland and Redmond each cap deposits plus move-in fees at one month's rent by city ordinance.
What is Seattle's pet deposit rule?
A pet deposit of up to 25% of the first month's rent may be charged in addition to the one-month cap on security deposit plus fees, and the tenant may pay it in three equal monthly installments (SMC 7.24, as described on the city's Renting in Seattle pages). Nonrefundable move-in fees in Seattle are limited to cleaning and screening and 10% of one month's rent.
Can I deduct for normal wear and tear?
No. RCW 59.18.280 bars withholding any part of the deposit for wear resulting from ordinary use of the premises, and bars charging the tenant or reporting it to a collection or consumer reporting agency. Deductions need the signed move-in checklist as the baseline and estimates or invoices as the proof.
Do I have to take photos at move-in?
The statute requires a written checklist describing the condition of the unit, signed and dated by both parties, with a copy to the tenant (RCW 59.18.260); it does not mention photographs. Dated photographs attached to that checklist are what makes a deduction stick, so a professional move-in inspection includes them.
Can I call part of the deposit nonrefundable?
No. Nonrefundable money may not be designated as a deposit or part of one; a nonrefundable fee must be stated as nonrefundable in a written rental agreement, or it is treated as a refundable deposit (RCW 59.18.285). A fee to hold a unit before move-in is capped at 25% of the first month's rent (RCW 59.18.610(4)).
Sources and verification
Every rule on this page was read against its primary source on the date shown and carries its jurisdiction and section. Laws change; the page is reviewed when they do and the “Updated” line at the top moves with it. Figures without a source were left out.
- RCW 59.18.260, Moneys paid as deposit or security for performance by tenant — written rental agreement and checklist — read 2026-10-15
- RCW 59.18.270, Deposit held in a trust account; receipt and notice to the tenant — read 2026-10-15
- RCW 59.18.280, Itemized statement and refund within 30 days; penalties; ordinary wear — read 2026-10-15
- RCW 59.18.285, Nonrefundable fees — read 2026-10-15
- RCW 59.18.610, Installment payments of deposits and fees; holding fee cap — read 2026-10-15
- City of Seattle, Renting in Seattle — Move-in fees and deposits / installment payments (SMC 7.24) — read 2026-10-15
- Seattle SDCI, Move-in charges (one-month cap, 10% fees, 25% pet deposit, installments) — read 2026-10-15
- City of Seattle, Mayor's Office, Rental fees legislation FAQ (Council Bill 121254, effective July 1, 2027) — read 2026-10-15
- City of Kirkland, Tenant Protections (Ordinance O-4810; one-month move-in cap) — read 2026-10-15
- City of Redmond, Housing and Homelessness Resources (RMC 9.54.040–.050; late fee 1.5%) — read 2026-10-15
RexMont Real Estate is a licensed Washington brokerage (firm lic. #21220), not a law firm. This page is general information for owners, not legal advice. Questions about a specific tenancy go to a Washington landlord-tenant attorney.