What is the 2026 cap and where does the number come from?
House Bill 1217, signed May 7, 2025, added RCW 59.18.700: a landlord may not raise rent in any 12-month period by more than 7% plus the June 12-month change in the Seattle-area consumer price index, or 10%, whichever is less. The Department of Commerce calculates the following calendar year's maximum each year and publishes it on its website and in a press release. For 2026 that figure is 9.683%, announced 2025-07-18 and in effect 2026-01-01 to 2026-12-31. The section expires July 1, 2040.
The cap is one of three clocks. The second is the 12-month freeze: no increase of any size during the first 12 months after the tenancy begins (RCW 59.18.700(1)(a)(i)). The third is notice: 90 days statewide (RCW 59.18.140), on the form written into RCW 59.18.720, which names the tenant, states the new rent and the increase in dollars and percent, ticks whether the increase is below the maximum, at it, or authorized by an exemption, and attaches the facts behind any exemption.
Who is exempt from the Washington rent cap?
RCW 59.18.710 lists the exemptions, and a plain single-family rental is not among them. A home whose first certificate of occupancy was issued 12 or fewer years before the notice is exempt. So is a tenancy in an owner-occupied single-family residence where the owner rents no more than two units or bedrooms, including an accessory dwelling unit; a tenancy where the tenant shares a bathroom or kitchen with the owner; and a duplex, triplex or fourplex where the owner has lived in one unit since the tenancy began. Public housing authorities, qualifying nonprofits, qualified low-income developments and tax-credit properties round out the list.
Two limits bite. The owner-occupied exemptions are not available when the owner is a real estate investment trust, a corporation, or an LLC with at least one corporate member (RCW 59.18.710(2)). And an exempt increase is still a noticed increase: the notice must claim the exemption and include the facts that support it (RCW 59.18.700(2)), on the same 90-to-180-day clock. The single-family exemption proposed during the 2025 session did not survive into the law; a rented house the owner does not live in is covered.
How many days of notice, by city?
The state floor is 90 days. Seattle requires 180 days for any housing-cost increase (SMC 7.24.030) and attaches relocation-assistance duties at 10% or more (SMC 22.212). Kirkland (KMC 7.75.030) and Redmond (RMC 9.54.030) require 120 days for an increase over 3% and 180 days over 10%. Issaquah (IMC 5.52.030) requires 120 days over 3%. Bellevue and Sammamish have no local rule. Where two rules apply, the longer notice governs, and the notice is counted from the day after it is served under RCW 59.12.040.
| Rule | Number | Section | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle: written notice before a rent increase | 180 days | 180 days for any housing-cost increase (SMC 7.24.030); at 10% or more, attach the EDRA notice (SMC 22.212). | Current code |
| Bellevue: written notice before a rent increase | 90 days | no local notice ordinance; the state's 90 days applies (RCW 59.18.140). | Current code |
| Kirkland: written notice before a rent increase | 90 days (≤ 3%) · 120 days (> 3%) · 180 days (> 10%) | 120 days over 3%, 180 days over 10% (KMC 7.75.030); 90 days at 3% or below (RCW 59.18.140). | Current code |
| Redmond: written notice before a rent increase | 90 days (≤ 3%) · 120 days (> 3%) · 180 days (> 10%) | 120 days over 3%, 180 days over 10% (RMC 9.54.030); 90 days at 3% or below (RCW 59.18.140). | Current code |
| Issaquah: written notice before a rent increase | 90 days (≤ 3%) · 120 days (> 3%) | 120 days over 3% (IMC 5.52.030); 90 days at 3% or below (RCW 59.18.140). No 180-day tier. | Current code |
| Sammamish: written notice before a rent increase | 90 days | no local ordinance; the state's 90 days applies (RCW 59.18.140). | Current code |
| Other Washington city: written notice before a rent increase | 90 days | 90 days (RCW 59.18.140). Some cities add longer periods; check your city's code. | Current code |
What happens if an increase is over the cap?
A tenant served with an increase above the cap, with no valid exemption, may first send the landlord a written demand to reduce it, and may then end the tenancy with at least 20 days' written notice before the increase would take effect (RCW 59.18.700(3)). The practical cost is a vacancy at the worst time and a notice that has to be re-served on a fresh clock. Under a cap, an increase skipped in one year is also gone: the ceiling resets from the rent actually charged, which is why a disciplined annual review on the anniversary is now part of managing a Washington rental.
How do I serve a compliant rent-increase notice?
- 1
Confirm the tenancy is at least 12 months old on the effective date and that no increase took effect in the past 12 months.
- 2
Run the numbers above: 9.683% of current rent is the 2026 ceiling on a covered tenancy; if you claim an exemption, gather the facts (certificate of occupancy date, owner-occupancy).
- 3
Pick the notice period for your city from the table and add a day for service; set the effective date at the start of a rental period.
- 4
Complete the RCW 59.18.720 form: tenant names and address, the dollar and percentage increase, the new monthly total, the maximum/exemption box, and any supporting facts. In Seattle add the City's required language and, at 10% or more, the EDRA notice.
- 5
Serve it under RCW 59.12.040 and keep proof of the date.