Whether you own a single rental home in Spokane Valley or you are evaluating your first investment property in the Inland Northwest, Washington’s Residential Landlord-Tenant Act (RCW 59.18) is the rulebook that governs your relationship with every tenant who signs a lease. The statute covers everything from how you structure a rental agreement to how quickly you must return a security deposit โ and the penalties for getting it wrong can be steep. Below is a practical, section-by-section guide designed for Spokane-area investors, owners, and first-time landlords who want to protect their investment and stay on the right side of the law.
LEASE AGREEMENTS
Building a Solid Foundation With Your Rental Agreement
Under RCW 59.18.065, landlords must provide tenants with a copy of any written rental agreement. While Washington does not require leases to be in writing for month-to-month tenancies, a written agreement is strongly recommended โ and practically essential โ for protecting your interests as an owner. A well-drafted lease should clearly address the following elements:
- Rent amount, due date, and accepted payment methods โ Spell out the monthly rent, when it is due, any grace period, and how tenants can pay.
- Lease duration and renewal terms โ Define whether the tenancy is a fixed term (e.g., 12 months) or month-to-month, and outline how renewal or termination works.
- Security deposit terms โ The lease must specify the conditions under which the landlord may retain all or part of the deposit (RCW 59.18.260).
- Maintenance responsibilities โ Clarify which repairs fall to the landlord and which minor upkeep duties belong to the tenant.
- Rules and restrictions โ Include pet policies, occupancy limits, noise standards, and any community-specific rules.
- Entry and access provisions โ Washington law requires landlords to give at least two days’ written notice before entering a unit, except in emergencies (RCW 59.18.150).
A fixed-term lease cannot be modified mid-term without the written consent of both parties. For month-to-month tenancies without a written agreement, the landlord loses the ability to clearly define terms around late fees, pet policies, or maintenance duties โ and in a dispute, ambiguity almost always works against the owner. Courts will default to statutory minimums, which may not reflect the deal you thought you had.
Take the time to get it right before the tenant moves in โ your lease is your first line of defense in any dispute.
Drafting a lease that holds up under Washington law is not something you want to learn through trial and error. Apex Property Management builds compliant lease agreements for every property we manage. Talk to our team today โ
SECURITY DEPOSITS
Collecting, Holding, and Returning Deposits the Right Way
Security deposits are one of the most litigated areas of landlord-tenant law in Washington, and the rules are precise. Under RCW 59.18.260, the rental agreement must clearly state the conditions under which any portion of the deposit may be withheld. At the start of the tenancy, the landlord must provide the tenant with a written move-in checklist documenting the condition of the unit. Failing to provide this checklist can make the landlord liable for the full deposit amount, plus court costs and attorney fees.
Here is what every Spokane landlord needs to know about deposits:
- Trust account required โ Deposits must be held in a trust account at a bank or with a state-licensed escrow agent. You cannot commingle deposit funds with your personal or operating accounts (RCW 59.18.270).
- Allowable deductions โ You may only withhold for unpaid rent, damages beyond normal wear and tear, cleaning necessary to restore the unit to move-in condition, and specific lease violations.
- Return timeline โ Landlords must provide an itemized statement of deductions and return the remaining balance within 30 days of the tenant vacating the unit (RCW 59.18.280).
- Installment payments โ Under RCW 59.18.285, tenants may request to pay deposits in installments. Landlords should factor this into their lease structure and cash-flow planning.
The most common deposit mistake we see from self-managing landlords? Skipping the move-in checklist. That single oversight can cost you the entire deposit in court โ regardless of actual damage to the property.
Trust accounts, itemized statements, move-in checklists, installment tracking โ one missed step and you are writing a check to your tenant’s attorney. Apex handles every deposit from intake to final accounting. See how we protect your investment โ
RENT INCREASES
New Rent Stabilization Rules Every Spokane Investor Must Understand
Washington’s landlord-tenant landscape changed significantly with the passage of HB 1217, which took effect on May 7, 2025. The law introduced statewide rent stabilization caps that apply to most residential properties governed by RCW 59.18. If you own rental property in Spokane, Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, or anywhere in the state, these rules apply to you.
- Annual rent cap โ Landlords may not increase rent by more than 7% plus CPI, or 10%, whichever is less, over any 12-month period. For 2026, the maximum allowable increase is 9.683%.
- No increases in the first 12 months โ Rent cannot be raised during the initial 12 months of any new tenancy, whether the lease is fixed-term or month-to-month.
- 90-day written notice required โ Landlords must provide tenants with at least 90 days’ prior written notice of any rent increase, using the specific notice form prescribed under RCW 59.18.720.
- Exemption disclosures โ If you are claiming an exemption from the rent cap (certain property types may qualify), the notice must include additional documentation explaining the basis for the exemption.
The CPI figure used in the calculation is the June 12-month change for Seattle-area urban consumers as published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The cap adjusts every calendar year, meaning the number you used last year may not be the number you can use this year โ and applying an outdated figure can render your entire increase void.
It is also worth noting that the required notice form under RCW 59.18.720 is not optional. A rent increase delivered in any other format โ even if the amount is within the cap โ does not satisfy the statute. Landlords who use generic letters or informal emails risk having the increase challenged and reversed. Apex Property Management tracks these figures annually and adjusts client rent schedules to remain fully compliant.
Shifting caps, mandatory notice forms, and exemption documentation make rent increases one of the riskiest areas for self-managing landlords. Get it wrong and you face enforcement action โ or an increase that is simply void. Apex calculates, documents, and delivers every adjustment on your behalf. Let us handle the details โ
LANDLORD AND TENANT OBLIGATIONS
What the Law Expects From Both Sides
RCW 59.18 places specific duties on both sides of the rental relationship. Understanding these obligations โ and documenting your compliance with them โ is critical for avoiding disputes and protecting your position if one arises.
Landlord duties under RCW 59.18.060:
- Maintain the property in compliance with all applicable state and local health and safety codes
- Make necessary repairs promptly after receiving written notice from the tenant
- Provide working plumbing, heating, electrical systems, and adequate weatherproofing
- Ensure common areas are clean, structurally safe, and free of hazards
- Provide required disclosures at the start of the tenancy, including deposit terms and legal resources available to tenants
Tenant duties under RCW 59.18.130:
- Keep the unit reasonably clean and sanitary
- Dispose of garbage properly and avoid deliberate or negligent property damage
- Pay rent on time as agreed in the lease
- Notify the landlord in writing of any conditions requiring major repair
- Comply with all reasonable rules and restrictions outlined in the rental agreement
If a landlord fails to make repairs within a reasonable timeframe after written notice, tenants may exercise remedies under RCW 59.18.100 โ including making the repair themselves and deducting the cost from rent, provided they follow documentation and cost-limit requirements. This is one of the most powerful tenant tools in the statute, and landlords who delay repairs risk triggering it.
Repair timelines, documentation, and tenant communications add up to a full-time job โ and a missed response quickly becomes a legal liability. Apex manages every maintenance request, vendor dispatch, and compliance deadline so you are never caught off guard. Learn what full-service management looks like โ
SPOKANE RENTAL REGISTRY
City Registration Requirements That Apply Before You Collect a Dime
In addition to state law, the City of Spokane requires all landlords operating long-term rental properties (leases of 30 days or more) to register through the city’s Long-Term Rental Registry. This is a local requirement that many first-time investors overlook โ and the consequences for non-compliance are significant.
- Business license required โ You must hold a Washington State business license with a City of Spokane endorsement. If you already have a state license, you may need to add “Real Estate Rental โ Long Term Residential” as an activity.
- Annual registration fee โ The registry costs $15 per rental unit per year, on top of the approximately $131 annual state business license fee. Affordable housing providers may qualify for a per-unit fee waiver.
- Renewal window โ Registration renewals open each year on November 1 for the following calendar year. Registrations submitted between November 1 and December 31 apply to the upcoming year.
- City inspections โ Code Enforcement conducts periodic and complaint-driven inspections evaluating building maintenance and habitability. Initial inspections are free, but follow-up inspections for unresolved violations may carry fees.
Pitfalls for unregistered properties:
- No rent increases allowed โ The city prohibits landlords from raising rent on any property that is not properly registered. If your property is not in the registry, any rent increase you issue may be unenforceable.
- No evictions allowed โ Unregistered landlords are also barred from pursuing evictions. Without registration, you lose one of your most critical legal tools for managing problem tenants.
- Civil infractions and fines โ Code Enforcement can issue Class I civil infractions for failure to register, which carry monetary penalties that compound over time.
- Liability exposure โ Operating without a business license or registry enrollment leaves you exposed in any legal dispute. Tenants and their attorneys will use your non-compliance against you.
Business licenses, annual renewals, per-unit fees, inspection prep โ miss a single deadline and you lose the ability to raise rent or remove a problem tenant. Apex keeps every property registered, licensed, and inspection-ready year-round. Get compliant with Apex โ
NON-COMPLIANCE PITFALLS
Costly Mistakes That Catch Spokane Landlords Off Guard
Beyond the registry pitfalls above, non-compliance with RCW 59.18 itself carries serious consequences:
- Skipping the move-in checklist โ You may forfeit the right to retain any portion of the deposit, regardless of actual damage.
- Improper deposit handling โ Commingling funds, missing the 30-day return deadline, or skipping the itemized statement can result in owing the tenant up to twice the deposit plus attorney fees (RCW 59.18.280).
- Insufficient rent increase notice โ Raising rent without the correct 90-day notice form or exceeding the annual cap violates HB 1217 and invites enforcement action.
- Illegal self-help evictions โ Changing locks or shutting off utilities without a court order is illegal. Evictions must follow the unlawful detainer process (RCW 59.18.365โ59.18.410).
- Failure to maintain habitability โ Ignoring repair requests can trigger repair-and-deduct remedies or lease termination by the tenant.
- Entering without notice โ Accessing a unit without two days’ written notice violates tenant privacy rights under the Act.
Washington courts enforce procedural requirements strictly โ regardless of a landlord’s intentions. Process matters.
Every item on this list is a lawsuit waiting to happen if you are managing on your own. The penalties are designed to favor the tenant, and the margin for error is razor-thin. Apex Property Management exists so you never have to navigate this alone. Protect your investment โ contact Apex today โ
TAKE THE NEXT STEP
Let Apex Handle the Compliance So You Can Focus on Your Investment
Navigating RCW 59.18 takes more than good intentions โ it takes systems, local expertise, and constant attention to legislative changes. Apex Property Management manages residential and multifamily properties across the Spokane metro, and our team stays current on every statute, form, and deadline so you do not have to. Whether you are a seasoned investor or buying your first rental, we make compliance simple.
Disclaimer: This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Landlord-tenant law changes frequently. Consult a qualified attorney for advice specific to your situation.
Learn more about our property management services
Phone: (509) 747-6060
Email: info@apexpmt.com
Office: 110 S Cedar St, Spokane, WA 99201