Washington Security Deposit Law 2026: Limits, Deadlines & Deductions
- I heard Washington's deadline is 21 days. Which is right? 30 days is current. HB 1074 extended the RCW 59.18.280 deadline from 21 to 30 days effective July 23, 2023. Many older articles still say 21.
- What has to be on the move-in checklist? A written statement specifically describing the condition and cleanliness of — or existing damage to — the premises, fixtures, equipment, appliances, and furnishings, including walls (paint and wallpaper), carpets…
- Can I keep the deposit in my out-of-state bank? No. RCW 59.18.270 requires a trust account at a financial institution located in Washington or a licensed escrow agent.
Washington is the strictest deposit regime on this list: no deposit may be collected at all without a written rental agreement and a signed move-in checklist (RCW 59.18.260), the money must sit in a trust account at a Washington financial institution (RCW 59.18.270), and the refund deadline is now 30 days — raised from 21 by 2023's HB 1074. Wrongful withholding costs up to twice the deposit plus attorney fees (RCW 59.18.280). Every section below is from the Revised Code of Washington.
The short version: No cap on the amount, but heavy process. Before you collect a dollar: written lease with retention terms, plus a written checklist describing the condition of walls, floors, carpets, furniture, and appliances — signed and dated by both sides, copy to the tenant. Hold the money in a Washington trust account, give the tenant a written receipt and the depository's name and address. Within 30 days after the rental agreement ends and the tenant vacates, send a full and specific statement of every deduction with the refund. Skip the checklist and you can owe the entire deposit back on day one.
The statute table
| Citation | What it says (one line) |
|---|---|
| RCW 59.18.260 | No deposit may be collected unless the rental agreement is in writing and includes the terms under which the deposit may be withheld. |
| RCW 59.18.260 | A written checklist describing the condition and cleanliness of the premises and furnishings must be provided at move-in, signed and dated by landlord and tenant, with a copy to the tenant. |
| RCW 59.18.260 | Collecting a deposit without the written checklist makes the landlord liable for the full deposit amount, plus court costs and attorney fees to the prevailing party. |
| RCW 59.18.270 | All deposits must be promptly placed in a trust account at a Washington bank, savings institution, or licensed escrow agent; the tenant gets a written receipt and written notice of the depository's name and address. |
| RCW 59.18.270 | Unless otherwise agreed in writing, the landlord — not the tenant — is entitled to interest earned on the trust account. |
| RCW 59.18.280 | Within 30 days after termination of the rental agreement and vacation of the premises, the landlord must give a full and specific statement of the basis for retaining any of the deposit, with the refund. |
| RCW 59.18.280 | No deposit may be withheld for wear resulting from ordinary use; deductions must be documented with copies of estimates received or invoices paid (plus bills/receipts and time-and-rate statements for landlord-performed work). |
| RCW 59.18.280 | Wrongful withholding exposes the landlord to the amount owed plus up to twice the deposit in damages, plus court costs and reasonable attorney fees. |
| RCW 59.18.285 | Nonrefundable fees are allowed only if clearly designated as nonrefundable in the written rental agreement — they cannot be part of the deposit. |
Limits: how much can you charge?
No statutory cap statewide. Washington controls deposits through procedure rather than price — but note that some cities layer on their own rules, so check local ordinances (Seattle-area landlords in particular). Run your figure through the Security Deposit Max Checker to confirm no local cap applies.
The 30-day deadline, precisely
30 days after the termination of the rental agreement and vacation of the premises (RCW 59.18.280). Important history: this was 21 days for decades, until HB 1074 extended it to 30 days effective July 23, 2023. If you're reading older guides that say 21 days, they're out of date. Miss the 30 days and you forfeit the right to retain any portion of the deposit. Calendar it with the Security Deposit Deadline Finder on move-out day. For a formula-driven deposit register with user-set state deadline days and a deduction ledger so a changing deadline never blindsides you:
Security Deposit Disposition & Deadline Tracker: Buy on Gumroad →
Deductions and the itemized list
The move-out statement must be "full and specific" about the basis for keeping any of the deposit, and RCW 59.18.280(1)(b) requires documentation to travel with it: copies of estimates received or invoices paid to substantiate damage charges — an estimate you actually received does count as substantiation; an undocumented charge does not. For repairs you or your employee perform, include bills, invoices, or receipts for materials plus a statement of the time spent and the reasonable hourly rate charged. The (1)(b) duty is stated in the current text with no date qualifier — July 23, 2023 appears in the statute only at (3)(c), which sets a three-year window for excess-damage suits on tenancies begun on or after that date. Nothing may be withheld for ordinary wear and tear. Nonrefundable fees (cleaning fees, pet fees) must be separately designated in the written lease under RCW 59.18.285 — if you blurred a fee into the deposit, it gets deposit treatment. Build the statement with the Security Deposit Deduction Letter Generator.
Interest and where the money sits
Washington is one of the few states that mandates a trust account: deposits go promptly into a trust account at a Washington financial institution or licensed escrow agent (RCW 59.18.270). You must give the tenant a written receipt for the deposit and written notice of the depository's name, address, and location — and update that notice if the account moves. On interest: unless you agree otherwise in writing, the landlord keeps the interest earned on the trust account. No interest is owed to the tenant.
The penalty, spelled out
RCW 59.18.280 sets the heaviest penalty on this list:
- Up to 2x damages — a court may award the tenant up to twice the amount of the deposit as damages for bad-faith withholding, on top of the amount actually owed.
- Attorney fees and court costs — the prevailing party recovers them, which in practice usually means the tenant's lawyer gets paid by the landlord.
- The checklist trap — separate from all of this, collecting a deposit without providing the signed written checklist at move-in makes you liable for the full deposit amount under RCW 59.18.260, even before any withholding dispute arises.
On a $2,000 deposit wrongfully withheld, that's up to $4,000 in damages plus the $2,000 refund plus the tenant's attorney fees. The checklist rule is the one that ambushes new Washington landlords — no checklist, no legal right to keep a cent.
FAQ
I heard Washington's deadline is 21 days. Which is right?
30 days is current. HB 1074 extended the RCW 59.18.280 deadline from 21 to 30 days effective July 23, 2023. Many older articles still say 21.
What has to be on the move-in checklist?
A written statement specifically describing the condition and cleanliness of — or existing damage to — the premises, fixtures, equipment, appliances, and furnishings, including walls (paint and wallpaper), carpets and flooring, furniture, and appliances. Signed and dated by both parties, copy to the tenant.
Can I keep the deposit in my out-of-state bank?
No. RCW 59.18.270 requires a trust account at a financial institution located in Washington or a licensed escrow agent.
Do I owe the tenant interest on the deposit?
No. Unless your lease says otherwise, interest earned on the trust account belongs to the landlord under RCW 59.18.270.
Can I charge a nonrefundable pet fee on top of the deposit?
Yes, under RCW 59.18.285 — but it must be clearly designated as a nonrefundable fee in the written rental agreement and cannot be characterized as part of the security deposit.
What if the tenant never returns the signed checklist?
The obligation is yours: provide it, get it signed and dated, and give the tenant a copy at the commencement of the tenancy. An unsigned checklist is the same as no checklist.
More security deposit guides
- Security deposit laws by state
- Virginia security deposit law
- West Virginia security deposit law
- Vermont security deposit law
- Wisconsin security deposit law
Last verified: October 18, 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. Verify with a licensed Washington attorney before acting.