Understanding Tenant's Rights in Washington State

A Tenant’s Basic Rights

A tenant’s basic rights in the state of Washington are the right to a clean and sanitary domicile, a domicile that provides some form of heat and electricity, the right to hold the landlord liable for any damage created by the landlord being negligent, and the right to not be discriminated against by a landlord. In addition a tenant is protected from being locked out of their apartment or having their property seized by their landlord. A tenant also has the right to not have their utilities cut off if they can’t pay their rent, and to not be retaliated against by their landlord if they complain to governmental authorities about the domicile’s condition or the landlord.

Deposits vs Fees

Most places when a tenant moves in require a deposit. In Washington the landlord can only apply the term “deposit” to money which is refundable to the tenant upon the tenant moving out of the domicile. Also the landlord must provide the tenant with a receipt for each deposit. Additionally the tenant has the right to know which institution the deposits are being kept in, although unless otherwise in writing the landlord gets any interest accumulated on the account.

At the conclusion of the tenant’s lease or month to month agreement the landlord has 14 days to return the deposit or send a letter saying why it isn’t being returned. The landlord cannot keep the deposit to cover normal wear and tear to the domicile, nor to cover damages not created by the current tenant.

There are also non-refundable fees, and the tenant has the right to have it put in writing in the rental agreement what these fees are, and how much they are. Such fees might be screening, cleaning or holding fees. Holding fees must be applied either towards the security deposit or the first month’s rent.

Rental Agreements

Rental Agreements come in two forms, month to month or a lease. Month to month agreements the landlord can raise the rent or change rules with 30 days notice. With a lease a tenant has the right not to have the rent raised or the rules changed for the period of time the lease covers.