LANDLORD/TENANT LAW – Washington State

The Washington State legislature has amended the Residential Landlord Tenant Act. (RCW 59.18) One change is that the time for landlords to provide an accounting of the tenant’s deposit after the tenant vacates has been extended from 14 to 21 days. The change goes into effect on June 9, 2016.

Since the law does not apply retroactively, please note that if the existing lease says that the deposit accounting must be provided within 14 days, the clause in the lease will continue to apply. Many leases, including the Northwest Multiple Listing Service lease, have such clauses. This rule cannot be changed until the lease terminates and a new lease is negotiated. Any lease extension should be written using the new lease containing the 21-day deadline. If a tenant is on a month-to-month rental agreement a 30-day notice to change the rule should be given to the tenant. The revised NWMLS lease will be available to its members on June 9^th, 2016.

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