How long does a landlord in Washington have to return a security deposit?
30 calendar days
The clock starts at the LATER of two events, never at move-out alone: RCW 59.18.280(1)(a) gives the landlord thirty days “after the termination of the rental agreement and vacation of the premises”, so a tenant who hands the keys back before the rental agreement has ended has not started it by leaving. The same subsection sets a third start this summary does not cover: where the tenant abandons the premises as defined in RCW 59.18.310, the thirty days run from the date the landlord learns of the abandonment.
In plain terms, the statute says
Missing the thirty-day deadline makes the landlord strictly liable to the tenant for the full amount of the deposit and bars the landlord from asserting any claim or defense for retaining it, with no finding of bad faith required — the only escapes are circumstances beyond the landlord's control or the tenant's abandonment of the premises. On top of that the court may in its discretion award up to twice the amount of the deposit for the landlord's intentional refusal to give the statement, documentation or refund, and the prevailing party in the tenant's action gets the cost of suit or arbitration including a reasonable attorneys' fee.
Who this covers
RCW 59.18.040 removes a list of living arrangements from the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act unless they were established primarily to avoid it, including residence at an institution where residence is incidental to detention or to medical, religious, educational or similar services (correctional facilities, licensed nursing homes, monasteries and convents, hospitals); occupancy under a bona fide earnest money agreement or contract of sale where the tenant stands in the place of the purchaser; a seller's post-closing occupancy of up to three months under the conditions in subsection (3); and transient hotel occupancy.
Read the law yourself
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Questions people ask
How long does a landlord in Washington have to return a security deposit?
Washington: 30 calendar days. The clock starts at the LATER of two events, never at move-out alone: RCW 59.18.280(1)(a) gives the landlord thirty days “after the termination of the rental agreement and vacation of the premises”, so a tenant who hands the keys back before the rental agreement has ended has not started it by leaving. The same subsection sets a third start this summary does not cover: where the tenant abandons the premises as defined in RCW 59.18.310, the thirty days run from the date the landlord learns of the abandonment.
Who does Washington's security-deposit law cover?
RCW 59.18.040 removes a list of living arrangements from the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act unless they were established primarily to avoid it, including residence at an institution where residence is incidental to detention or to medical, religious, educational or similar services (correctional facilities, licensed nursing homes, monasteries and convents, hospitals); occupancy under a bona fide earnest money agreement or contract of sale where the tenant stands in the place of the purchaser; a seller's post-closing occupancy of up to three months under the conditions in subsection (3); and transient hotel occupancy.
What happens if a landlord in Washington is late?
Missing the thirty-day deadline makes the landlord strictly liable to the tenant for the full amount of the deposit and bars the landlord from asserting any claim or defense for retaining it, with no finding of bad faith required — the only escapes are circumstances beyond the landlord's control or the tenant's abandonment of the premises. On top of that the court may in its discretion award up to twice the amount of the deposit for the landlord's intentional refusal to give the statement, documentation or refund, and the prevailing party in the tenant's action gets the cost of suit or arbitration including a reasonable attorneys' fee.
Where can I read Washington's security-deposit law?
Washington's rule is in Wash. Rev. Code § 59.18.280. The link on this page goes to the official text, so you can read the section yourself rather than take our word for it.
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