Seattle Rent Increase Rules 2026–27: Washington's Rent Cap, Seattle's 180-Day Notice and Relocation Help for 10% Increases
Until 2025, Washington had no limit on how much a landlord could raise the rent. That changed on May 7, 2025, when the state's rent stabilization law took effect. Seattle renters now have two layers of protection: a statewide cap on annual increases, and city rules that require much longer notice and can provide money to move if an increase hits 10% or more.
This guide covers the cap for 2026 and 2027, the notice rules, which rentals are exempt, and what to do if a notice doesn't follow the law.
Last checked October 2026. Sources: Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 59.18.700 and 59.18.710, the Washington Department of Commerce, the Washington Attorney General's Office, and the City of Seattle's Renting in Seattle pages. This is general information, not legal advice.
The Short Version
State cap: rent can't rise more than 7% plus inflation, or 10%, whichever is less, in any 12-month period.
2026 limit: 9.683% for increases from January 1 to December 31, 2026.
2027 limit: 10% for increases from January 1 to December 31, 2027, according to Commerce.
No increases in the first 12 months of a tenancy, whether you're month-to-month or on a lease.
Seattle notice: at least 180 days' written notice before any housing cost increase. (State law requires 90 days.)
Relocation help: if increases total 10% or more in 12 months, income-eligible Seattle households can apply for Economic Displacement Relocation Assistance (EDRA).
Questions? Call the Renting in Seattle Helpline at (206) 684-5700.
The Cap by Year
The Department of Commerce calculates the limit each year using the June change in the Seattle-area Consumer Price Index:
Increases taking effect | Maximum annual increase |
Through December 31, 2025 | 10% |
January 1 to December 31, 2026 | 9.683% |
January 1 to December 31, 2027 | 10% |
For 2027, the Seattle-area inflation figure plus 7% came out above 10%, so the 10% ceiling applies.
An example: on rent of $2,000 a month, an increase taking effect in March 2027 can't be more than 10%, or $200, for a new rent of $2,200, unless the unit is exempt.
What Washington's Law Says
RCW 59.18.700 sets the core rules. Except for exempt rentals, a landlord may not increase the rent for any type of tenancy, month-to-month or fixed term:
during the first 12 months after the tenancy begins; or
during any 12-month period by more than 7% plus the consumer price index, or 10%, whichever is less.
A landlord can set any rent once a tenant moves out and the tenancy ends.
Month-to-month vs. lease pricing
The law also stops landlords from punishing month-to-month renters. A landlord can't charge more than a 5% difference in rent between lease types for the same unit, and that difference can't push the rent past the cap.
Notice requirements under state law
The Attorney General's Office says landlords must give at least 90 days' written notice before raising rent. Seattle requires twice that, as explained below.
Is Your Rental Exempt?
RCW 59.18.710 lists the rentals the cap doesn't cover:
Newer buildings: units whose first certificate of occupancy was issued 12 years or less before the date of the rent increase notice.
Public and nonprofit housing: units owned by a public housing authority, a public development authority, or certain nonprofits where maximum rents are already regulated by affordable housing rules.
Some tax-credit housing: certain qualified low-income housing developments, including those with federal low-income housing tax credits and a regulatory agreement with the state housing finance commission.
Shared housing: where you share a bathroom or kitchen with the owner who lives there.
Owner-occupied single-family homes: where the owner lives there and rents no more than two units or bedrooms, including an ADU.
Owner-occupied duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes: where the owner lived in one unit when your tenancy began and still does.
The last three exemptions don't apply if the owner is a real estate investment trust, a corporation, or an LLC with a corporate member.
If your landlord claims an exemption and raises rent above the cap, the law says the written notice must include facts supporting the exemption.
Seattle's Extra Rules
The City of Seattle's Renting in Seattle program lists several requirements on top of state law.
180 days' notice for any increase
Since November 2021, landlords must give at least 180 days' written notice before any housing cost increase. "Housing costs" include rent and monthly fees you pay the landlord, like parking or storage. Usage-based utility charges generally aren't included.
How the 180 days are counted: the city's landlord guidance says the full 180 days can't include the day the notice is served. Its example: for an increase on June 1, the tenant must receive the notice no later than December 2.
Other notice rules
According to the city:
The notice must be personally delivered, or both posted on the property and mailed by first-class mail.
It must follow the state-required format and include language telling you how to contact the city about your rights. The city says notices without that language can't be enforced in Seattle.
Increases can only start at the beginning of a rental period.
If you have a fixed-term lease, your housing costs can't change during the lease.
No increase can take effect if your unit doesn't meet the minimum housing standards under the city's Residential Rental Inspection Ordinance (RRIO) program.
EDRA: Money to Move After a 10% Increase
Seattle's Economic Displacement Relocation Assistance applies when your housing costs go up by 10% or more within 12 months, either in one increase or several combined. When that happens, the landlord must attach an EDRA notice to the increase notice.
Who can apply
The city says you must:
receive a notice of increase on or after July 1, 2022;
earn less than 80% of Seattle's area median income;
receive an increase of 10% or more within 12 months; and
move, or give notice to move, before the increase takes effect.
2026 income limits (80% of area median income)
Household size | Income limit |
1 | $81,700 |
2 | $93,350 |
3 | $105,000 |
4 | $116,650 |
5 | $126,000 |
6 | $135,350 |
7 | $144,650 |
8 | $154,000 |
How much and how to apply
The city's guidance for landlords says they may have to pay up to three months of housing costs in relocation assistance.
The deadline is within 180 days after you receive the EDRA notice, or up to 60 days after the increase takes effect, whichever is later. You'll need:
proof you told your landlord in writing that you're moving;
your rental agreement or proof of housing costs for the prior 12 months;
the increase notice or notices; and
proof of household income for last year and this year to date, or a signed declaration explaining why you don't have it.
Ways to apply: online through the Seattle Services Portal; by mail to Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections, ATTN: EDRA Coordinator, 700 Fifth Ave., Suite 2200, Seattle, WA 98104; or by fax to (206) 386-0771. Call (206) 684-5700 to have an application mailed to you.
Important: if you get relocation money, you must move out by the date in your application. If you decide to stay, the city says the payment must be refunded within 10 days.
If the Increase Breaks the Rules
RCW 59.18.700 gives tenants several options when an increase goes over the cap without a valid exemption:
Send a written demand. You must first give the landlord a chance to fix it, by asking in writing that the increase be reduced to the legal amount. The Attorney General's Office has a form for this.
Leave without penalty. You can end your rental agreement before the increase takes effect with at least 20 days' written notice. You owe rent for the full month you move out, but the landlord can't charge termination fees.
Go to court. A tenant or the Attorney General can sue. A court that finds a violation must award the excess paid, damages of up to three months of the unlawful rent or fees, and attorneys' fees. The Attorney General can also seek civil penalties of up to $7,500 per violation.
Protect your record. A landlord can't report you to a tenant screening company for not paying the unlawful part of an increase.
You can also file a complaint with the Attorney General's Office.
Note: the rent cap is set to expire on July 1, 2040.
Getting Help
Renting in Seattle Helpline: (206) 684-5700, for help reviewing a notice.
2-1-1: for referrals to free or low-cost legal services.
Washington Attorney General's Office: rent stabilization information, the written-demand form and complaints are on atg.wa.gov.
EDRA questions: EDRA@seattle.gov.
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