Washington rent receipt law: cash always gets a receipt, everything else gets one on request
RCW 59.18.063 says a Washington landlord who accepts cash rent must give the tenant a receipt for it. For any payment made some other way, the landlord must give a written receipt when the tenant asks. A landlord may refuse cash, but may not refuse a cashier's check or money order, and must take a personal check in most cases.
What does Washington require when rent is paid in cash?
Subsection (2) gives the landlord a choice. You may refuse cash for rent. If you accept it, you must provide a receipt for any payment made in the form of cash. The statute does not say how fast, so hand it over when the cash changes hands.
The simplest way to stay on the right side of this rule is to decide once, in the lease, whether you take cash at all. A landlord who never accepts cash never has to write one of these receipts.
What about checks, money orders and bank transfers?
Subsection (3) covers every payment that is not cash. On a tenant's request, you must provide a written receipt. The tenant does not need a reason, and the statute does not require the tenant to ask in writing, though a written request is easier to prove later.
- Cash: receipt required, with no request needed.
- Personal check, cashier's check, money order, or any other form: written receipt required if the tenant asks.
Which payment types must a Washington landlord accept?
Subsection (1) requires you to accept a personal check, a cashier's check or a money order for rent. There is one exception: you do not have to accept a personal check from a tenant whose personal check to you or your agent was returned for nonsufficient funds or account closure within the previous nine months.
You must also let the tenant send rent by mail, unless you provide an accessible, on-site place to pay.
Example a made-up tenant's personal check bounced on March 3. For a payment due the following December 1, more than nine months have passed, so you must take a personal check again. For a payment due in July, you may ask for a cashier's check or money order.
What should the receipt say?
RCW 59.18.063 does not list required contents. A receipt that would hold up in a dispute states the date, the amount, the form of payment, the rental address, the period the payment covers, and who received it. For help writing one, see what a rent receipt should include.
Is there a record-keeping period or a penalty in this section?
Not in this section. It sets no retention period and no penalty of its own. Other Washington landlord-tenant provisions apply to disputes over unpaid rent, so keep your own copies for as long as you would keep any rent record. Our post on how long to keep rental records covers the usual periods.
A simple receipt routine for Washington landlords
Washington owners can keep this simple by choosing one of two habits. Either refuse cash in the lease and take only checks, money orders and bank transfers, or accept cash and write a receipt every time, on the spot. Mixed habits cause the trouble: a landlord who takes cash only when a tenant is short that month rarely has a receipt book in the truck. Put the rule in writing, tell tenants where and how to pay, and answer a request for a receipt on a check or transfer the same day. A short reply that lists the date, amount and unit is usually enough, and it closes the question before it grows into a dispute over late rent.
How DoorKeeping fits in Washington
Tenants pay your own bank by bank transfer or Zelle, so there is no cash to receipt. DoorKeeping reads your bank feed and matches each deposit to the tenant, using the memo and the exact cents of the amount, so every payment has a dated record you can show if a tenant asks for proof. This is general information, not legal advice. Check the current text of the law and your lease before you act.
Sources
Questions
- Does a Washington landlord have to give a receipt for cash rent?
- Yes, if the landlord accepts cash. A landlord may refuse cash, but must give a receipt for any cash payment it accepts.
- Does a Washington landlord have to give a receipt for a check?
- Only when the tenant asks. On request, the landlord must give a written receipt for any payment not made in cash.
- Can a Washington landlord refuse a personal check?
- Only from a tenant who had a personal check to the landlord returned for nonsufficient funds or account closure in the previous nine months.