Can a Washington tenant pay the security deposit in installments?

When you must say yes

RCW 59.18.610 applies once the tenant asks in writing. It covers three kinds of move-in money: deposits, nonrefundable fees and last month's rent. There is one exception. You may refuse installments only if both of these are true:

• The deposits and nonrefundable fees together are no more than 25% of the first full month's rent, and
• You do not require last month's rent at the start of the tenancy.

Example a made-up unit rents for $1,500, so 25% is $375. An owner who asks only for a $350 deposit and no last month's rent may require it in one payment. An owner who asks for a $1,000 deposit, a $200 nonrefundable cleaning fee and $1,500 in last month's rent must allow installments if the tenant asks, because $1,200 is above $375 and last month's rent is required.

How the installments work

• Lease of three months or longer: up to three consecutive, equal monthly installments, starting when the tenancy begins.
• Any shorter tenancy: up to two consecutive, equal monthly installments.
• Each installment is due on the same day rent is due.
• No fee, no interest and no other cost for choosing installments.
• The schedule must be in writing and signed by both of you.

Example continuing the made-up $1,500 unit on a 12-month lease, the move-in money is $1,000 + $200 + $1,500 = $2,700. Split three ways, each installment is $900. The tenant pays $1,500 rent + $900 = $2,400 on the first and second months, and $2,400 on the third, then $1,500 a month from the fourth month on. That is $2,700 in installments in total, the same amount, with no charge added.

Holding fees are separate

A fee or deposit to hold a unit, under RCW 59.18.253, is not part of the installment rule. It has its own limits: no more than 25% of the first month's rent, a receipt and a written statement of when it can be kept, given right when it is paid, and if the applicant moves in, it must be credited to the first month's rent or the security deposit. You may not charge anyone a fee just to join a waiting list.

If the tenant misses an installment

RCW 59.18.283 says that when you provided an installment plan for deposits or nonrefundable fees at the start of the tenancy and the tenant defaults, you may treat the missed amount as rent owing, with the same rights and procedures as for unpaid rent. The same section also says every payment goes to rent first, before late fees, damages or other charges, so a short payment in a month with an installment due leaves the installment unpaid, not the rent.

Two other Washington rules still apply to the money once it is paid. A deposit requires a written lease and a written move-in condition checklist (RCW 59.18.260), and it goes into a trust account at a Washington financial institution, with a written receipt and the name and address of the depository given to the tenant (RCW 59.18.270). A nonrefundable fee must be labeled nonrefundable in the written lease, or it is treated as a refundable deposit (RCW 59.18.285).

What the written schedule should say

There is no state form. A one-page addendum signed by both sides covers what the statute asks for:

1. Names of the tenants and the landlord, and the unit address.
2. Each item and amount: security deposit, each nonrefundable fee by name, last month's rent.
3. The total and the number of installments (three for a lease of three months or more, otherwise two).
4. The amount and due date of each installment, matching the rent due dates.
5. A line that no fee, interest or other charge applies to the plan.
6. Signatures and dates for both sides.

The penalty for refusing a written request, in effect since January 1, 2021, is one month's rent plus reasonable attorney fees, paid to the tenant. On a $1,500 unit that is $1,500 before fees, more than most deposits.

Tracking a plan in DoorKeeping

In DoorKeeping, each property keeps its own record of deposits held, and installment amounts show as their own lines in the unit's ledger, so the deposit balance grows as each payment is matched. Tenants pay your bank directly with their memo code and exact amount, and the bank feed matches each payment to the right lines. The signed schedule stays in the property's documents. DoorKeeping gives no legal advice; check the current statute with your attorney.

Sources

1. RCW 59.18.610, Installments: deposits, nonrefundable fees and last month's rent, read Oct 30, 2026
2. RCW 59.18.253, Deposit to secure occupancy, read Oct 30, 2026
3. RCW 59.18.283, Moneys paid by tenant and installment payment plans, read Oct 30, 2026
4. RCW 59.18.260, Deposit terms and written checklist, read Oct 30, 2026
5. RCW 59.18.270, Deposit trust account and receipt, read Oct 30, 2026
6. RCW 59.18.285, Nonrefundable fees, read Oct 30, 2026

Questions

Does a Washington landlord have to accept the deposit in payments?

Yes, if the tenant asks in writing, unless the deposits and nonrefundable fees are no more than 25% of the first full month's rent and no last month's rent is required up front.

How many installments can a Washington tenant use?

Three equal monthly installments on a lease of three months or more, and two for shorter tenancies, each due with rent.

Can I charge a fee for a deposit payment plan in Washington?

No. RCW 59.18.610 bars any fee, interest or other cost for choosing installments.