Washington security deposit laws for landlords: no checklist, no deposit
In Washington you may not collect a deposit at all unless the rental agreement is in writing and you give the tenant a signed move-in checklist. At the end you have 30 days after the tenant vacates to send a full and specific statement with estimates or invoices, and you cannot charge for ordinary wear. Miss it and you owe the whole deposit. The rules are in RCW 59.18.260 and 59.18.280; installment plans are covered in a separate post.
What does the move-in checklist have to contain?
RCW 59.18.260 starts with the paper. If the tenant pays any deposit, the rental agreement must be in writing and must state the terms and conditions under which the deposit may be withheld, and if it may cover damage to the premises it must say so. You may not collect a deposit unless the agreement is in writing and you give the tenant at the start of the tenancy a written checklist or statement describing the condition and cleanliness of, and any existing damage to, the premises, fixtures, equipment, appliances and furnishings, including walls with paint or wallpaper, carpets and other flooring, furniture and appliances.
You and the tenant both sign and date the checklist, and the tenant gets a copy and may ask for one free replacement. If you collect a deposit without providing the checklist, you are liable to the tenant for the amount of the deposit, and the prevailing party may recover court costs and reasonable attorney fees.
What goes in the 30 day statement?
RCW 59.18.280(1) gives you 30 days after the end of the agreement and the tenant vacating, or 30 days after you learn the tenant abandoned the unit, to give a full and specific statement of the basis for keeping any of the deposit, with the documentation the section requires, and any refund due. Delivery in person, or first-class mail to the tenant's last known address within the 30 days, complies.
Documentation means copies of estimates received or invoices paid that reasonably substantiate damage charges. If you or your employee did the repair and deduct for materials, you give the bill, invoice or receipt, and you may document materials you hold or buy regularly with a vendor price list. For your own labor you give a statement of the time spent and the reasonable hourly rate.
Example a made-up tenant leaves on October 3 with an $1,800 deposit. The landlord's 30 days end November 2. The statement lists $240 of painter's invoice for one scuffed room, $90 for 2 hours of the landlord's own repair time at a made-up $45 an hour, and $35 of parts with a receipt, $365 in all, and encloses a $1,435 refund.
What can I not withhold for?
Under RCW 59.18.280(1)(c), no part of a deposit may be withheld for wear resulting from ordinary use; for carpet cleaning unless you document wear to the carpet beyond ordinary use; for repair or replacement of fixtures, equipment, appliances and furnishings whose condition was not reasonably documented on the written checklist; or in excess of the cost to repair or replace the damaged portion when the damage does not cover the item's entirety.
Example a made-up tenant burns a 6 by 6 foot patch of a carpet whose whole replacement would cost $2,000. A patch repair costs $480. The landlord may charge the $480, not $2,000, because the damage does not reach the whole item.
Damages for ordinary wear, or charges not backed by equivalent documentation, may not be charged to the tenant, reported to a consumer reporting agency, tenant screening service or prospective landlord, or sent to collections (subsection 3(b)). For rental agreements started on or after July 23, 2023, a suit against a tenant for amounts above the deposit must start within three years of the end of the agreement or the abandonment.
What happens if I miss the deadline?
Under subsection 2, if you fail to give the statement, documentation and any refund within 30 days, you are liable for the full amount of the deposit. You are also barred in a tenant's suit from asserting any claim or defense for keeping any of it, unless you show that circumstances beyond your control prevented you from meeting the deadline or that the tenant abandoned the unit. The court may in its discretion award up to two times the deposit for intentional refusal to give the statement, documentation or refund, and the prevailing party gets costs and reasonable attorney fees.
The checklist and documentation rules do not apply where you withhold for reasons unrelated to damage, such as rent or other charges owed (subsection 4).
How DoorKeeping handles it
A signed move-in checklist can be stored in DoorKeeping next to the e-signed lease, in that property's documents, and each tenant's deposit shows on its own line in the property's books. Deposits stay in your own bank account: DoorKeeping never holds your money and sends a payment only when you approve it. It gives no legal advice, so check your checklist wording against RCW 59.18.260.
Sources
- RCW 59.18.260, deposits, written agreement and checklist, read Oct 30, 2026
- RCW 59.18.280, statement of basis for retention, remedies, read Oct 30, 2026
Questions
- Can a Washington landlord collect a deposit without a checklist?
- No. RCW 59.18.260 bars collecting a deposit unless the agreement is in writing and a signed condition checklist is given at the start. Without it, the landlord is liable for the deposit amount.
- How many days does a Washington landlord have to return a deposit?
- 30 days after the agreement ends and the tenant vacates, with a full and specific statement and documentation for anything kept.
- Can I charge for carpet cleaning in Washington?
- Only if you document wear to the carpet beyond ordinary use.
- What is the penalty in Washington?
- Liability for the full deposit, loss of defenses for keeping any of it, and up to two times the deposit for intentional refusal.