Security deposit return law in Washington

In Washington, a landlord must return the security deposit within 30 days (RCW 59.18.260, 59.18.270, 59.18.280, 59.18.610).

Return deadline: 30 days after the tenancy ends
Deposit cap: No statewide cap
Itemized list of deductions: Required
If you get it wrong: Missing the 30-day statement, documentation, or refund: the landlord owes the tenant the full amount of the deposit and is barred from raising any claim or defense for keeping any of it, unless circumstances beyond the landlord's control prevented timely delivery or the tenant abandoned the unit (RCW 59.18.280(2)).; RCW 59.18.260, 59.18.270, 59.18.280, 59.18.610. Verified 2026-09-25.

When the clock starts, and what goes with the money

Within 30 days after the rental agreement ends and the tenant moves out (or, if the tenant abandons the unit, within 30 days after the landlord learns of the abandonment), the landlord must give a full and specific statement of the basis for keeping any of the deposit, together with any refund due.
The statement must include copies of estimates received or invoices paid for damage charges.
For repairs the landlord or an employee does, the landlord must include receipts for materials and a statement of time spent and the hourly rate charged.
Delivery counts as on time if handed to the tenant or mailed first-class to the last known address within the 30 days.
Nothing may be withheld for ordinary wear, for carpet cleaning without documented excess wear, or for items whose condition was not recorded on the move-in checklist (RCW 59.18.280(1)).

How much you can collect

Washington sets no statewide cap on the size of a residential security deposit. That is not the same as no rules: the holding, itemization, and return duties below still apply in full, and a city or county can set a limit of its own even where the state does not.

What it costs to get this wrong

Missing the 30-day statement, documentation, or refund: the landlord owes the tenant the full amount of the deposit and is barred from raising any claim or defense for keeping any of it, unless circumstances beyond the landlord's control prevented timely delivery or the tenant abandoned the unit (RCW 59.18.280(2)).
For an intentional refusal to give the statement, documentation, or refund, the court may award up to two times the deposit.
The prevailing party in a deposit suit recovers costs and reasonable attorneys' fees (59.18.280(2)).
Collecting a deposit without a signed move-in checklist makes the landlord liable for the amount of the deposit (59.18.260(5)).

Holding the deposit

No deposit may be collected unless the rental agreement is in writing, states when the deposit may be withheld, and a written move-in checklist describing the condition of walls, flooring, furniture, and appliances is signed and dated by both parties, with a copy to the tenant (RCW 59.18.260).
Deposits must promptly go into a trust account at a financial institution or licensed escrow agent located in Washington.
The landlord keeps the interest unless agreed otherwise in writing, and must give the tenant a written receipt and written notice of the depository's name, address, and location (59.18.270).
On written request, the tenant may pay deposits, nonrefundable fees, and last month's rent in installments (three monthly payments for terms of three months or longer, otherwise two), unless deposits and fees total 25% of the first month's rent or less and last month's rent is not required up front.
Refusing carries a penalty of one month's rent plus attorneys' fees.
Holding fees are capped at 25% of the first month's rent (59.18.610).

If your city or county is different

There is no statewide cap on residential deposits. The one-month cap in the 2025 rent stabilization law (2025 c 209, EHB 1217) applies only to manufactured/mobile home lot rentals under RCW 59.20.170, not to apartments and houses under RCW 59.18. Some cities, including Seattle, set their own deposit and fee limits, so check local code.

Common questions

How long does a Washington landlord have to return a security deposit?

30 days, under RCW 59.18.260, 59.18.270, 59.18.280, 59.18.610. Within 30 days after the rental agreement ends and the tenant moves out (or, if the tenant abandons the unit, within 30 days after the landlord learns of the abandonment), the landlord must give a full and specific statement of the basis for keeping any of the deposit, together with any refund due. When the clock starts and what goes back with the money is covered above.

Does Washington cap the security deposit?

There is no statewide cap in Washington. A city or county can still set one, and every other deposit rule in RCW 59.18.260, 59.18.270, 59.18.280, 59.18.610 still applies.

What happens if a Washington landlord misses the deadline or withholds wrongly?

Missing the 30-day statement, documentation, or refund: the landlord owes the tenant the full amount of the deposit and is barred from raising any claim or defense for keeping any of it, unless circumstances beyond the landlord's control prevented timely delivery or the tenant abandoned the unit (RCW 59.18.280(2)). The full rule is under "What it costs to get this wrong" above.

Does a Washington security deposit have to be held a particular way?

No deposit may be collected unless the rental agreement is in writing, states when the deposit may be withheld, and a written move-in checklist describing the condition of walls, flooring, furniture, and appliances is signed and dated by both parties, with a copy to the tenant (RCW 59.18.260). The rest is under "Holding the deposit" above.

Do any Washington cities add their own deposit rules?

The deposit paperwork is the part that gets lost. PropManager keeps the deposit on the lease, the move-out itemization with the tenant's file, and the refund in the ledger, so the record exists before a dispute does.

Sources

RCW 59.18.260, 59.18.270, 59.18.280, 59.18.610. Source: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=59.18.280. Verified 2026-09-25.

General information, not legal advice. Check your own lease and any city or county ordinance before you rely on it.