Seattle tenant screening & landlord laws
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Seattle tenant screening
Seattle sits inside Washington, and Washington's Residential Landlord-Tenant Act layers real, verified statewide protections on top of the federal FCRA. As a baseline: Washington caps screening fees at the landlord's actual cost (RCW 59.18.257) rather than a flat dollar figure; makes source of income a statewide protected class (RCW 59.18.255, effective since September 30, 2018); sets no statewide dollar cap on security deposits but requires a written move-in checklist before any deposit can be collected (RCW 59.18.260); and, as of May 7, 2025, imposes a brand-new statewide rent-stabilization law (RCW 59.18.700–.710, from House Bill 1217) capping most annual rent increases at the lesser of 7% plus CPI or 10%, with a 90-day notice requirement. Since these rules can change, confirm the current rent-stabilization text at the Washington State Legislature. Washington has no statewide statute limiting how landlords use criminal history in tenant screening — RCW 59.18.630 addresses COVID-era eviction moratorium and rent-repayment plans, not criminal history. Because statutes are updated periodically, confirm the current text at app.leg.wa.gov. Fair-chance housing may be addressed by local ordinance; confirm current Seattle municipal code before finalizing a screening policy. This page focuses on what Seattle may add on top of the state's Landlord-Tenant Act.
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How Seattle's rules layer on top of Washington law
Seattle's own rental-housing rules, administered mainly through the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI), are generally more protective and more detailed than the state floor. Washington's new statewide rent-stabilization law is explicitly enforced by tenants or the state Attorney General rather than the city — Seattle's own guidance states plainly, "the City of Seattle does not enforce this law." Seattle instead layers its own, separately enforced notice periods, fee restrictions, screening rules, and fair-chance and source-of-income protections on top.
Screening rules to follow in Seattle
Seattle's official Renting in Seattle guidance (fetched directly from the city's site) confirms the following local rules:
- Fair Chance Housing. Effective February 19, 2018, Seattle's ordinance "prevents you from denying applicants housing based on criminal history" and bans advertising like "no felons" that categorically excludes people with an arrest or conviction record. The city's own screening guidance separately states landlords "cannot advertise 'no criminal record' nor deny applicants with a criminal record" — we were not able to confirm during this session whether the underlying ordinance (commonly cited as Seattle Municipal Code Chapter 14.09) includes any narrow statutory exceptions, so confirm the full text before treating this as an absolute rule.
- Source of income protection. Seattle's ordinance makes it illegal to deny an applicant or treat a tenant differently because their income comes from a non-wage source — the city's guidance lists Social Security, aged/blind/disabled cash assistance, child support, pensions, and TANF as examples. If a landlord uses an income-multiple test (e.g., income must be three times rent), the city's guidance requires subtracting the value of any subsidy from the rent before applying that test, not adding it to the applicant's income.
- First-In-Time. Seattle's ordinance requires landlords to date/time-stamp applications, screen them in the order received, give applicants a minimum of 72 hours to supply additional information (such as for translation or a disability accommodation), and offer the unit to the first qualified applicant — who then gets 48 hours to accept before the landlord can move to the next applicant in line. Seattle's guidance presents First-In-Time as an active requirement. This ordinance has a history of litigation, and its current legal status should be confirmed with counsel.
- Screening fees and disclosures. Consistent with the statewide RCW 59.18.257 standard, Seattle's guidance confirms landlords "can only charge the actual cost of screening," must disclose screening criteria and the consumer reporting agency used in advance, must provide a written denial/adverse-action statement, and must honor an applicant's right to dispute information in a consumer report.
Rent and eviction rules in Seattle
Seattle requires 180 days' notice for any housing cost increase — double the new statewide 90-day minimum. Increases of 10% or more (alone or combined with other increases over the trailing 12 months) additionally trigger Seattle's Economic Displacement Relocation Assistance (EDRA) ordinance (Seattle Municipal Code 22.212, effective since July 1, 2022), which requires landlords to attach a specific EDRA notice and may make income-eligible tenants eligible for relocation funds. Seattle also caps late fees at $10 per month and bars any separate charge for preparing or delivering a landlord notice (SMC 7.24.034, effective June 6, 2023), and it recently banned algorithmic rent-setting software that pulls pricing data from unaffiliated competitors (Council Bill 121000, effective July 31, 2025).
Looking ahead, Seattle City Council passed a new Rental Fee Restriction Ordinance (Council Bill 121254) on August 11, 2026, which — once it takes effect on July 1, 2027 — will require upfront fee disclosure in listings and applications and will cap most move-in-related charges: security deposit plus move-in fees together at no more than one month's rent, move-in fees alone at no more than 10% of one month's rent, pet damage deposits at no more than 25% of one month's rent, NSF fees at the bank's actual cost or $31, and lockout fees at $50 during business hours or $150 after hours. Because this ordinance is not yet in effect, current move-in fee and deposit practices in Seattle are still governed by Washington's statewide rules (no dollar cap on deposits, but a written move-in checklist is required under RCW 59.18.260).
County/township layers
Seattle sits within King County, and Washington organizes non-city land as unincorporated county territory rather than townships. For a property outside Seattle's city limits, confirm current King County and Seattle municipal code for any landlord-tenant requirements, including provisions concerning First-In-Time, Fair Chance Housing, the 180-day notice rule, EDRA, and the upcoming fee-restriction ordinance. Washington's statewide Landlord-Tenant Act applies unless a separate local rule governs.
Frequently asked questions
Does Washington State limit criminal history in tenant screening statewide?
Washington does not have a statewide fair-chance-housing statute. RCW 59.18.630 addresses COVID-era eviction moratorium and repayment plans. Fair-chance housing protection in Washington exists at the city level; Seattle has its own ordinance, effective since February 19, 2018.
Is Seattle's First-In-Time rule still in effect?
Seattle's own current public guidance describes First-In-Time as an active requirement, but the ordinance has a history of legal challenges that we were not able to fully verify during this session. Confirm current enforceability with counsel before relying on it as settled law.
Does Washington's new 2025 rent-stabilization law apply in Seattle the same way it does statewide?
The statewide cap (7% plus CPI, or 10%, whichever is lower; no increase in the first 12 months) applies in Seattle, but Seattle itself does not enforce it — enforcement runs through tenants or the state Attorney General. Seattle separately layers its own stricter 180-day notice requirement and its EDRA relocation-assistance rule on top.
Can a Seattle landlord charge whatever screening fee they want?
No. Both Washington state law (RCW 59.18.257) and Seattle's own guidance limit the fee to the landlord's actual cost of screening, require advance written disclosure of screening criteria, and require a written adverse-action notice if the application is denied.
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Checkr helps Seattle landlords and property managers run consistent, compliant tenant screening across Washington's statewide Landlord-Tenant Act and Seattle's own layered rules — First-In-Time processing, Fair Chance Housing, source-of-income protection, and actual-cost screening fees. Get started with Checkr to build a screening workflow suited to Seattle's rental market.
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Disclaimer
The resources and information provided here are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Always consult your own counsel for up-to-date legal advice and guidance related to your practices, needs, and compliance with applicable laws.