Skip to content
Oakclause

Landlord Retaliation Laws in Washington

Washington bars a landlord from evicting, raising rent, cutting services or increasing obligations in reprisal for code complaints or asserting tenant rights, and presumes retaliation for such action within 90 days after the tenant's act.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Washington at a glance

Retaliation banned by statute
Yes
Presumption period
90 days (about 3 months)
Also runs 90 days from an agency inspection or proceeding. A tenant in rent arrears faces the opposite presumption.
Protected tenant actions
Code complaints to an agency, asserting tenant rights
Covers good-faith complaints to a government authority about code violations and asserting rights under chapter 59.18.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Washington

Does Washington law prohibit landlord retaliation against tenants?

Yes. Retaliation banned by statute in Washington: yes.

How long after a tenant complaint is retaliation presumed in Washington?

Presumption period in Washington: 90 days (about 3 months). Also runs 90 days from an agency inspection or proceeding. A tenant in rent arrears faces the opposite presumption.

Which tenant actions are protected from retaliation in Washington?

Protected tenant actions in Washington: Code complaints to an agency, asserting tenant rights. Covers good-faith complaints to a government authority about code violations and asserting rights under chapter 59.18.

Where do the Washington landlord retaliation laws come from?

The rules above come from RCW 59.18.240 and RCW 59.18.250. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

What this means in practice

Keep a written record of every complaint, repair request and report to a government agency, with dates. A presumption period usually runs from the date of the protected action, so proof of that date can matter.

Retaliation protection does not usually excuse unpaid rent or lease violations. Statutes commonly allow a landlord to raise rent, end a tenancy or evict for a good-faith reason, such as nonpayment, damage to the unit or a rent increase applied to all tenants.

If a rent increase, service cut or eviction notice follows a complaint, read the statute for your state and any local ordinance. Cities and counties may add protections, and a local legal aid office or tenant union can explain how they apply.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.