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Rent Late Fee Laws in Washington

Washington bars late fees on rent paid within five days of the due date and sets no statewide late fee cap for residential leases under RCW 59.18.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Washington at a glance

Late fee cap
No statewide cap
For manufactured or mobile home lots, agreements entered or renewed on or after May 7, 2025 cap late fees at 2%, then 3%, then 5% of rent per month (RCW 59.20.060).
Cap (% of rent)
No statutory cap
Applies to residential leases under RCW 59.18; manufactured home lots have separate caps.
Grace period
5 days
If rent is more than five days late, late fees may run from the first day after the due date.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Washington

How much can a landlord charge as a late fee in Washington?

Late fee cap in Washington: No statewide cap. For manufactured or mobile home lots, agreements entered or renewed on or after May 7, 2025 cap late fees at 2%, then 3%, then 5% of rent per month (RCW 59.20.060).

What percentage of the rent is the late fee cap in Washington?

Cap (% of rent) in Washington: No statutory cap. Applies to residential leases under RCW 59.18; manufactured home lots have separate caps.

How many days does a tenant have before a late fee can be charged in Washington?

Grace period in Washington: 5 days. If rent is more than five days late, late fees may run from the first day after the due date.

Where do the Washington rent late fee laws come from?

The rules above come from RCW 59.18.170(2) and RCW 59.20.060(2)(j). Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

Good to know

Engrossed House Bill 1217 (2025 c 209) added the tiered late fee cap for manufactured and mobile home lot rentals only, for agreements entered into or renewed on or after May 7, 2025.

What this means in practice

In many states, a landlord can charge a late fee only if the lease provides for it. Putting the amount, the due date, and any grace period in the lease in plain numbers helps both sides avoid disputes.

When a state counts a grace period, the details matter: whether weekends and holidays count, and whether the clock starts on the due date or the day after. Read the statute text linked on each state page rather than relying on a rounded summary.

Late fees are separate from unpaid rent. Keeping rent receipts and a record of the date each payment arrived makes it easier to check whether a fee was charged correctly and to resolve disagreements before they reach court.

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