Washington Landlord Compliance Kit: Deposit, Notice and Eviction Checklists with an Excel Tracker

Who it is for

Landlords and property managers with rentals in Washington, and tenants who want the same record, from move-in through move-out or a court case.

Not the right fit if

Your rental is outside Washington: get that state's kit. Not legal advice, not a lawyer's review of a lease, notice or court case, and not a set of legal notice forms; city and county rules aren't covered.

Why it is different

• Built only from our Washington data files, checked November 2026 against 15 official pages, among them Washington State Legislature: RCW 59.18.260, Deposits, written agreement and checklist; Washington State Legislature: RCW 59.18.270, Deposits in trust account, receipt; Washington State Legislature: RCW 59.18.280, Return of deposit; Washington State Attorney General: Landlord-Tenant; Washington State Legislature: RCW 59.18.140; Washington State Legislature: RCW 59.18.057 (14-day notice form).
• 5 items the official pages didn't state are marked "not confirmed" with the page to check, never guessed.
• The workbook recalculates with zero formula errors and works out Washington notice and deposit dates for you.

What is inside

• Start here. How to use the kit, the 18 confirmed Washington rules at a glance and the 5 items to confirm: court, filing fee, hearing after filing, right to counsel (statewide), diversion or mediation (statewide), each with the official page to check.
• Washington landlord rules checklist. Deposits, notice periods, the eviction case and the small claims limit, each confirmed rule with its source link and check date. What it confirms: deposit limit: No maximum in 59.18.260; return deadline: Within 30 days after the rental agreement ends and the tenant vacates (or the landlord learns of abandonment): a full and specific statement of the basis for keeping any of the deposit, with any refund, delivered personally or by first-class mail (59.18.280(1)); itemized list of deductions: A full and specific statement of the basis for keeping any part, with estimates or invoices for damage charges; for the landlord's own repairs, materials, time and hourly rate (59.18.280(1)); interest on the deposit: Interest on the trust account belongs to the landlord unless the parties agree otherwise in writing (59.18.270); where the deposit is held: In a trust account at a financial institution or with a licensed escrow agent in Washington; the tenant gets a written receipt and written notice of the depository's name, address and location (59.18.270); penalty the law states: Missing the deadline makes the landlord liable for the full deposit; up to twice the deposit for intentional refusal; costs and attorney fees to the prevailing party (59.18.280(2)); ending month-to-month (landlord): A landlord can't end a periodic (month-to-month) tenancy except for one of the causes listed in RCW 59.18.650(2); ending month-to-month (tenant): Written notice of 20 days or more before the end of any month or rental period.
• Move-in and move-out deposit checklist. A room-by-room condition checklist for both visits and the steps after move-out, with Washington's return deadline (within 30 days).
• Notice calendar. When each notice must go out: the lead time for every notice the state's text confirms, with a 2027 month-by-month serve-by table worked out with our notice date calculator's rules.
• Eviction timeline sheet. The Washington case in order from notice to lockout, with each confirmed stage, an example dated from a sample filing day where the rules give periods, and blanks for your own case dates.
• Washington landlord workbook (Excel). A tenant notice log that dates each notice from the Washington rules, a deposit tracker that works out the return date for each move-out, and a rent ledger with a running balance.