Free Washington Lease Agreement Template

Last updated July 17, 2026

What is a Washington residential lease agreement?

A Washington residential lease agreement is the written record of a rental arrangement for a home in Washington. It names the parties and premises, sets the rent and term, allocates utilities and maintenance, and records house rules and required disclosures. Most residential tenancies are governed by the Washington Residential Landlord-Tenant Act in chapter 59.18 of the Revised Code of Washington, which sets baseline rules the parties cannot simply waive. The free PDF and Word versions here are labeled for Washington and are a practical starting document — not a substitute for checking which statutes, disclosures, and local rules apply to a property.

The act runs through the living-arrangement exclusions in RCW 59.18.040, and manufactured- or mobile-home park tenancies use chapter 59.20 rather than chapter 59.18's ordinary rules.

Washington security deposits, fees, and rent increases

Washington sets no dollar or months-of-rent deposit ceiling, but it strictly conditions how a deposit is taken and returned. Under RCW 59.18.260, no deposit may be collected unless a written rental agreement states the conditions for keeping it and a signed, dated move-in checklist describes the unit's condition; the tenant gets a copy and one free replacement. Deposit funds are held in a trust account or licensed escrow (RCW 59.18.270).

At the end of the tenancy, RCW 59.18.280 requires the refund and a full, specific written statement of any deductions within 30 days after both termination and the tenant's vacating — or after learning of abandonment — with supporting estimates, invoices, or receipts. Ordinary wear and tear, ordinary carpet cleaning, and full replacement cost for a partially damaged item cannot be charged to the deposit.

Before screening an applicant, the landlord posts the RCW 59.18.257 prescreening notice, caps any screening charge at actual cost, and gives a written adverse-action notice with reasons. Under the RCW 59.18.700 series, rent cannot rise in the first 12 months, and a nonexempt increase in any 12-month period must stay within Commerce's 9.683% 2026 maximum, with at least 90 days' written notice on the statutory RCW 59.18.720 form.

Habitability, access, and required disclosures

RCW 59.18.060 makes the landlord responsible for a fit, code-compliant home — sound structure, common areas, locks, weather protection, supplied appliances, heat, and running water — and RCW 59.18.230 bars the lease from shifting these nonwaivable duties. That prohibited-terms section, updated by the 2025 amendments for agreements entered or renewed on or after July 27, 2025, also voids a late fee for rent paid within five days of the due date, an electronic-only payment term, chapter waivers, confessions of judgment, and unauthorized attorney-fee or liability-shifting clauses.

At signing, the lease carries the signed fire- and smoke-detection notice under RCW 59.18.060 (plus fire-control, smoking-policy, and evacuation-route information for multifamily buildings), the Department of Health mold information, and the landlord or agent's name and address. A new statewide flood notice from 2026 chapter 234 is scheduled to apply only to leases entered after December 31, 2026. For access, RCW 59.18.150 requires two days' written notice for ordinary entry and one day's notice for showings, except for a genuine emergency or abandonment.

Just-cause termination and ending a Washington tenancy

Washington no longer allows a routine no-cause, expiration-only landlord termination. Under the version of RCW 59.18.650 effective through December 31, 2027, a landlord must have one enumerated just cause — nonpayment, breach, nuisance, an owner or family move-in, a sale, or uninhabitability — and give the matching notice, unless the narrow initial fixed-term exception applies. A tenant ends an ordinary periodic tenancy on 20 days' written notice under RCW 59.18.200; both sections have alternate versions set for January 1, 2028. Every signing tenant is entitled to an executed copy and one free replacement, and qualifying electronic records and signatures are recognized (RCW 59.18.065; chapter 1.80).

What to include in a Washington lease

• Parties and premises — full legal names, the complete Washington address, and any included parking, storage, or shared spaces.
• Term and rent — fixed-term or periodic, the start date, rent due date and payment methods, and any late-charge term within the five-day rule.
• Deposits and checklist — the deposit amount, its trust or escrow custody, and the signed, dated condition checklist required before any deposit is collected.
• Condition, access, and disclosures — the landlord's habitability duties, the two-day entry notice, and the fire, mold, and landlord-identity disclosures that apply.
• Notices and signatures — reliable notice addresses, an executed copy for every tenant, and any rent-increase or termination form the situation requires.

Before signing a Washington lease

Compare the completed lease with the current text of chapter 59.18 and the property's facts. RCW 35.21.830 preempts local control over rent amounts, but not a city or county's authorized screening, move-in fee, notice, relocation-assistance, registration, inspection, licensing, or housing-code rules — so confirm the address and any local rule under RCW 59.18.125 and 59.18.440. Manufactured-home parks, subsidized or transitional housing, owner-occupied rooms, and transient lodging can each follow a different path, and most pre-1978 housing triggers the federal lead-based-paint disclosure.

Give every party the same final version, deliver the executed copy within the statutory window, and keep the fully signed agreement. For an eviction or disputed termination, unusual fees, regulated housing, or a property with extra local protections, get advice about the specific facts before relying on a template.