WA · Renters
How much can my landlord raise my rent in Washington in 2026?
Washington's standard 2026 limit is 9.683% for covered tenancies, but the first-year rule, exemptions, prior increases, and city notice rules can change the answer.
Official sources · practical steps
Start with the guide written for what you need to do.
Plain-language help for renters checking a notice, landlords preparing one, and anyone researching a Washington or Oregon rule.
For renters
Check a notice and decide what to do next
WA · Renters
Is my rent increase illegal in Washington? The 2026 checklist
Check a Washington rent increase for the 2026 cap, first-year rule, notice period, required form, service, exemption facts, and Seattle or Tacoma requirements.
OR · Renters
Is my rent increase illegal in Oregon? The 2026 checklist
Check an Oregon rent increase for the annual limit, first-year and frequency rules, written notice content, 90-day timing, mail days, exemptions, and Portland duties.
WA · Renters
How to write a demand letter for an unlawful rent increase, with a WA and OR template
Build a calm, fact-specific rent-increase demand letter with the notice facts, math, defects, citations, requested correction, response date, proof, and non-waiver language.
WA · Renters
Can I refuse to pay a rent increase in Washington or Oregon?
Understand the risks and records around current-rent payments, disputed payments under protest, correction requests, legal aid, eviction deadlines, and overcharge claims.
OR · Renters
Rent increase without proper notice: dates, delivery, and required forms in WA and OR
Check a rent increase notice for short timing, the wrong delivery method, missing required content, rent-period alignment, and Washington, Oregon, Seattle, or Portland rules.
WA · Renters
Seattle raised my rent 10% or more: how EDRA relocation assistance works
Understand Seattle EDRA notice information, household eligibility, application timing, three-month housing-cost assistance, evidence, and how EDRA differs from the state rent cap.
WA · Renters
Landlord retaliation after a renter complaint in Washington or Oregon
Learn what WA and OR retaliation statutes cover, why timing and motive matter, what to document, and when a termination or eviction notice needs immediate legal help.
OR · Renters
Already paid an over-cap rent increase? How to calculate an overcharge and request a refund
Build a month-by-month rent overcharge worksheet, distinguish the paid difference from statutory remedies, request an accounting, and preserve WA or OR evidence.
For landlords
Calculate, prepare, and deliver the notice
WA · Landlords
HB 2664 changed Washington rent-notice delivery: what the 2026 rule says
HB 2664 removed Washington's certified-mail requirement for paired mailed copies, but it did not eliminate the statutory service steps for rent-increase notices.
WA · Landlords
Rent-increase notice checklist: nine things to verify before service
A printable nine-step Washington and Oregon rent-increase notice checklist covering amount, dates, exemptions, form, delivery, local rules, and proof.
Rules and local requirements
Research a cap, exception, city rule, or law change
WA · Landlords + renters
Washington's 2026 rent cap: the exact math and five ways notices still fail
See the official 9.683% Washington rent-cap calculation for 2026 and the amount, timing, form, service, and exemption checks a notice still needs.
WA · Landlords + renters
Washington's 12-year rent-cap exemption: which buildings qualify
Understand Washington's rolling 12-year certificate-of-occupancy exemption, the date that controls, and the facts an exemption notice should state.
OR · Landlords + renters
Oregon's 93-day mail trap: why a 90-day notice may need three more days
Oregon generally requires 90 days for non-weekly rent increases, and ORS 90.155 adds three days when the notice period runs from service by mail.
WA · Landlords + renters
Seattle landlords: RRIO compliance can gate a rent increase
Seattle's housing-cost guidance connects rent increases with RRIO compliance, in addition to the statewide cap and the city's 180-day notice rule.
OR · Landlords + renters
Oregon rent increases for week-to-week and manufactured-home tenancies
Oregon's seven-day week-to-week notice and separate manufactured-dwelling or marina rules do not fit the ordinary 90-day apartment checklist.
WA · Landlords + renters
What a defective rent-increase notice can cost in Washington and Oregon
Compare Washington and Oregon statutory exposure for unlawful rent increases, plus the operational cost of restarting a defective notice.
OR · Landlords + renters
Portland relocation assistance: the 10% rent-increase trigger explained
Portland's local relocation rules can apply when housing costs rise 10% or more in a rolling 12-month period, even when the Oregon statewide cap is also satisfied.
WA · Landlords + renters
Washington's 5% rent difference between month-to-month and fixed-term offers
RCW 59.18.700 limits the rent difference between lease types for the same Washington dwelling unit to 5%, without allowing the annual cap to be exceeded.
WA · Landlords + renters
Tacoma rent-increase packets after the 2026 amendments
Tacoma's 2026 amendments settled the notice sequence: one 180-day notice on the City form. RentCap paused paid Tacoma packets while that was unresolved and reopened them after attorney review.
WA · Landlords + renters
Washington's 2027 rent cap is 10%: the official number and what it means
Washington Commerce published a 10% maximum standard rent increase for covered residential tenancies from January 1 through December 31, 2027.