Tenants keeping unauthorized pets in rental properties is no rare occurrence, even when the rental already allows pets. It is common for renters to attempt to keep an animal that the pet policy does not allow, or to avoid pet deposits and fees by never registering the animal with the property management. This issue has become even more common as pet ownership has stayed elevated well beyond pre-pandemic levels. The best way to prepare for unauthorized pets on your Washington rental is to understand the state’s pet laws and create a standardized procedure that is outlined in the lease in the event of the discovery of an unauthorized pet.
Pet Laws in Washington
Landlords in Washington have the ability to enforce their own curated pet policy, with a few caveats. It is completely legal to ban pets in the rental property altogether, as well as ban certain types of pets and breeds, or enforce size and weight limits. Popularly, landlords choose pet policies that only allow cats and dogs under a certain weight, or ban certain breeds that are more likely to be aggressive or cause property damage. Landlords also have the ability to revoke an individual pet’s residence if they can reasonably determine that the animal poses a threat to the safety of other tenants or the property. In terms of finances, it is legal to require an additional pet deposit for each pet that is accepted, but as of 2026 a new statewide rule limits the total you can collect up front, and monthly ‘pet rent’ can be charged on top of the original rent price.
Deposits, Pet Rent, and the One-Month Cap
The 2025 rent-stabilization law, House Bill 1217, changed the math for deposits in Washington. For leases signed on or after May 7, 2025, any move-in fees and security deposits combined may not exceed one month’s rent. Because a pet deposit is just a security deposit, it folds into that one-month limit rather than sitting on top of it, so a landlord cannot collect a full month as a general deposit and then add a separate pet deposit. Monthly pet rent is treated as recurring rent rather than a deposit, so it does not count toward the cap, and it commonly runs somewhere between $25 and $75 per pet. One more wrinkle worth knowing: under RCW 59.18.285 any pet money that is meant to be non-refundable has to be put in writing and clearly labeled as a non-refundable fee, or the law treats it as a refundable deposit. Some cities go further than the state, and Seattle, for example, caps a pet damage deposit at 25 percent of the first month’s rent and bans non-refundable pet fees outright.
Could Washington Force Landlords to Allow Pets?
There has also been movement in Olympia. In 2025 Washington enacted House Bill 1217, which capped combined move-in fees and deposits at one month’s rent and limited how much rent can rise in a year, and a separate 2024 bill, Senate Bill 6064, would have capped pet deposits and banned pet rent but did not pass. As of 2026 there is no Washington law that forces a landlord to accept pets, so owners are still free to set and enforce their own pet policies within the limits above.
Service Animals, ESAs, and Declawing Rules
The restrictions on pet policies in Washington largely align with federal tenant protections. Washington has no law that prevents a landlord from requiring a pet to be declawed or devocalized, unlike California, so that question is left to the lease for now. Where Washington does constrain the landlord is disability accommodation. Under the federal Fair Housing Act, and under the Washington Law Against Discrimination in RCW 49.60.222, a tenant may always request a waiver of a no-pet policy or a pet restriction in the case of a service animal, and this includes emotional support animals. An assistance animal is not treated as a pet, so a landlord cannot charge a pet deposit, pet fee, or pet rent for it, and cannot restrict it by size, weight, or breed the way an ordinary pet can. The landlord may ask for written verification of the disability-related need when it is not obvious, the tenant remains responsible for any damage the animal causes, and the accommodation can still be refused if the specific animal is confirmed to be a genuine threat to the safety of other residents. It is also worth noting that misrepresenting an ordinary pet as a service animal is a civil infraction in Washington under RCW 49.60.214, and that federal officials pulled back their long-standing guidance on emotional support animals in 2025 and 2026, though that shift did not rewrite the Fair Housing Act or Washington’s own protections.
Dealing With Unauthorized Pets
The best way to handle unauthorized pets with full legal protection is by including a clearly defined pet policy in every lease. The pet policy section should include property rules concerning pets as well as a predetermined procedure in the event of an unauthorized animal discovered on the premises. In addition to prohibited pets being kept on the property, any pet that is not properly registered to avoid additional fees is an unauthorized pet and can be handled with the same procedure. Landlords can require the tenant to submit official pet information such as breed, weight, and current vaccinations in order to confirm that the animal is within the pet policy guidelines.
When a tenant is keeping an unauthorized pet, this can be considered a violation of the lease, and just as with any violation, following standard and formal procedures is always smart. In Washington an unauthorized pet is a breach of a lease covenant other than rent, so the landlord serves a 10-day notice to comply or vacate under RCW 59.12.030, giving the tenant that window to remove the animal or bring it into compliance. This is a different, shorter notice than the 14-day pay-or-vacate notice used for unpaid rent, so it helps to keep the two straight. If the tenant does not resolve the problem within the specified time frame, the landlord can choose to begin an eviction, and the official notice should make that intention clear from the start.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much can a landlord charge for a pet deposit in Washington?
As of 2026, a pet deposit folds into Washington’s statewide deposit limit rather than sitting on top of it. Under House Bill 1217, for leases signed on or after May 7, 2025, move-in fees and security deposits combined may not exceed one month’s rent, and a pet deposit counts toward that total. Monthly pet rent, which commonly runs between $25 and $75 per pet, is treated as rent rather than a deposit and does not count toward the cap. Some cities are stricter, and Seattle limits a pet damage deposit to 25 percent of the first month’s rent.
Can a landlord evict a tenant for an unauthorized pet in Washington?
Yes, keeping an unauthorized pet is considered a violation of the lease, and it is handled like any other breach of a lease covenant. The landlord serves a 10-day notice to comply or vacate under RCW 59.12.030, giving the tenant that time to remove the animal or register it properly. If the pet is not removed within that window, the landlord can choose to begin an eviction through the unlawful detainer process.
Do Washington landlords have to allow emotional support animals?
Emotional support animals must be accommodated even where a no-pet policy is in place, because both the federal Fair Housing Act and the Washington Law Against Discrimination protect tenants with disabilities. A tenant may request the accommodation so long as they provide written verification of the disability-related need, and the landlord cannot charge a pet deposit, fee, or pet rent for the animal or restrict it by size, weight, or breed. Federal enforcement of requests for untrained support animals narrowed in 2025 and 2026, but Washington’s own protections remain in force, so confirm the current rules before denying a request.
Washington Property Management With Utopia
Looking for help managing a rental in Washington? Contact Utopia Management today by calling us at (800) 294-4656 or click here to connect with us online.
