Washington documents
Washington Rental Application & Screening Requirements
What state law requires you to disclose before screening, what you may charge, and the notice you owe every applicant you turn down.
Reviewed September 2026 • Statewide resource
Before you use any document on this page: we recommend having your attorney review it first. Laws and required forms change, city ordinances add requirements on top of state law, and a notice that is defective in form or timing can cost far more than a legal review. This page is general information for property owners, not legal advice.
In Washington the application process is regulated before you read a single application. RCW 59.18.257 requires a prospective landlord — before obtaining any information about a prospective tenant — to first notify the applicant in writing, or by posting, of what types of information will be accessed, what criteria may result in denial, and, if a consumer report is used, the name and address of the consumer reporting agency and the applicant's rights to obtain a free copy after a denial and to dispute its accuracy. The notice must also say whether the landlord will accept a comprehensive reusable tenant screening report.
The fee is regulated too. A landlord who uses a screening service may charge for it only after providing those notices, and a landlord who screens applicants personally may charge actual costs only, not exceeding the customary rates screening services charge in the area. If the landlord says it will accept a comprehensive reusable report, it may obtain its own report too, but may not charge the applicant for that report.
What the application packet should contain
A compliant Washington application starts with all four written screening disclosures — including whether you will accept a comprehensive reusable tenant screening report — then collects identity, income, rental history and the applicant's authorization for the screening you described. Ask your attorney to review the criteria statement in particular: it defines what you may later rely on in a denial, and a denial for a reason you never disclosed is where application disputes start.
Website disclosure
If a landlord maintains a website advertising a rental unit or providing information for current or prospective tenants, RCW 59.18.257 also requires the property's home page to state whether the landlord accepts a comprehensive reusable tenant screening report.
If you decline an applicant
Washington does not leave the rejection letter to your discretion. RCW 59.18.257(1)(c) requires a written adverse action notice stating the reasons, in a substantially similar format to the one printed in the statute itself. That notice has its own page in this library, because it is the piece self-managing landlords most often skip.
City layers
Seattle adds a first-in-time rule and portable-screening-report obligations for Seattle rentals, administered by the city's Renting in Seattle program — check the Seattle documents page before running applications there.
Official sources for this document
The statute: all four pre-screening disclosures, including reusable-report acceptance, fee limits, and the adverse action notice format.
app.leg.wa.gov
The AGO's plain-language guidance for landlords and tenants.
www.atg.wa.gov
Frequently asked questions
Can I charge a Washington rental application fee? +
Only as a screening cost, and only after giving the written pre-screening notices RCW 59.18.257 requires. If you screen applicants yourself, you may charge your actual costs, and no more than what screening services customarily charge in your area. If you accept a comprehensive reusable report, you may not charge the applicant for your own report.
What must I tell applicants before screening? +
In writing or by posting: what types of information you will access; what criteria may result in denial; if you use a consumer report, the reporting agency's name and address and the applicant's rights to a free copy and to dispute it; and whether you will accept a comprehensive reusable tenant screening report.
Do I need a screening-report statement on my website? +
If you maintain a website advertising a rental unit or providing information for current or prospective tenants, its home page must state whether you accept a comprehensive reusable tenant screening report (RCW 59.18.257).
Do I have to give a reason when I decline an applicant? +
Yes. Washington requires a written adverse action notice stating the reasons, in a format substantially similar to the one in RCW 59.18.257(1)(c).
Sources
Every figure on this page traces to one of these. Rent caps change annually and city ordinances change by council action — check the current figure before serving a notice.
- RCW 59.18.257 — Screening of prospective tenants — verified 2026-09-11
This page is general information for property owners, not legal advice, and it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Rules differ by property and by circumstance — consult an attorney licensed in Washington before acting on a notice, an eviction or a deposit dispute.
We serve these notices every week
Utopia Management has managed Washington rentals since 1994. Compliance with the notice periods, the caps and the paperwork above is part of full management, not an extra.
Find your local office
