Security deposit return deadline in Washington
A Washington landlord has 30 days after the tenancy ends to return a security deposit or send a written list of what was kept.
- Deadline
- 30 days
- What the landlord must send
- The landlord must give a full and specific statement of the basis for keeping any of the deposit, with copies of estimates, invoices or receipts.
- If the landlord gets it wrong
- Missing the deadline makes the landlord liable for the full deposit; intentional refusal can bring up to twice the deposit, plus attorney fees.
No deduction is allowed for repairing fixtures, appliances or furnishings whose condition was not documented on the move-in checklist.
The law
Wash. Rev. Code § 59.18.280. Read the statute.
Checked against the statute in October 2026. Laws change, so confirm the current rule before you rely on it.
What to do next
If the deadline has passed, or the landlord kept money without a proper list, put your request in writing. Ask for the deposit back by a specific date, and keep a copy. The free first letter in the Deposit Demand Letters kit does this for Washington, and the deadline calculator works out your exact date from your move-out day.
Other states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington, D.C.
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
General information about Washington law, not legal advice, and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Deposit Demand Letters is a self-help template kit from Kits For That.