Washington Landlord Entry Rules and Tenant Privacy

A Washington landlord must give the tenant at least two days' written notice before entering a rental unit, and at least one day's notice before showing it to prospective or actual buyers or tenants. The notice must state the exact date and time of entry, or a time window with the earliest and latest possible entry times, plus a phone number the tenant can call to object or reschedule. You may enter without notice or consent only in an emergency or when the tenant has abandoned the unit.

These rules come from RCW 59.18.150, part of the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act. A lease cannot shorten them: under RCW 59.18.230, any lease provision that waives a section of the Act is unenforceable. A clause allowing entry on 24 hours' notice, or at any time, does not override the two-day rule.

When can a Washington landlord enter?

The statute lists the purposes for which a tenant may not unreasonably refuse entry:

• Inspecting the unit
• Making necessary or agreed repairs, alterations, or improvements
• Supplying necessary or agreed services
• Showing the unit to prospective or actual buyers, mortgage lenders, tenants, workers, or contractors

Outside those purposes, emergencies, and abandonment, you have no other right of access except by court order, by an arbitrator's order, or with the tenant's consent.

Three limits apply to every entry:

1. Reasonable times only. The statute does not define reasonable hours. A time the tenant has agreed to in writing is the safest choice.
2. No harassment. You may not abuse the right of access or use it to harass the tenant.
3. No excessive showings. Showing the unit so often that it unreasonably interferes with the tenant's use of the home is prohibited, even with proper notice.

What must the entry notice say?

A two-day notice must include:

1. The date or dates of entry.
2. The time. Give either the exact time, or a window with the earliest and latest possible times. "Wednesday, October 28, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m." meets this. "Sometime Wednesday" does not.
3. A phone number the tenant can use to object or ask to reschedule.

For a showing, the tenant may not unreasonably refuse entry at a specified time once you have given at least one day's notice. The one-day rule covers only buyers and tenants. A visit by your lender, a worker, or a contractor still needs two days' written notice.

When two days' notice is not practical

The statute excuses the two-day notice in an emergency or "if it is impracticable to do so," but it does not define impracticable. This matters most for repairs. Once a tenant gives you written notice of a defect, RCW 59.18.070 requires you to start repairs within:

• 24 hours when the tenant has no hot or cold water, heat, or electricity, or the condition is imminently hazardous to life
• 72 hours when the tenant has lost use of a refrigerator, range and oven, or a major plumbing fixture you supplied
• 10 days in all other cases

When a 24-hour or 72-hour deadline makes a full two-day notice hard to meet, ask the tenant to agree to an earlier time in writing (a text or email works). Written consent gives you a separate legal basis for entry and a record of it. See Washington repair and maintenance obligations for the rest of the repair process.

When can you enter without notice?

RCW 59.18.150 allows entry without the tenant's consent in two cases.

Emergency. The statute does not define emergency. Treat it as a condition that cannot wait two days without risk to people or the building, and document what you saw and did. Entering a rental in an emergency covers what to record and how to follow up with the tenant.

Abandonment. Under RCW 59.18.310, a unit is abandoned when the tenant has defaulted on rent and, by words or actions, reasonably indicates an intent not to resume the tenancy. Both conditions must be met. A tenant who is current on rent but away for several weeks has not abandoned the unit, and you still need two days' written notice to enter. Once a unit is abandoned, you may enter, take possession of property left behind, and store it.

You must then make reasonable efforts to give the tenant notice stating your name and address, where the property is stored, the sale or disposal date, and the tenant's right to recover it before sale or disposal. You can do this by prepaid first-class mail to the tenant's last known address and any other address the tenant gave you in writing or that you know of. Wait 45 days after mailing or personally delivering the notice before selling or disposing of the property. If the property's total value is $250 or less, the wait is seven days, but personal papers, family pictures, and keepsakes still require 45 days. If the tenant requests the property in writing before sale or disposal, you must return it after the tenant pays the lower of actual or reasonable moving and storage costs.

When can a tenant refuse entry?

A tenant can lawfully refuse when:

• The notice was shorter than two days (one day for a showing), and neither an emergency nor the exception for impracticable two-day notice applies
• The notice is missing the date, the time or time window, or the phone number
• The proposed time is unreasonable
• The purpose is not one the statute lists
• The visits are frequent enough to amount to harassment or excessive showings

When your notice is correct and the purpose is on the list, the tenant may not unreasonably withhold consent. The statute gives the tenant a phone number to ask to reschedule, so treat a request for a different time as a scheduling question: offer another slot and send a new notice.

If a tenant keeps refusing proper entry, two remedies are available:

1. The $100 penalty described in the next section, which also runs against tenants.
2. A 10-day notice to comply or vacate. Under RCW 59.18.650, you may end a tenancy for a substantial breach of a material lease term or a tenant obligation imposed by law, after serving written notice that names the breach and gives at least 10 days to fix it. Repeated refusal of lawful entry can be that breach. See the Washington eviction process before serving one, because a defective notice delays the case.

The statute also bars you from retaliating against a tenant who lets a city or county code enforcement official inspect the unit.

What happens if you violate the entry rules?

RCW 59.18.150(8) sets a penalty that works in two steps and applies to either side:

1. The tenant (or landlord) serves one written notice that alleges, in good faith, a violation of the entry rules and lists the date and time of the violation.
2. If the other side keeps violating the rules after receiving that notice, it is liable for up to $100 for each later violation.

The winning side in a suit or arbitration under this section may also recover court costs and reasonable attorney fees, which can exceed the penalty itself.

The penalty is not the only exposure. The statute keeps common law rights in place, so a tenant can also bring claims such as breach of the right to quiet enjoyment for repeated or intrusive entries. See quiet enjoyment during the lease for what that covers.