This time of year we start getting the same calls. An owner wants to raise the rent when a lease renews in the spring, or a new tenant is about to sign, and they want to know if anything has changed. This year, quite a bit has.
A few new rules took effect over the summer and a few more start on January 1. Most of them involve paperwork, and paperwork is easy to miss when you manage a rental on your own. Below is what we would review before the end of the year, roughly in the order we would get to it.
Start With the 2027 Rent Cap and Your Lease Dates
The Washington Department of Commerce set the maximum rent increase for 2027 at 10%. That limit applies to increases that take effect between January 1 and December 31, 2027. We explained how the number was calculated in our post on the Spokane rent cap for 2027.
The rest of HB 1217 works the same way it did this year. Rent cannot go up during the first 12 months of a tenancy. After that it can go up once in a 12 month period, and the notice has to use the form the state provides.
Very few increases in this market are getting anywhere near 10%. Data provided by Co-Star shows asking rents for Spokane apartments up about 1.1% over the past year. The part of the law that catches owners more often is how much notice they give.
Rentals Inside Spokane City Limits Need More Notice
State law requires at least 90 days of written notice before rent goes up. The City of Spokane adopted a longer rule in 2024 under SMC 10.57.160. For a rental inside city limits, the notice period is:
120 days of written notice for an increase of 3% or less
180 days of written notice for an increase of more than 3%
If you serve notice of a 5% increase on a city rental this week, the earliest it can take effect is early May 2027. Rentals in Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake and unincorporated areas like Mead generally follow the 90 day state minimum, but confirm which rules apply to the address before you serve anything.
To give you a sense of the timing, say you want an increase to start April 1, 2027. Under the state rule the notice needs to go out by about January 1. Inside city limits it needs to go out by about December 2 for an increase of 3% or less. A city increase above 3% would have needed notice in early October, so April 1 is already off the table for that one.
For a June 1 start, the dates are about March 3 under the state rule, February 1 for a city increase of 3% or less, and December 3 of this year for a city increase above 3%. Add an extra week to any of these for weekends and mailing time.
The easiest way to stay ahead of this is to write down every lease that ends in 2027 and count back from each one. Inside city limits, a notice that goes out late can push an increase back by months.
Include the City's Eviction Prevention Notice
Since June 1, 2026, landlords inside Spokane city limits have been required to give tenants the City's standard eviction prevention resources notice. The requirement comes from the Pathways to Eviction Prevention ordinance (C36808), and the notice has to be given at five points in a tenancy:
When the lease is signed or the tenancy begins
At each lease renewal
Along with any rent increase notice
Along with a 14 day notice to pay rent or vacate
Before you ask a tenant to sign a mutual termination agreement
The ordinance also adds steps before you can file an eviction for unpaid rent. After serving the notice to pay or vacate, you contact a provider from the City's directory, let the tenant know in writing within five days that you did, and take part in the program in good faith for up to 30 days. If that step is skipped, the tenant may be able to use it as a defense in court. A few situations are exempt from the 30 day process, such as an immediate threat of harm, but the City says the resources notice is still required in those cases.
Winter is usually when late rent starts to show up, and household budgets are already stretched this year. RANGE Media reported that notices served on tenants ahead of eviction in Spokane County ran about three times the usual pace in August, after the fires. If a tenant falls behind, you want the file to be right from the first notice. The City's page for landlords has the current form and the provider directory.
Add the Flood Disclosure to New Leases
Senate Bill 6237 adds a new item to the landlord duties in RCW 59.18.060. For any lease entered into after December 31, 2026, the landlord has to tell the tenant in writing:
That the property may be located in a special flood hazard area or an area of potential flooding
That the landlord's insurance does not cover the tenant's belongings, and the tenant should consider renter's insurance and flood insurance
That the county government has information about hazards that could affect the property, including flood risk
As the statute is worded, the disclosure does not appear to be limited to homes in a mapped flood zone, so the safest approach is to include it with every new lease, renewals included. A short addendum the tenant signs with the lease works well. If you use one lease template for all of your rentals, update it before January so nothing goes out without it. Northwest Justice Project's summary explains the change in plain language.
New Rules for Smart Locks Start January 1
Many owners have moved to smart locks to save on rekeying between tenants, and we suggested it ourselves in our post on the real cost of rental vacancy. Starting January 1, 2027, ESSB 5937 sets rules for what the law calls smart access systems. That covers entry through a phone app, a key card that uses radio frequency, or biometrics such as a fingerprint or face scan. A keypad where the tenant types in a code does not count.
If your rental uses one of these systems, a tenant who asks for another way in has to be given one, such as a physical key, a fob or a keypad code. Tenants also need a written privacy policy at lease signing, or within five days after the system is installed. It should explain what data the system collects, including data on guests, how that data is protected, how long it is kept, and what happens if someone gets access who should not. The system can only collect the information it needs to work.
For a house with a basic keypad deadbolt, not much changes. If your tenants open the door with an app, work out the backup option and the privacy policy with your lock provider before January.
Two Changes From June Worth Checking
Two smaller updates took effect on June 11, 2026.
HB 2664 dropped the certified mail requirement when a notice is left with someone of suitable age at the home instead of being handed to the tenant. The copy you mail can now go by regular mail. We still recommend keeping proof of mailing, since a dated record is what you will need if the notice is ever challenged.
ESSB 6200 limits a landlord's ability to ban portable air conditioners. With some exceptions, you cannot prohibit a tenant from installing one, such as a window unit, and you cannot charge a fee for it. The exceptions include homes that already have a working heat pump and windows that are needed as an emergency exit. If your lease still bans window units across the board, it should be updated. Rentals inside city limits also have to meet Spokane's own cooling ordinance, which we covered in our landlord guide to the right to cooling law.
Before the End of the Year
If you only have time for a few things before January 1, this is where we would start:
Write down every lease ending in 2027 and count back 90, 120 or 180 days, depending on where the property is and how large the increase will be.
For rentals inside city limits, add the City's eviction prevention notice to renewals, rent increase notices and notices to pay or vacate.
Put the flood disclosure into your lease template.
If tenants use an app to get in, have a backup entry option and a privacy policy ready.
Remove any blanket ban on window air conditioners, and check how your notices are being mailed.
While the lease file is open, look over your move in paperwork. Our post on Washington security deposit rules covers what needs to be signed at the start of a lease.
Want Someone to Look It Over?
Keeping up with these changes is part of what we do for the owners we work with, and for managed properties our eviction protection covers the cost of a simple uncontested eviction, with some restrictions. If you manage your own rental and would like someone to review your renewal dates or lease packet before the new year, reach out to Hoss and the team at 509.795.1031 or request a free management quote. If you own from out of state, our guide to managing a Spokane rental remotely covers what else to have in place.
This article is general information for rental owners in the Spokane area and is not legal advice. Laws and local rules change, so talk with a Washington attorney who handles landlord and tenant law about your situation.
