Washington rent late fee law & calculator
Under Rev. Code Wash. §59.18.170: No dollar cap — but no fee for rent paid within 5 days of due. Grace period: 5 days.
Late fee due
$75.00
Paid 9 days late; grace ends 5 days after due
A late fee is only collectible if your lease authorizes it. General information, not legal advice.
What Rev. Code Wash. §59.18.170 requires
- Maximum fee: No dollar cap — but no fee for rent paid within 5 days of due
- Grace period: 5 days
- Lease requirement: the fee must be authorized in the written rental agreement — an unauthorized fee is uncollectible.
- No late fee may be charged for rent paid within 5 days of the due date; if rent goes past day 5, fees may run from the first day after the due date
- Tenants paid via government assistance can require a reasonable shift of the due date (up to 5 days) to match when the benefit arrives
- 2025's HB 1217 capped rent increases, deposits, and move-in fees — it did NOT add a late-fee dollar cap; the $20/20% figure some charts print is the self-storage statute (RCW 19.150), not residential
Rules as of August 2026. Statutes change — verify with the current text of Rev. Code Wash. §59.18.170 before relying on a number, and check city and county ordinances, which can be stricter. This is general information, not legal advice; consult a Washington attorney for your situation.
Not in Washington? Every state's late-fee rules → Also for Washington landlords: the security-deposit return deadline →
Frequently asked questions
Does Washington cap residential late fees?
There's no statutory dollar cap for standard rentals — but RCW 59.18.170 forbids any late fee when rent is paid within five days of the due date, the fee must be in the lease, and unreasonable fees remain vulnerable as penalties. The widely-cited '$20 or 20%' cap is Washington's self-storage rule, and 2025's HB 1217 rent-stabilization law capped move-in charges, not late fees.
Late fees that apply themselves
Set the rule once — LetsGoLandlord applies fees on schedule, on their own ledger line. Free for 14 days.