(May 2, 2025) - On April 27, 2025, the Washington state Legislature passed HB 1217, the Housing Stability Act, which caps rent increases for most single-family and multi-family landlords and mandates specific notice requirements for rent increases that landlords must comply with to increase rents. The bill will take effect upon the Governor’s signature or May 20, 2025.

Below is a summary of key provisions in the bill.

1. Landlords cannot raise rents in the first year of a tenancy.
2. Any subsequent rent increase cannot exceed seven percent plus the consumer price index or 10 percent, whichever is lower.
3. Landlords cannot impose more burdensome conditions on a month-to-month lease or charge a tenant more than a five-percent difference in rent for different lease terms. This restriction reduces the premium rents charged on month-to-month leases or leases for short-term duration.