What the rules require of a landlord in Burien, drawn straight from the rule records this site computes with. Every line links to the source it came from.
This is an informational tool, not legal advice, and we are not your lawyer. Double-check deadlines with a licensed Washington attorney before acting on them.
Local rules go further here
Burien repealed its local 120/180-day notice tiers in 2025 (Ordinance 871), so the state baseline governs notice periods, but the city still bars rent increases while a unit has defective, uninhabitable conditions.
Burien caps total move-in charges (security deposit, nonrefundable fees, and prepaid last month's rent) at 1 month's rent.
Installment rights: If the deposit plus nonrefundable fees exceed 25% of the first month's rent, or last month's rent is required upfront: 6 equal monthly installments for tenancies of 6 months or more, 2 for month-to-month or shorter. No fees or interest for choosing installments.
Subsidized tenancies are exempt from the cap.
Checked against the source on July 26, 2026.
Where a local rule is stricter, the local one governs. These apply wherever the property is.
The statewide cap on a rent increase is 9.683% for 2026. The cap that governs an increase is the one in force on its effective date.
No increase at all is allowed during a tenant's first 12 months.
Checked against the source on July 26, 2026.
You have 30 days after the tenancy ends and the tenant moves out to deliver a full and specific written statement and refund the rest of the deposit.
Personal delivery or first-class mail to the tenant's last known address both count.
Checked against the source on July 26, 2026.
Washington requires 90 days of written notice before a rent increase takes effect, whatever the size of the increase.
Tenancies subsidized through the unit itself get a shorter period of 30 days. A tenant's portable voucher does not count.
The increase has to start at the beginning of a rental period.
Checked against the source on July 26, 2026.
This page says what the rules require. The free calculators apply them to one increase, and an account tracks every unit you own and emails you before each deadline.
