Seattle landlords have less than a year to prepare for major changes to rental fees and fee disclosures. Seattle City Council passed a new rental fee ordinance on August 11, 2026, restricting many fees landlords currently charge in addition to rent and requiring more transparent pricing in rental listings, applications, and lease documents.
The new rules take effect July 1, 2027.
For landlords, the biggest change is simple: many recurring or administrative charges that have traditionally been listed separately from rent will no longer be permitted. At the same time, the ordinance preserves several common charges, including security deposits, certain move-in fees, utility charges, late fees, and documented costs for tenant-caused damage.
If you own rental property in Seattle, now is the time to review your fee structure, lease documents, rental listings, and property management systems.
Important: Rental regulations can change, and the information in this article is provided for educational purposes—not as legal advice. Seattle landlords should review the final ordinance and consult a qualified Washington landlord-tenant attorney about their specific situation.
Seattle’s new Rental Fee Restriction Ordinance limits the types of fees landlords can charge tenants and requires landlords to provide clearer, upfront information about the total cost of renting a home.
The ordinance was passed by the Seattle City Council on August 11, 2026, and becomes effective July 1, 2027. The legislation was developed by Mayor Katie Wilson’s administration in partnership with renters, housing providers, and other stakeholders and was sponsored in City Council by Councilmember Dionne Foster.
The City describes the legislation as an effort to eliminate so-called "junk fees" and make it easier for renters to understand the actual cost of housing before signing a lease.
For landlords, that means two major changes:
Seattle’s new rental fee restrictions take effect July 1, 2027.
The rules apply to rental agreements and renewals entered into on or after that date. According to the City, certain prohibited fees may continue under an existing lease until the end of the lease term or July 1, 2027, whichever is later.
That gives landlords time to prepare—but waiting until June 2027 could create unnecessary problems.
Lease templates, property management software, rental advertisements, fee schedules, and accounting procedures may all need to be reviewed before the deadline.
The ordinance takes a broad approach: fees that are not specifically permitted under Seattle's rental regulations, Washington law, or the ordinance are generally prohibited.
Some of the most important prohibited fees include:
Landlords will not be able to charge recurring or one-time fees simply because a tenant has a pet.
The exception is a pet damage deposit, which remains permitted subject to Seattle's existing limits.
That means a landlord charging $50 or $100 per month in "pet rent" will need to rethink that fee structure before the new rules take effect.
Landlords generally cannot charge tenants a separate fee for access to common areas such as:
There is an exception for certain temporary private use of a common area—for example, renting a clubhouse exclusively for a private event.
Separate charges for receiving or collecting mail and packages will be prohibited.
This includes fees associated with package collection and distribution or access to a mailbox associated with the rental unit.
Landlords will not be able to charge tenants a fee simply for paying rent by certain methods, including personal check, money order, cashier's check, or ACH.
This is particularly important for landlords who currently charge additional processing fees for certain payment methods.
Fees associated with adding or removing a tenant from a rental agreement will generally be prohibited.
Screening fees that are otherwise authorized under Seattle law are treated separately.
The City's examples of prohibited fees extend beyond the categories above and include charges such as:
The important takeaway is that landlords should not assume a fee is allowed simply because it has traditionally appeared in a lease.
Under the new rules, the name of a fee does not determine whether it is permitted.
The new law does not eliminate every fee associated with renting a property.
Several common charges remain permitted, although some are subject to specific limits.
These include:
For example, the City's current guidance states that late fees are capped at $10 per month, key replacement fees are capped at the lesser of actual cost or $50, and lockout fees are capped at $50 during specified weekday hours and $150 outside those hours.
Some optional products and services can still be offered.
However, the requirements are much stricter.
An eligible optional fee must generally:
And not every service can simply be relabeled as "optional" to get around the ordinance.
For example, fees associated with pets, common-area access, certain payment methods, mail and package collection, and changes in tenancy cannot simply be converted into optional fees.
Fee restrictions are only half of the new law.
Seattle is also requiring landlords to provide renters with substantially more information about the cost of a rental before they commit to a lease.
Beginning July 1, 2027, rental advertisements, listings, and applications must disclose:
The ordinance also requires a conspicuous fee disclosure before the first page of a rental agreement, using a form no longer than two pages.
This changes the leasing process.
A rental listing can no longer simply highlight an attractive base rent while leaving mandatory charges for later in the application or lease process.
Instead, landlords and property managers need to think about the total cost of housing from the beginning of the marketing process.
That means your:
may all need to work together.
The new ordinance doesn't just require landlords to disclose fees—it requires them to retain records demonstrating compliance.
The ordinance requires landlords to retain relevant records for three years, including items such as:
If a landlord fails to maintain required records, the ordinance creates a presumption that the landlord violated the requirements for the periods and tenants covered by the missing records.
For landlords, this makes documentation much more than an accounting best practice. It becomes an important part of regulatory compliance.
The Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) will have authority to investigate violations.
Investigations can begin based on tenant complaints or other information suggesting a violation may have occurred. SDCI can request documents and records and can conduct individual, building-wide, or company-wide investigations.
The ordinance also creates significant financial consequences.
For example, the City may impose civil penalties of $750 for a first violation and $1,500 for subsequent violations, subject to the ordinance's enforcement provisions. Landlords found to have charged prohibited fees may also be required to reimburse tenants and pay additional amounts.
Tenants may also have private rights of action under the ordinance.
For landlords, the lesson is straightforward: compliance needs to be systematic, documented, and repeatable.
Seattle officials have framed the legislation primarily as a housing affordability and transparency measure.
The City's position is that renters should be able to compare homes based on the actual cost of renting them, rather than discovering mandatory charges later in the application or leasing process.
The ordinance itself cites CoStar and BERK research finding that Seattle's average monthly rents increased by 32% between 2012 and 2022, even after adjusting for inflation.
The policy debate is broader than Seattle, however.
Rental fee transparency has become a major issue across the housing industry. The National Apartment Association reported that it tracked 140 fee-related bills during the 2025 legislative session, along with six local proposals. NAA has argued that policymakers should consider the broader leasing process and the costs involved in operating rental housing.
Seattle landlords should pay attention to this trend even if they own properties outside city limits.
Other jurisdictions are taking action against fees that are viewed as hidden, excessive, or inadequately disclosed.
For example, in April 2026, the District of Columbia Attorney General sued Mid-America Apartment Communities over allegations involving mandatory fees and rental advertising that allegedly failed to reflect the full cost of housing.
At the federal level, the Federal Trade Commission has proposed a rulemaking addressing unfair or deceptive rental housing fee practices. The FTC's proposal focuses, among other things, on advertising rent without mandatory fees and imposing fees without express informed consent.
The exact requirements vary by jurisdiction, but the broader trend is clear:
Landlords are facing increasing pressure to make rental pricing transparent from the beginning of the leasing process.
The good news is that landlords don't need to wait until 2027 to prepare.
Here are five practical steps to take now.
Create a complete list of every fee associated with your properties.
Don't just review your lease.
Look at:
Then categorize each fee as:
Permitted, prohibited, or requiring additional review.
This is particularly important for fees that may have different treatment depending on how they are structured.
Your lease should accurately reflect the fee structure you intend to use after July 1, 2027.
Pay particular attention to:
Don't simply delete prohibited fees without considering whether the underlying cost needs to be incorporated into your overall pricing strategy.
The new rules apply to pricing information presented to prospective tenants.
That means compliance can't live exclusively inside your lease.
Your marketing and leasing process should be designed so prospective renters can understand the actual cost of a property before applying.
This is also increasingly important from a marketing standpoint.
Transparent pricing can reduce surprises, build trust, and make it easier for prospective tenants to compare properties.
Ask your software provider:
If your software cannot support the new requirements, you want to know well before the deadline.
Start building your compliance process now.
Save copies of rental listings, applications, leases, fee disclosures, vendor invoices, and other relevant records.
The ordinance's three-year recordkeeping requirement means landlords should think about compliance as an ongoing process rather than a one-time lease update.
The biggest change isn't simply that certain fees are disappearing.
It's that the way landlords price, market, disclose, and document rental housing is changing.
Landlords will need to think about rental pricing more holistically.
Instead of asking:
"What fees can I add to this property's rent?"
the better question may become:
"What is the true cost of operating this property, and how should that cost be reflected transparently in the rental price?"
That shift could affect how landlords set rents, structure concessions, market properties, and evaluate property management services.
For owners with multiple properties, the operational side may be just as important as the financial side.
Seattle's new rental fee restrictions and disclosure requirements take effect July 1, 2027. The rules apply to rental agreements and renewals entered into on or after that date.
Yes. Under the new ordinance, fees associated with keeping a pet are prohibited, whether charged once or periodically. A qualifying pet damage deposit remains permitted under Seattle's existing rules.
Yes. Security deposits remain permitted, subject to Seattle and Washington requirements. Permitted nonrefundable move-in fees are also allowed within the limits established by the ordinance.
Yes, but Seattle's ordinance limits late rent fees to $10 per month.
No. The new ordinance prohibits fees for accepting rent or other payments by personal check, money order, cashier's check, or ACH.
Yes. Utility charges remain among the fees permitted under the ordinance, although landlords must properly disclose utility responsibilities and applicable costs.
Some optional goods and services can still carry fees, but they must meet specific disclosure, opt-in, opt-out, and cost requirements. Some categories cannot be converted into optional fees simply to avoid the prohibition.
Yes. The City's guidance states that the legislation applies to all landlords and housing providers in Seattle, including small landlords and affordable housing providers. Short-term rentals such as Airbnb are not covered by this legislation.
SDCI will have enforcement authority, and the ordinance provides for civil penalties, tenant remedies, reimbursement of prohibited fees, and private rights of action in certain circumstances.
July 2027 may sound far away, but landlords who wait until the deadline to address these changes could find themselves trying to update leases, software, listings, accounting systems, and tenant communications all at once.
The better approach is to start now.
Audit your fees. Review your leases. Update your rental marketing. Talk with your property management provider. And build a system for documenting compliance.
For Seattle landlords, fee transparency is becoming another important part of managing a rental property successfully.
If you're unsure how Seattle's new rental fee rules could affect your property—or you're considering professional property management—The Joseph Group can help you understand the operational changes ahead and manage your rental with a proactive, compliance-focused approach.
Looking for professional property management in Seattle? Contact The Joseph Group to learn how our local team can help protect your investment, manage your tenants, and keep your rental operation moving forward as regulations change.