Mobile home lot rent rules in Washington

Washington is one of the most protective states for manufactured/mobile home park residents. Its dedicated law — the Manufactured/Mobile Home Landlord-Tenant Act, RCW Chapter 59.20 — caps rent increases, requires a long lease, and requires long notice. The information below describes how the law generally works; anyone dealing with a specific increase should consider consulting a licensed attorney in Washington.

What the statute says

RCW 59.20.370(1) sets the cap: a landlord may not increase the rent "during the first 12 months after the tenancy begins" or, "during any 12-month period of the tenancy, in an amount greater than five percent," except as allowed by an exemption under RCW 59.20.380. A landlord that exceeds the cap without an exemption must, on the tenant's written demand, roll it back, and the tenant may terminate on 30 days' notice with no fees; a tenant or the Attorney General may recover "any excess rent, fees, or other costs paid," "up to three months of any unlawful rent," and attorney fees (RCW 59.20.370(3)–(4)).

On notice, RCW 59.20.090(2) requires the landlord to "notify the tenant in writing three months prior to the effective date of any increase in rent," using the standardized form in RCW 59.20.390. And RCW 59.20.060(2)(c) bars a rent increase "during the term of the rental agreement if the term is less than two years," or "more frequently than annually." A written one-year-or-longer lease must be offered (RCW 59.20.050), and the lease must include "the past five years' rental amount charged for the lot" (RCW 59.20.060(1)(o)).

How it works in general

A Washington park can raise lot rent only once in any 12-month period, never in the tenant's first year, and by no more than 5% — a flat statewide cap enforced by tenants and the Attorney General. Any increase requires three months' written notice on a state form, and a landlord can't raise rent mid-term on a lease under two years. Residents are entitled to a written lease of at least a year, and the lease must disclose a five-year rent history so the resident can see how charges have moved. A landlord claiming an exemption from the cap has to include the supporting facts in the notice.

Common scenarios

General examples Washington park residents commonly encounter:

• A rent increase is announced. It can't exceed 5% in 12 months, not in the first year, and needs three months' notice (RCW 59.20.370, 59.20.090).
• A park raises rent over the cap. The tenant can demand a rollback or terminate, and recover the excess plus damages (RCW 59.20.370(3)–(4)).
• A park tries to raise rent mid-lease. Barred on a lease under two years (RCW 59.20.060(2)(c)).

Other authorities that may apply

The Manufactured/Mobile Home Landlord-Tenant Act (RCW 59.20) governs the cap, notice, and lease; the Attorney General's Manufactured Housing Dispute Resolution Program enforces the Act. Exemptions to the cap are in RCW 59.20.380. Federal law such as the Fair Housing Act can apply to how an increase is administered.