Redmond Landlord Laws: What Applies in 2026

Redmond landlord laws do not stop at Washington State law. Since July 30, 2022, Redmond, Washington has enforced its own tenant protections chapter, RMC 9.54, adopted as Ordinance 3091, and it sits on top of everything the state already requires. The city rules require 120 days' written notice for rent increases over 3 percent and 180 days for increases over 10 percent, cap combined move-in fees and security deposits at one month's rent, limit late fees to 1.5 percent of monthly rent, and restrict what you can demand during screening. Violations carry real money: a tenant can sue for the greater of double damages or three times the monthly rent, plus costs and attorney fees.

Many Eastside owners assume Redmond is a "state baseline" city where RCW 59.18 is the whole story. It is not, and an owner who has only been following the state rules is likely out of compliance on at least one point. This guide covers what the city adds, what it does not, and where the penalties bite.

Which Laws Apply to Redmond Rentals in 2026?

Redmond, Washington rentals are governed by two layers: Washington State's Residential Landlord-Tenant Act in RCW 59.18, and the city's own tenant protections chapter, RMC 9.54, in effect since July 30, 2022. The city chapter adds longer rent increase notice periods, a cap on total move-in costs, a late fee limit, and a screening restriction on top of the state rules. Where the two layers differ, the stricter rule is the one to follow.

The state layer alone has grown substantially since 2025. Three statutes do most of the work:

• RCW 59.18.140: at least 90 days' written notice for any rent increase, statewide.
• RCW 59.18.700: a statewide cap on rent increases for covered tenancies. The Washington State Department of Commerce publishes the exact figure each year: 9.683 percent for 2026 and 10 percent for 2027.
• RCW 59.18.650: just cause protections that limit when and how a tenancy can end.

Redmond layers RMC 9.54 on top of all of that. In this respect it resembles its neighbor more than most owners realize; Kirkland runs its own local layer too, which we cover in our guide to Kirkland landlord rules.

How Much Notice Does a Redmond Rent Increase Require?

More than the state minimum, and the tiers depend on the size of the increase. Under RMC 9.54.030:

• An increase over 3 percent requires 120 days' written notice. That is a full month longer than the state's 90-day minimum under RCW 59.18.140.
• An increase over 10 percent requires 180 days' written notice. For income-based subsidized housing, where rent is set by the tenant's income, the notice requirement is 30 days.
• An increase of 3 percent or less falls back to the state minimum of 90 days' written notice.

One caution about that 180-day tier: it is not permission to raise rent more than 10 percent. For tenancies covered by the state cap under RCW 59.18.700, an increase over 10 percent is generally prohibited outright, regardless of how much notice you give. The 180-day tier matters mostly in the situations the state cap does not reach. For a covered tenancy, the practical ceiling in 2026 is the Commerce figure of 9.683 percent, served with at least 120 days' notice because it exceeds 3 percent.

The takeaway: a Redmond rent increase of any real size needs to be planned at least four months out. An owner who serves a standard 90-day state notice for a 5 percent increase has served a defective notice in Redmond.

What Are Redmond's Limits on Move-In Costs and Late Fees?

Redmond regulates the money at both ends of the tenancy, and these caps have no state equivalent:

• Move-in fees plus the security deposit cannot exceed one month's rent, combined. Under RMC 9.54.040, the two together have to fit inside that ceiling, which rules out the deposit-plus-fee stacks common in other markets.
• Tenants have the right to pay move-in costs in installments. On a lease of six months or longer, the tenant can elect six equal monthly installments; on a shorter lease or a month-to-month agreement, two installments.
• Late fees are capped at 1.5 percent of one month's rent under RMC 9.54.050. On a $3,000 rental, that is $45, not the flat $100 or 5 percent figures that still appear in many lease templates.
• You may not require a Social Security number to screen an applicant. RMC 9.54.065 prohibits conditioning an application on an SSN, which matters for how your application form and screening instructions are written.

If your current lease was written for a generic Washington State audience, the late fee clause and the deposit structure are the two most likely places it conflicts with Redmond law. Our guide to renting out your home in Redmond walks the whole setup process end to end.

What Happens if You Violate RMC 9.54?

This is where Redmond's chapter has real teeth. Under RMC 9.54.090, a tenant can bring a private lawsuit and recover the greater of double their actual damages or three times the monthly rent, plus court costs and attorney fees. On a $3,000 rental, the floor of that exposure is $9,000 before fees.

Just as important, RMC 9.54.070 makes any lease term that violates the chapter void and unenforceable. A 5 percent late fee clause or a deposit-plus-fees package over one month's rent is not merely something a judge will trim back; it is a violation that can support that damages claim.

The takeaway: in Redmond, an outdated lease template is not a paperwork problem, it is a liability. The chapter has been in effect since 2022, so "I did not know" is not a position you want to argue from.

Does Redmond Require a Business License for Rentals?

For most small owners, no. Under RMC 5.04.130, as amended through Ordinance 3239, long-term rental housing is exempt from the city business license requirement at 4 or fewer units at one location. The license is required in two situations:

• 5 or more units at one property. A single-family home, a condo, a duplex, or a fourplex does not trigger it; a five-unit building does.
• Any short-term rental, regardless of size. Redmond tightened its short-term rental rules effective January 1, 2026, so an owner considering the STR route should read the current requirements before listing, not after.

Note what this is not: it is not a rental registration or inspection program. Redmond does not run one, which surprises owners coming from cities that do.

What Local Rules Does Redmond Not Have?

Knowing what a city does not require is as useful as knowing what it does. Verified against the Redmond Municipal Code in August 2026, Redmond has:

• No rental registration or rental inspection program. There is no city registry to join and no periodic city inspection requirement for long-term rentals.
• No local just cause ordinance. The statewide just cause law, RCW 59.18.650, governs how tenancies end. The only local wrinkle is a narrow good-cause rule that applies during condominium-conversion notice periods under RMC 16.04.110.
• No fair chance housing ordinance. Redmond has no local rule restricting criminal-history screening the way Seattle does.
• No local relocation assistance ordinance. State law governs.

On source of income: discrimination against lawful income such as housing vouchers is illegal everywhere in Washington State under RCW 59.18.255. Redmond also has a narrow Section 8 ordinance from 2012 in RMC 6.38, but the statewide statute is the operative rule owners should build their screening around.

Common Questions from Redmond Owners

Does Redmond Have Its Own Landlord-Tenant Laws?

Yes. Redmond, Washington adopted RMC 9.54, "Tenant Protections," effective July 30, 2022. It adds rent increase notice tiers of 120 and 180 days, a one-month cap on combined move-in fees and deposits with tenant installment rights, a 1.5 percent late fee cap, and a ban on requiring a Social Security number to screen, all on top of Washington State law.

How Much Notice Do I Need to Raise Rent in Redmond?

Under RMC 9.54.030, a rent increase over 3 percent requires 120 days' written notice and an increase over 10 percent requires 180 days, with a 30-day rule for income-based subsidized housing. Increases of 3 percent or less follow the state 90-day minimum. Separately, the state cap under RCW 59.18.700 limits covered tenancies to 9.683 percent in 2026, so the 180-day tier rarely comes into play.

Do I Need a Business License to Rent Out My Redmond House?

Not for a long-term rental of 4 or fewer units at one location; RMC 5.04.130 exempts them. A city business license is required for 5 or more units at one property and for any short-term rental, and Redmond's short-term rental rules tightened effective January 1, 2026.

How Sagareus Handles Local Registration and Licensing

Register and license every property with its city, keep it renewed, and pass the required inspections, so you never have to track which city requires what. Across the Puget Sound, the rules change at every city line. What we do for each property we manage:

• Register the property with its city. Many cities, including Seattle, Renton, Kent, Tukwila, Kirkland, and Burien, require a rental registration or business license to operate a property as rental housing, and the rules vary by city.
• Keep it current. Some cities renew every year, others every two; we track each expiration and renew on time, so a registration never lapses on your watch.
• Handle the required inspections. Where a city mandates periodic inspection, we coordinate a licensed inspector, schedule access with respect for your residents, and see any required repairs through to sign-off.

You pay the city's fees; we handle the tracking, filing, and follow-up, so the registration never lapses on your watch.

This is the invisible compliance work that quietly catches self-managing owners off guard, and exactly where local expertise pays for itself.

Redmond has no registry to join, but its notice tiers, fee caps, and lease requirements are exactly the kind of city-line rules Sagareus Property Management tracks for every home we manage, including full Redmond property management. Curious what that would cost for your rental? Our instant calculator gives you a real range in under a minute, no email required. Request your instant estimate.

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