If you own or manage rental property in Washington State, there's an important update to
the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act (RCWS) that took effect today — and it changes how
you're required to deliver legal notices to your tenants.
A Quick History of the Rule
Let's rewind a bit to understand how we got here.
More than a year ago, the rule was relatively straightforward: if you needed to mail a legal notice to a tenant — whether that was a rent increase notice, a pay-rent-or-vacate notice, a change of terms, a compliance notice, or any notice that could be acted on in court or change the terms of a rental agreement — you could simply send it via standard US mail.
The only requirements were:
The notice had to be mailed from the county in which the property was located
You had to allow two extra days for mailing
In 2025, that changed. The rule was updated to require that all such notices be sent via certified mail, anywhere in Washington State, with a five-day mailing allowance instead of two.
What Changed as of June 12, 2026
As of today, there's another update — and this one actually relaxes the requirement a bit:
Certified mail is no longer required. However, you must still allow five days for mailing.
Here's a clean summary of what the current rule looks like:
Requirement | Current Rule (as of June 12, 2026) |
Mailing method | Standard mail — certified is no longer required |
Mailing days allowed | 5 days |
Where notice must be mailed from | Within the state of Washington |
Personal service | If personally served to each tenant, the 5-day mailing window does not apply |
The Key Details to Remember
Mail from within Washington State. If you own property in Washington but live out of state, you cannot mail a notice from your home state. The notice must originate from within Washington.
Allow five days for mailing. Unless you have personally process-served the notice to every tenant at the property, you must build in five days of mailing time.
Personal service still matters. If a notice is personally delivered to the tenant (process served), the five-day mailing requirement does not apply.
Why This Matters
Notices that don't follow proper service requirements can be challenged in court — which can delay evictions, invalidate rent increases, or create costly legal complications. Staying current on these rules isn't just good practice; it protects your rights as a landlord.
Have questions about this change or anything else related to property management in
Washington State? Give us a call — we're here to help.
SJC Management Group Designated Broker: Jason
