Housing Laws

For tenants who are victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, unlawful harassment, or stalking, or whose household members are victims, Washington’s housing laws provide the following protections to the tenant:

• You have the right to end (terminate) your lease early without having to pay a penalty if you follow the required steps.¹
• It is illegal for a landlord to discriminate against you by ending your tenancy, not renewing your tenancy, refusing to rent to you, or trying to evict you because:
  • you or your household member is a victim; or
  • you terminated a prior lease based on the protections that these laws offer.​²
• If you have a protection order that gives you possession of the home and excludes the abuser, you have to right to ask the landlord to change your locks. However, you have to pay for it.³

¹ R.C.W. § 59.18.575(1)(b)
² R.C.W. § 59.18.580(2), (4)
³ R.C.W. § 59.18.585(1)