Pet Policy: Should Your Washington Rental Allow Pets?

CompareFacts checked November 8, 2026Reviewed by Gary E. Wilson, President and Designated Broker

First, assistance animals are not pets

Before you write a pet policy, separate two things. A pet is an animal a tenant keeps by choice. An assistance animal is one a person with a disability needs, and the request is handled as a reasonable accommodation under fair housing law, not under your pet clause.

Federal rules make it unlawful to refuse reasonable accommodations in rules, policies or practices when needed to give a person with a disability equal use of a home. HUD's own example is a no-pets building that must allow a blind tenant's guide dog (24 CFR 100.204). Washington's rule says a landlord's no-pet policy cannot be applied to the dog guide or service animal of a person with a disability, and that charging a pet deposit in addition to the standard deposit is an unfair practice (WAC 162-38-100).

Do not rely on the narrow service animal definition Washington uses for public places such as stores. Washington's definition (dogs and miniature horses trained for tasks) expressly does not apply to housing (RCW 49.60.040). Seattle's code department also says service animals are not pets and no pet damage deposit may be charged for them.

So a no-pets policy and a pet deposit are choices only for pets. Our guide to assistance animals in Washington rentals covers requests, documentation and what you may ask.

How pet deposits and fees work under state law

Washington does not have a separate pet deposit statute for houses and apartments. A pet deposit is a deposit, so the usual deposit rules apply. These are covered in depth on our Washington security deposit law page:

• The lease must be in writing and say when the deposit may be kept, and you need a signed move-in checklist before you collect it (RCW 59.18.260).
• No deposit can be kept for wear from ordinary use. Carpet cleaning can be charged only if you document wear beyond ordinary use (RCW 59.18.280).
• The deposit goes into a trust account, and the move-out statement with any refund is due within 30 days (RCW 59.18.270 and RCW 59.18.280).
• A nonrefundable pet fee must be called nonrefundable in the written lease. If it is not, the law treats it as a refundable deposit (RCW 59.18.285).
• If all deposits and nonrefundable fees together are more than 25% of the first full month's rent, or you require last month's rent up front, the tenant can ask in writing to pay them in installments (RCW 59.18.610).

Monthly pet rent and the rent rules

Some leases add a monthly pet charge. Under RCW 59.18.030, rent includes recurring and periodic charges identified in the rental agreement for use and occupancy. The state's rent increase notice form covers rent and other recurring or periodic charges together, so a monthly pet charge is likely counted when you figure an increase under the annual cap (RCW 59.18.720). Check the current rule before adding or raising one mid-tenancy.

Cities can add their own limits. In Seattle, for example, a pet damage deposit cannot be more than 25% of the first full month's rent, only one pet deposit may be held per household, nonrefundable pet fees are not allowed, and the tenant may pay the pet deposit in three monthly installments (Seattle SDCI: Pets). Our post on move-in fees and deposit limits covers other local rules.

The trade-offs of allowing pets

Allowing pets can widen your pool of applicants and may help a good tenant stay longer. It can also mean more wear on floors, doors and yards, and more time at move-out sorting ordinary wear from damage.

Tenants must not damage the home or let anyone under their control do so (RCW 59.18.130), and you can pursue a tenant for documented damage that goes beyond the deposit (RCW 59.18.280). In practice, the move-in checklist and dated photos decide those disputes. Without them, deductions are hard to support.

Many owners land in the middle: pets considered case by case under written limits on number, type and size, with the same deposit terms for every pet-owning tenant.

What a clear pet policy spells out

Whichever way you go, write the policy down before you advertise and apply it the same way to every applicant. A typical written pet policy, used by careful licensed managers, covers:

• Whether pets are allowed, and any limits on number, kind or size.
• The pet deposit amount and the terms for keeping any of it, stated in the lease.
• Any nonrefundable pet fee, labeled nonrefundable in writing, where local law allows one.
• Any monthly pet charge, and how it fits the rent increase rules.
• Yard cleanup, waste, noise and leash expectations.
• What happens if an unapproved pet appears. A substantial breach of a material lease term can be a cause to end a tenancy, but only after a written notice giving the tenant at least 10 days to fix it (RCW 59.18.650).
• A plain statement that assistance animals are handled through the accommodation process, not the pet policy.

Check HOA rules, insurance and the lease

If the home is in a condo or HOA, the association's rules can limit pets no matter what your lease says. Wilson Management's single-family management page notes that townhome associations often have their own rules on pets, parking and rental caps. Read the governing documents before you advertise, so the lease matches them.

Ask your insurer whether your landlord policy limits coverage for animal-related claims, and whether it asks about pets at the property. Then write the policy into the lease. Wilson Management's lease management page lists pets as a clause to settle in writing, within the deposit and fee limits Washington sets, and says assistance animals are a separate question.

If you want help with the whole leasing step, Wilson's tenant placement service covers pricing, marketing, screening, lease preparation and move-in, and ends once the tenant takes possession.