Wash. Rev. Code § 59.18 § 59.18.255
Source of income -- Landlords prohibited from certain acts -- Violation -- Penalties.
Operative Text
(1) A landlord may not, based on the source of income of an otherwise eligible prospective tenant or current tenant: (a) Refuse to lease or rent any real property to a prospective tenant or current tenant, unless the: (i) Prospective tenant's or current tenant's source of income is conditioned on the real property passing inspection; (ii) written estimate of the cost of improvements necessary to pass inspection is more than one thousand five hundred dollars; and (iii) landlord has not received moneys from the landlord mitigation program account to make the improvements; (b) Expel a prospective tenant or current tenant from any real property; (c) Make any distinction, discrimination, or restriction against a prospective tenant or current tenant in the price, terms, conditions, fees, or privileges relating to the rental, lease, or occupancy of real property or in the furnishing of any facilities or services in connection with the rental, lease, or occupancy of real property; (d) Attempt to discourage the rental or lease of any real property to a prospective tenant or current tenant; (e) Assist, induce, incite, or coerce another person to commit an act or engage in a practice that violates this section; (f) Coerce, intimidate, threaten, or interfere with any person in the exercise or enjoyment of, or on account of the person having exercised or enjoyed or having aided or encouraged any other person in the exercise or enjoyment of, any right granted or protected under this section; (g) Represent to a person that a dwelling unit is not available for inspection or rental when the dwelling unit in fact is available for inspection or rental; or (h) Otherwise make unavailable or deny a dwelling unit to a prospective tenant or current tenant that, but for his or her source of income, would be eligible to rent real property. (2) A landlord may not publish, circulate, issue, or display, or cause to be published, circulated, issued, or displayed, any communication, notice, advertisement, or sign of any kind relating to the rental or lease of real property that indicates a preference, limitation, or requirement based on any source of income. (3) If a landlord requires that a prospective tenant or current tenant have a certain threshold level of income, any source of income in the form of a rent voucher or subsidy must be subtracted from the total of the monthly rent prior to calculating if the income criteria have been met. (4) A person in violation of this section shall be held liable in a civil action up to four and one-half times the monthly rent of the real property at issue, as well as court costs and reasonable attorneys' fees. (5) As used in this section, "source of income" includes benefits or subsidy programs including housing assistance, public assistance, emergency rental assistance, veterans benefits, social security, supplemental security income or other retirement programs, and other programs administered by any federal, state, local, or nonprofit entity. "Source of income" does not include income derived in an illegal manner.
Washington law under Wash. Rev. Code § 59.18.255 prohibits landlords from discriminating against prospective or current tenants based on their source of income, which includes housing vouchers, public assistance, veterans benefits, Social Security, and similar programs. Landlords cannot refuse to rent, impose different terms, discourage applications, misrepresent availability, or publish advertisements that express a preference against any lawful income source. A narrow exception exists when a voucher-based tenancy requires a property inspection, the estimated cost of required improvements exceeds $1,500, and the landlord has not received funds from the state's landlord mitigation program to cover those costs. Tenants who experience a violation may pursue a civil action and recover up to four and one-half times the monthly rent, plus court costs and reasonable attorneys' fees.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Wash. Rev. Code § 59.18.255, compliant operators generally accept all lawful income sources—including housing vouchers and public assistance—on equal terms with other payment methods when screening applicants. Operators review their rental listings, advertisements, and screening criteria to ensure no language signals a preference against any protected income source, and they apply income threshold calculations by subtracting the value of any rent voucher or subsidy from the monthly rent before comparing the remainder to income requirements. When a voucher requires a property inspection, operators document whether estimated improvement costs exceed $1,500 and whether landlord mitigation program funds are available before determining whether the narrow statutory exception applies.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Wash. Rev. Code § 59.18.255 gives tenants and applicants the right to be evaluated without regard to whether their income comes from housing vouchers, public benefits, Social Security, veterans benefits, or similar lawful programs. If a landlord refuses to rent, imposes different terms, misrepresents availability, or publishes discriminatory advertisements based on an income source, that conduct may constitute a violation of this section, and affected individuals can raise the violation in a civil action seeking up to four and one-half times the monthly rent, plus court costs and attorneys' fees. Tenants exploring their options may find it useful to contact a local tenant-rights organization or a fair-housing agency, which can explain available complaint and enforcement pathways under this provision.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 7, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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