Washington Mold, Pests, Heat & AC Rules
Washington rules on mold, pests, heat & ac for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: Disclosure required: the landlord must give tenants information provided or approved by the Department of Health about the health hazards of indoor mold and how tenants can control mold growth, either in writing to each tenant or posted in a visible public location on the property. RCW 59.18.060(1), (5), (14), (15)
The rules in Washington
| Mold | Disclosure required: the landlord must give tenants information provided or approved by the Department of Health about the health hazards of indoor mold and how tenants can control mold growth, either in writing to each tenant or posted in a visible public location on the property. The landlord is immune from civil liability for failing to do so unless the failure is knowing and intentional. There is no mold-specific remediation standard; mold is handled under the landlord's general duty to keep the premises fit for habitation, comply with health and safety codes and make repairs. Mold disclosure was added in 2005 (2005 c 465). Local housing codes may contain additional standards. |
|---|---|
| Pests & bed bugs | The landlord must provide a reasonable program for the control of insects, rodents and other pests at the start of the tenancy and, except in a single-family residence, must control infestation during the tenancy unless the tenant caused it. No bed-bug-specific statute (no disclosure or inspection rule). The tenant must pay all extermination and fumigation costs for an infestation the tenant caused. In a single-family residence, pest control during the tenancy is not a statutory landlord duty (the lease may assign it). Source: RCW 59.18.060(4); 59.18.130(2) |
| Heat | Yes. The landlord must provide facilities adequate to supply heat (and water and hot water) as reasonably required by the tenant, and keep heating facilities it supplies in reasonably good working order. After notice, a defect depriving the tenant of heat must be remedied within 24 hours (where possible). State law sets no minimum indoor temperature or heating season. Some cities (for example, Seattle) set minimum temperatures by ordinance. It is unlawful for a landlord to intentionally cause termination of a tenant's heat or other utilities except for repairs (RCW 59.18.300). |
| Air conditioning | No duty to provide air conditioning and no maximum indoor temperature. Since 2026, a landlord generally may not prohibit or restrict a tenant from installing a portable cooling device (air conditioner or portable heat pump) and may not charge a fee for its use, inspection or installation. Exceptions: the unit already has a permanent, fully operational heat pump; installation would violate codes or manufacturer safety guidelines, cause unreasonable damage, or exceed the electrical supply; and window units may be restricted for egress, lock, mounting, security or written insurance-policy reasons (which must be disclosed in the lease). The tenant must give 2 days' notice before installing a window unit. Also, a landlord may not cut off electric or water service for nonpayment on a day the National Weather Service has issued a heat-related alert for the area. RCW 59.18.740 was enacted by Laws of 2026, ch. 184. The landlord is immune from liability for damage or injury caused by a tenant-installed device and may still deduct from the deposit for damage. Source: RCW 59.18.740; 59.18.060(11)(a) |
| Smoke and CO detectors | The owner must install smoke detection devices in rental units and make sure they work before a new tenant moves in after a vacancy. The tenant is responsible for maintaining them, including replacing batteries, as the manufacturer specifies. The landlord must give the tenant a signed written notice that the unit has a smoke detection device and explaining the tenant's duty to maintain it (and, except for single-family homes, whether it is hard-wired or battery-operated and other fire safety details). Residential buildings must also have carbon monoxide alarms under state building code rules, and tenants are responsible for maintaining them, including batteries. Owners, sellers and tenants who fail to comply with the smoke detector law face a fine of up to $200; an owner faces $5,000 if a fire then causes damage, injury or death to a tenant's household. |
Related questions
- Does a landlord have to fix mold?
- Who pays for pest control and bed bugs in a rental?
- Does a landlord have to provide heat?
- Does a landlord have to provide air conditioning?
Washington vs. neighboring states
| State | Mold | Pests & bed bugs | Heat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | Disclosure required: the landlord must give tenants information provided or approved by the Department of Health about the health hazards of indoor mold and how tenants can control mold growth, either in writing to each tenant or posted in a visible public location on the property. The landlord is immune from civil liability for failing to do so unless the failure is knowing and intentional. There is no mold-specific remediation standard; mold is handled under the landlord's general duty to keep the premises fit for habitation, comply with health and safety codes and make repairs. RCW 59.18.060(1), (5), (14), (15) | The landlord must provide a reasonable program for the control of insects, rodents and other pests at the start of the tenancy and, except in a single-family residence, must control infestation during the tenancy unless the tenant caused it. No bed-bug-specific statute (no disclosure or inspection rule). The tenant must pay all extermination and fumigation costs for an infestation the tenant caused. RCW 59.18.060(4); 59.18.130(2) | Yes. The landlord must provide facilities adequate to supply heat (and water and hot water) as reasonably required by the tenant, and keep heating facilities it supplies in reasonably good working order. After notice, a defect depriving the tenant of heat must be remedied within 24 hours (where possible). State law sets no minimum indoor temperature or heating season. RCW 59.18.060(8), (11); 59.18.070(1) |
| Idaho | No statute — Idaho has no mold-specific landlord-tenant law and no state agency that regulates mold inspection or removal in rentals. Mold is handled under the tenant's right to sue a landlord who maintains the premises in a manner hazardous to health or safety, fails to provide reasonable waterproofing and weather protection, or fails to maintain plumbing and ventilation facilities. The Attorney General advises tenants to report leaks, excess moisture, or recurring mold to the landlord immediately. Idaho Code § 6-320(a)(1)–(3); Idaho AG, Landlord and Tenant Manual (July 2026), pp. 16–17 | No statute — Idaho law does not specifically assign pest or bed-bug treatment or require a bed-bug disclosure. The Attorney General lists insect infestations as an example of a condition that may violate housing standards and the landlord's duty not to maintain the premises in a manner hazardous to health or safety. Idaho Code § 6-320(a)(3); Idaho AG, Landlord and Tenant Manual (July 2026), pp. 11–12 | No statute sets a minimum temperature or requires landlords to supply heat, but a tenant may sue a landlord who fails to maintain in good working order heating facilities the landlord supplied. The Attorney General lists nonfunctioning heating units as a condition that may violate housing standards. Idaho Code § 6-320(a)(2); Idaho AG, Landlord and Tenant Manual (July 2026), p. 12 |
| Oregon | No mold-specific statute — the general habitability duty applies. A unit is unhabitable if it substantially lacks effective waterproofing and weather protection, plumbing in good working order, or floors, walls and ceilings in good repair, among other items. Mold is expressly excluded from the 'minor habitability defect' repair-and-deduct remedy (repairs up to $300), so tenants must use the other habitability remedies. ORS 90.320(1); ORS 90.368(1)(b) | No bed-bug-specific statute. At the start of the tenancy the landlord must deliver buildings and grounds free of rodents and vermin, and must keep areas under the landlord's control free of rodents and vermin. The tenant must keep areas under the tenant's control free of rodents and vermin to the extent the tenant caused the problem, and must reasonably cooperate with the landlord's efforts to remedy it. ORS 90.320(1)(f); ORS 90.325(1)(b) | Yes. A unit is unhabitable if it substantially lacks adequate heating facilities that conformed to applicable law when installed and are maintained in good working order. No statewide minimum indoor temperature or heating season. If the landlord deliberately or negligently fails to supply heat or other essential services, the tenant has remedies including procuring heat and deducting the cost, recovering damages, or obtaining substitute housing. ORS 90.320(1)(d); ORS 90.365 |
City rules that may add to state law
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Washington Mold, Pests, Heat & AC Rules FAQ
Does a landlord have to fix mold in Washington?
Disclosure required: the landlord must give tenants information provided or approved by the Department of Health about the health hazards of indoor mold and how tenants can control mold growth, either in writing to each tenant or posted in a visible public location on the property. The landlord is immune from civil liability for failing to do so unless the failure is knowing and intentional. There is no mold-specific remediation standard; mold is handled under the landlord's general duty to keep the premises fit for habitation, comply with health and safety codes and make repairs. (RCW 59.18.060(1), (5), (14), (15))
Who pays for pest control and bed bugs in Washington?
The landlord must provide a reasonable program for the control of insects, rodents and other pests at the start of the tenancy and, except in a single-family residence, must control infestation during the tenancy unless the tenant caused it. No bed-bug-specific statute (no disclosure or inspection rule). The tenant must pay all extermination and fumigation costs for an infestation the tenant caused. (RCW 59.18.060(4); 59.18.130(2))
Does a landlord have to provide heat in Washington?
Yes. The landlord must provide facilities adequate to supply heat (and water and hot water) as reasonably required by the tenant, and keep heating facilities it supplies in reasonably good working order. After notice, a defect depriving the tenant of heat must be remedied within 24 hours (where possible). State law sets no minimum indoor temperature or heating season. (RCW 59.18.060(8), (11); 59.18.070(1))
Does a landlord have to provide air conditioning in Washington?
No duty to provide air conditioning and no maximum indoor temperature. Since 2026, a landlord generally may not prohibit or restrict a tenant from installing a portable cooling device (air conditioner or portable heat pump) and may not charge a fee for its use, inspection or installation. Exceptions: the unit already has a permanent, fully operational heat pump; installation would violate codes or manufacturer safety guidelines, cause unreasonable damage, or exceed the electrical supply; and window units may be restricted for egress, lock, mounting, security or written insurance-policy reasons (which must be disclosed in the lease). The tenant must give 2 days' notice before installing a window unit. Also, a landlord may not cut off electric or water service for nonpayment on a day the National Weather Service has issued a heat-related alert for the area. (RCW 59.18.740; 59.18.060(11)(a))
Who is responsible for smoke detectors in a rental in Washington?
The owner must install smoke detection devices in rental units and make sure they work before a new tenant moves in after a vacancy. The tenant is responsible for maintaining them, including replacing batteries, as the manufacturer specifies. The landlord must give the tenant a signed written notice that the unit has a smoke detection device and explaining the tenant's duty to maintain it (and, except for single-family homes, whether it is hard-wired or battery-operated and other fire safety details). Residential buildings must also have carbon monoxide alarms under state building code rules, and tenants are responsible for maintaining them, including batteries. (RCW 43.44.110(1), (3), (5); 59.18.060(12); 59.18.130(7); 19.27.530)
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.