Wash. Rev. Code § 59.18 § 59.18.755
Smart access systems -- Privacy policy.
Operative Text
(1) The landlord of a smart access building shall make available to tenants any written privacy policy of the entity that developed the smart access system utilized in such building, or any written privacy policy of the entity that currently operates the smart access system utilized in the building. (2) The landlord of a smart access building, or an agent thereof, must provide to tenants, either upon the initial signing of a lease agreement or within five days of the installation of the smart access system, a written policy in plain language that describes, at a minimum, the following information if it is not included in the privacy policy described in subsection (1) of this section: (a) The data elements to be collected by the smart access system, including the extent to which data elements are collected that contain information of, or relating to, the guests of a tenant; (b) The protocols and safeguards the landlord will provide for protecting such data elements; (c) The retention schedule of such data; (d) The protocols the landlord will follow to address any suspected or actual unauthorized access to or disclosure of such data elements, including notification of users; (e) Guidelines for permanently destroying or anonymizing such data or removing such data from the smart access system; and (f) The process used to add a tenant who has provided written consent on a temporary basis to the smart access system. (3) If the information required to be provided under subsection (2) of this section is provided by the smart access system developer and the landlord does not retain or sell any information from the smart access system, a landlord is compliant with the requirements of this section by providing the privacy policy of the developer or by providing a link to the developer's website which contains the privacy policy of the smart access system.
Washington's Wash. Rev. Code § 59.18.755 establishes privacy disclosure requirements for landlords who operate 'smart access buildings'—properties that use electronic or automated systems to control entry. The rule requires that tenants receive written information about how the smart access system collects, stores, protects, and ultimately destroys or anonymizes their data, either from the landlord directly or from the system's developer. If the developer's own privacy policy covers all required topics and the landlord neither retains nor sells any data from the system, sharing that policy or a link to it satisfies the law.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Wash. Rev. Code § 59.18.755, landlords of smart access buildings generally provide tenants with a written privacy disclosure at lease signing or within five days of installing the system. Compliant operators ensure the disclosure covers, at minimum, what data is collected (including guest data), how it is protected, how long it is kept, how breaches are handled, how data is eventually destroyed or anonymized, and how temporary consent-based access is granted. If the system developer's privacy policy already addresses all of these points and the landlord does not retain or sell any system data, providing that policy—or a direct link to it—typically satisfies the requirements of § 59.18.755.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Wash. Rev. Code § 59.18.755 gives tenants in smart access buildings the right to receive a written privacy policy explaining how the entry system handles their data, including data about their guests. This disclosure should arrive at lease signing or within five days of the system's installation, and it must address data collection, protection, retention, breach notification, data destruction, and temporary access procedures. Tenants who believe this disclosure was not provided may wish to contact a Washington tenant-rights organization, consult the Washington State Attorney General's consumer protection resources, or raise the omission as a relevant issue in any related housing proceeding.
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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