Wash. Admin. Code § 162-38 § 162-38-100
Persons with dog guides or service animals.
Operative Text
(1) Are protected. RCW 49.60.222 protects persons with disabilities from discrimination because of their use of a trained dog guide or service animal the same as it protects them from discrimination directly because of disability. (2) General rule. The same rules that apply to the treatment of persons because of disability under RCW 49.60.222 and this chapter apply to the treatment of persons with disabilities because they use a trained dog guide or service animal. (3) Landlord's duty. It is an unfair practice for a landlord to refuse to rent to a person with a disability because the person uses a trained dog guide or service animal. A landlord's no-pet policy cannot be applied to the dog guide or service animal of a person with a disability. (4) Cleaning or damage deposits not unfair. It is not an unfair practice for a landlord to enforce on a tenant with a disability using a dog guide or service animal its standard cleaning or damage deposit if the same cleaning or damage deposit is enforced equally on all tenants. (5) Pet deposits unfair. It is an unfair practice for a landlord to enforce on a tenant with a disability using a dog guide or service animal a pet deposit in addition to any standard cleaning or damage deposit.
Washington Administrative Code § 162-38-100 establishes that tenants with disabilities who use trained dog guides or service animals are protected from housing discrimination on the same basis as disability discrimination under RCW 49.60.222. A landlord's standard no-pet policy cannot be applied to a qualifying service animal or dog guide. While landlords may apply their standard cleaning or damage deposits equally to all tenants, charging an additional pet deposit specifically because a tenant uses a service animal or dog guide is considered an unfair practice under this rule.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Wash. Admin. Code § 162-38-100, compliant housing operators do not deny rental applications or apply no-pet policies to tenants whose dog guides or service animals are used because of a disability. Operators who collect cleaning or damage deposits apply those deposits uniformly across all tenants, regardless of disability status or service animal use. Charging a separate or additional pet deposit on top of a standard cleaning or damage deposit for a tenant using a service animal is classified as an unfair practice and is not a permissible fee structure under this provision.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Wash. Admin. Code § 162-38-100 affirms that tenants with disabilities have the right to keep a trained dog guide or service animal in a rental unit even when a landlord maintains a general no-pet policy. A landlord may collect the same standard cleaning or damage deposit required of all tenants, but may not impose an additional pet deposit solely because of the service animal. Tenants who believe this provision has been violated may consider filing a complaint with the Washington State Human Rights Commission, raising the violation as a defense in a housing proceeding, or reaching out to a local tenant-rights organization for general information about available options.
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 14, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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