LotWardenLien laws by state

Storage lien laws · State guide

Washington storage lien laws

Revised Code of Washington, Chapter 19.150 — Self-Service Storage Facilities →Verified 2026-06-10

Washington gives storage owners a lien on stored property for unpaid rent, labor, late fees, and costs of sale (RCW 19.150.020). Enforcement is a two-notice sequence. After 14 days of non-payment the owner sends a preliminary lien notice; occupancy rights terminate no sooner than 14 days after that notice. The owner then sends a final lien sale notice — by personal service, verified mail, or email — with a sale date at least 14 days from the notice AND at least 42 days from when rent first became unpaid, whichever is later (RCW 19.150.060). Property worth $300 or more must be sold in a commercially reasonable manner; property under $300 may be disposed of reasonably. For vehicles, boats, trailers, RVs, and campers in default 60 or more days, the owner may have the property towed instead (RCW 19.150.160). Late fees are capped at $20 or 20% of monthly rent, whichever is greater, and must appear in the rental agreement (RCW 19.150.150).

At a glance

WA · verified 2026-06-10
Statute
Revised Code of Washington, Chapter 19.150 — Self-Service Storage Facilities
Notice delivery
Preliminary notice (Step 1): First-class mail to occupant's last known address and any alternative address on file (RCW 19.150.040(1)) · Preliminary notice (Step 1): Email — only if four conditions are met: (a) the occupant has expressly agreed; (b) the rental agreement specifies in bold type that notices will be given by email; (c) the owner provides the sending email address and directs the occupant to configure settings to allow mail from that address; and (d) the owner notifies the occupant in advance of any change to the sending email address (RCW 19.150.040(2)) · Final lien sale notice (Step 2): Personal service, verified mail, or email to occupant's last known address and any alternative address on file (RCW 19.150.060) · Final lien sale notice (Step 2): If email delivery fails, a second notice must be sent by verified mail to the occupant's last known postal address (RCW 19.150.060)
Sale method
Property worth $300 or more must be sold in a commercially reasonable manner — a public sale held on or off the facility, as a single lot or in parcels; five or more bidders present deems proceeds commercially reasonable (RCW 19.150.010). Property worth less than $300 may be disposed of reasonably (donation, recycling, trash removal) without a sale. Personal papers and photographs may not be sold; retain for six months, then dispose of reasonably (RCW 19.150.080(3)). Owners, employees, and their family members may not acquire, directly or indirectly, any property sold or disposed of under this chapter (RCW 19.150.080(4)).
Late fees
The statute sets a specific safe-harbor cap: a late fee of $20 or 20% of the monthly rental amount — whichever is greater — per late payment is deemed reasonable and is not a penalty (RCW 19.150.150). The late fee must be written into the rental agreement or a written addendum; it may not be collected if it is not in writing. By definition in RCW 19.150.010, a late fee is not interest on a debt and is not a reasonable expense for collection purposes — it is a charge that estimates the owner's loss from late payment. Late fees form part of the lien amount under RCW 19.150.020.
Vehicles & boats
Chapter 19.150 does not establish a storage-operator-to-buyer DMV title transfer mechanism. When an RV, boat, trailer, or vehicle is towed under RCW 19.150.160, the towing company takes possession and the facility owner's liability ends. Subsequent title disposition is governed by the vehicle storage facility or towing laws applicable to that third party (likely RCW 46.55). For any lien-sale path (rather than towing), a buyer at the commercially reasonable sale would need to pursue title transfer through the Department of Licensing using sale documentation, but Chapter 19.150 does not create an express title-transfer procedure. Confirm the downstream process with your towing company and the Washington Department of Licensing before proceeding.

The lien clock

Each station below is a statutory checkpoint. Miss one and the sale can be challenged — this is the timeline LotWarden tracks automatically.

  1. 01

    Day 0 — any portion of rent or charges remains unpaid

    Rent unpaid — lien already attached

    The statutory lien attaches automatically to all personal property at the facility from the moment it is placed there. The lien covers rent, labor, late fees, and costs of sale (RCW 19.150.020). If a motor vehicle or boat has a pre-existing lien noted in its title documents, that title lien takes priority over the storage facility lien. After six consecutive days of non-payment, the owner may deny the occupant access to the space if the rental agreement authorizes it (RCW 19.150.030).

    RCW 19.150.020; RCW 19.150.030

  2. 02

    After 14 consecutive days of non-payment

    Send preliminary lien notice

    Once rent has been unpaid for 14 consecutive days, the owner may send the preliminary lien notice by first-class mail or email. Email requires four statutory conditions: (a) occupant's express agreement; (b) rental agreement states in bold type that notices will be given by email; (c) owner discloses the sending address and directs the occupant to configure settings to allow it; and (d) owner notifies the occupant of any future address change before it occurs (RCW 19.150.040(2)). The notice must substantially follow RCW 19.150.050: headed "PRELIMINARY LIEN NOTICE," itemizing all sums due, naming a termination date at least 14 days out, warning that access may be denied and a lien imposed, and providing the owner's contact information.

    RCW 19.150.040; RCW 19.150.050; RCW 19.150.120

  3. 03

    No sooner than 14 days after the preliminary notice is sent

    Occupancy rights terminate

    If the occupant has not paid all amounts due by the date specified in the preliminary notice, the occupant's right to use the storage space terminates. The owner may deny further access. The rental agreement must also contain a written disclosure — required by RCW 19.150.120 — that property is subject to a lien and may be sold if rent remains unpaid for 14 days, and that the occupant must disclose any lienholders or secured parties with an interest in stored property. The lien does not attach at all unless the rental agreement requests and provides space for an alternative notification address (RCW 19.150.120(2)).

    RCW 19.150.040(1)(b); RCW 19.150.120

  4. 04

    After occupancy rights terminate; sale date must be at least 14 days from this notice AND at least 42 days from the date rent first became unpaid — whichever is later

    Send final lien sale notice

    The owner sends the final lien sale notice by personal service, verified mail, or email. If email delivery fails, a follow-up notice must go by verified mail to the last known postal address. The notice must state that the occupant's access has terminated; identify the lien amount; specify the sale date (meeting both timing minimums); state that personal papers and photographs will be retained for six months and may be reclaimed by the occupant; describe vehicle removal options under RCW 19.150.160 if applicable; explain excess proceeds handling; and state that the occupant has no right to repurchase property at the sale. A third-party security interest holder who pays the lien amount is entitled to receive the property before the sale (RCW 19.150.090).

    RCW 19.150.060; RCW 19.150.090

  5. 05

    On or after the sale date stated in the final notice

    Conduct commercially reasonable sale (or dispose of low-value property)

    If the stored property is worth $300 or more, the sale must be conducted in a "commercially reasonable manner" — a public sale, held on or off the facility premises, of property sold as a single lot or in parcels. A sale attended by five or more bidders is deemed commercially reasonable (RCW 19.150.010). Personal papers and personal photographs may never be sold; the owner must retain them for six months before disposing of them in a reasonable manner (RCW 19.150.080(3)). If property is worth less than $300, the owner may dispose of it in any reasonable manner — donation, recycling, or trash removal — without holding a sale (RCW 19.150.060; RCW 19.150.080(2)(b)). No owner, employee, or family member of either may acquire property at the sale (RCW 19.150.080(4)).

    RCW 19.150.010; RCW 19.150.070; RCW 19.150.080

  6. 06

    Immediately after the sale

    Apply proceeds and handle surplus

    Proceeds are applied first to costs of the sale, then to the lien amount. Any surplus must be held by the owner on the occupant's behalf. The occupant or any party holding a court order against the property may claim the surplus within six months of the sale date. The owner is entitled to retain interest earned on the surplus until it is claimed or transferred to the state. Unclaimed surplus after six months must be turned over to the state as abandoned property under chapter 63.30 RCW (Uniform Unclaimed Property Act). The owner must provide the occupant with an accounting of how the proceeds were applied (RCW 19.150.060).

    RCW 19.150.080(2)(a); RCW 19.150.080(5); RCW 63.30 RCW

Notice requirements

Permitted delivery

  • Preliminary notice (Step 1): First-class mail to occupant's last known address and any alternative address on file (RCW 19.150.040(1))
  • Preliminary notice (Step 1): Email — only if four conditions are met: (a) the occupant has expressly agreed; (b) the rental agreement specifies in bold type that notices will be given by email; (c) the owner provides the sending email address and directs the occupant to configure settings to allow mail from that address; and (d) the owner notifies the occupant in advance of any change to the sending email address (RCW 19.150.040(2))
  • Final lien sale notice (Step 2): Personal service, verified mail, or email to occupant's last known address and any alternative address on file (RCW 19.150.060)
  • Final lien sale notice (Step 2): If email delivery fails, a second notice must be sent by verified mail to the occupant's last known postal address (RCW 19.150.060)

The notice must include

  • PRELIMINARY NOTICE — header: "PRELIMINARY LIEN NOTICE" (RCW 19.150.050)
  • PRELIMINARY NOTICE — itemized statement of all sums due and dates they became due (RCW 19.150.040(1)(a))
  • PRELIMINARY NOTICE — statement that occupancy rights terminate on a specified date no sooner than 14 days after the notice, unless all amounts are paid (RCW 19.150.040(1)(b))
  • PRELIMINARY NOTICE — notice that access may be denied after termination and that a lien under RCW 19.150.020 may be imposed (RCW 19.150.040(1)(c))
  • PRELIMINARY NOTICE — owner's name, street address, and telephone number (RCW 19.150.040(1)(d))
  • FINAL NOTICE — statement that occupant's access has terminated and property is subject to a lien with the accrued amount (RCW 19.150.060)
  • FINAL NOTICE — a sale date meeting the 14-day-from-notice and 42-day-from-default minimums (RCW 19.150.060)
  • FINAL NOTICE — statement that personal papers and personal photographs will be retained by the owner and may be reclaimed by the occupant for six months after the sale, after which they may be disposed of in a reasonable manner (RCW 19.150.060; RCW 19.150.080(3))
  • FINAL NOTICE — vehicle removal options under RCW 19.150.160 if applicable (RCW 19.150.060)
  • FINAL NOTICE — excess proceeds handling and the right to claim within six months (RCW 19.150.060; RCW 19.150.080(2)(a))
  • FINAL NOTICE — statement that the occupant has no right to repurchase property sold (RCW 19.150.060)

RCW 19.150.040; RCW 19.150.050; RCW 19.150.060

The part most guides skip

Vehicles, boats & RVs

Washington provides a dedicated tow-away path for vehicles, watercraft, trailers, recreational vehicles, and campers stored at a self-service storage facility under RCW 19.150.160. When an occupant has been in default for 60 or more consecutive days and the stored personal property is one of those vehicle-type items, the owner may have the property towed or removed from the facility instead of conducting a lien sale. Before towing, the owner must provide written notice to the occupant identifying the towing company's name, address, and contact information. Once the property is in the possession of the third-party towing company, the owner is not liable for any damage to the property. There is no separate DMV title-transfer mechanism in Chapter 19.150; title issues for motor vehicles follow state vehicle title law after the towing company takes possession. For titled property (RVs, boats, trailers) that is not towed, the standard lien-sale path under RCW 19.150.060 and 19.150.080 applies, but note that any pre-existing lien noted in the vehicle's title documents takes priority over the storage facility lien (RCW 19.150.020). The 60-day default threshold for towing is distinct from and longer than the 14-day default threshold that triggers the preliminary lien notice process.

Titled property path

Chapter 19.150 does not establish a storage-operator-to-buyer DMV title transfer mechanism. When an RV, boat, trailer, or vehicle is towed under RCW 19.150.160, the towing company takes possession and the facility owner's liability ends. Subsequent title disposition is governed by the vehicle storage facility or towing laws applicable to that third party (likely RCW 46.55). For any lien-sale path (rather than towing), a buyer at the commercially reasonable sale would need to pursue title transfer through the Department of Licensing using sale documentation, but Chapter 19.150 does not create an express title-transfer procedure. Confirm the downstream process with your towing company and the Washington Department of Licensing before proceeding.

RCW 19.150.020; RCW 19.150.160

Sale rules

Method
Property worth $300 or more must be sold in a commercially reasonable manner — a public sale held on or off the facility, as a single lot or in parcels; five or more bidders present deems proceeds commercially reasonable (RCW 19.150.010). Property worth less than $300 may be disposed of reasonably (donation, recycling, trash removal) without a sale. Personal papers and photographs may not be sold; retain for six months, then dispose of reasonably (RCW 19.150.080(3)). Owners, employees, and their family members may not acquire, directly or indirectly, any property sold or disposed of under this chapter (RCW 19.150.080(4)).
Advertising
Chapter 19.150 does not mandate newspaper publication or any specific third-party advertising for the lien sale. The advertising obligation is satisfied by sending the final lien sale notice to the occupant per RCW 19.150.060 (by personal service, verified mail, or email), and then conducting the sale in a commercially reasonable manner as defined in RCW 19.150.010 (public sale, five or more bidders deemed commercially reasonable). No additional publication is required by the chapter text. Operators should document the sale method used to demonstrate commercial reasonableness.
Proceeds & surplus
Proceeds are applied first to costs of the sale, then to the lien amount. Surplus is held by the owner on the occupant's behalf for six months; the occupant or any party with a court order against the property may claim it during that period. The owner retains interest earned on the surplus. After six months, unclaimed surplus is turned over to the state as abandoned property under RCW 63.30 (Uniform Unclaimed Property Act). The owner must provide the occupant with an accounting of how proceeds were applied (RCW 19.150.060; RCW 19.150.080(2)(a)).

RCW 19.150.010; RCW 19.150.060; RCW 19.150.070; RCW 19.150.080

Late fees

The statute sets a specific safe-harbor cap: a late fee of $20 or 20% of the monthly rental amount — whichever is greater — per late payment is deemed reasonable and is not a penalty (RCW 19.150.150). The late fee must be written into the rental agreement or a written addendum; it may not be collected if it is not in writing. By definition in RCW 19.150.010, a late fee is not interest on a debt and is not a reasonable expense for collection purposes — it is a charge that estimates the owner's loss from late payment. Late fees form part of the lien amount under RCW 19.150.020.

RCW 19.150.010; RCW 19.150.020; RCW 19.150.150

Operator questions

My tenant's RV has been sitting in the lot unpaid for 45 days. Can I tow it now?

Not yet. RCW 19.150.160 requires 60 or more consecutive days of default before you may have a vehicle, RV, trailer, watercraft, or camper towed. At 45 days you should already have sent your preliminary lien notice (required after 14 days) and be in the process of preparing or sending your final lien sale notice. Once you reach 60 days of default, you have the option to tow instead of holding a sale — but you must first give the tenant written notice naming the towing company and its contact information before removal begins.

What notice must I send before towing a defaulting tenant's boat or RV?

RCW 19.150.160 requires written notice to the occupant before removal. The notice must identify the towing company's name, address, and contact information. The statute does not specify how this notice is delivered or how many days before towing it must be sent — it must simply be provided before the property is removed. Once the towing company takes possession, your liability for any damage to the property ends.

Do I still have to send the full two-notice sequence before I can tow an RV?

The statute (RCW 19.150.160) conditions towing on two things: 60 or more days of default and written pre-tow notice to the occupant naming the towing company. It does not expressly require you to complete the preliminary and final lien sale notice sequence before towing. However, this is an area of legal ambiguity — consult a Washington attorney before skipping the notice sequence, as it may affect your ability to recover any remaining balance owed after the tow.

How much can I charge as a late fee under Washington law?

RCW 19.150.150 sets a statutory safe harbor: a late fee of $20 or 20% of the monthly rental amount — whichever is greater — per late payment is deemed reasonable and is not a penalty. The fee must be written into the rental agreement or a signed addendum before you can collect it. Washington law (RCW 19.150.010) explicitly defines a late fee as an estimate of loss from non-payment, not as interest or a collection expense, so it does not count toward collection costs when you calculate lien sale proceeds.

The only thing in my tenant's outdoor space is an old boat worth about $200. Do I have to hold a public auction?

No. If the total value of property in the storage space is less than $300, RCW 19.150.060 and 19.150.080(2)(b) allow you to dispose of it in any reasonable manner — donation to a charitable organization, removal by a recycler or trash hauler, or other disposal method — without conducting a commercially reasonable public sale. You must still complete the full two-notice sequence and wait for the sale date specified in the final notice before disposal. Provide the occupant with an accounting of the disposition afterward.

After I sell a unit, what do I do with money left over after I cover my costs and the lien?

Hold the surplus on the occupant's behalf. Under RCW 19.150.080(2)(a), the occupant or anyone with a court judgment against the property has six months from the sale date to claim the excess. You are entitled to keep interest earned on the funds during that period. If no one claims the surplus within six months, you must turn it over to the state as abandoned property under RCW 63.30 (Washington's Uniform Unclaimed Property Act). Provide the occupant with a written accounting of how the sale proceeds were applied (RCW 19.150.060).

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