What is the law regarding late fees and other charges?

In Washington, the law regarding late fees and other charges can be found in the Washington Residential Landlord-Tenant Act. This law states that a landlord may impose reasonable late fees and other charges if the tenant has failed to comply with the terms of the rental agreement. The amount of the late fee or other charge must be disclosed in the rental agreement. The late fee must also be commercially reasonable. This means that the late fee must be reasonable when compared to charges imposed by other rental businesses in the locality. Additionally, the law states that the late fee or other charge may not exceed the applicable statutory late fee of two dollars per day or twenty dollars in total. Finally, the law states that the landlord may not require the tenant to pay attorney fees or other costs that may result from the tenant’s non-compliance.

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What is the law regarding late fees and other charges?

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