Heat Not Working in Seattle — What Can I Do?
No heat is an emergency. There are immediate steps you can take to document the issue and push for repairs.
-
Washington law requires landlords to maintain the rental unit and provide essential services, including heat.
-
As soon as heat fails, notify your landlord in writing with the date/time the outage started and ask for a repair timeline. Written notice creates a record if the issue is not resolved quickly.
-
Document conditions in the unit: thermostat photos, room temperatures, and a daily timeline of communications and repair attempts.
-
If the landlord does not make required repairs after notice, Washington law provides tenant remedies for a landlord's failure to repair.
-
Keep all messages, call logs, and repair scheduling records; these documents matter if you need to escalate to inspection services or legal aid.