Washington renters can request alternatives to phone-based keys in 2027

Landlords must offer an alternative key when a tenant requests one. This covers renters under Washington's residential landlord-tenant law. Alternatives include a key card, a physical key, or a keypad code. The alternative cannot use body identifiers, such as fingerprints, or an app on the tenant's phone or similar device. The alternative-key requirement takes effect January 1, 2027.

Landlords must make available any written privacy policy from the system's developer or operator and provide required information missing from that policy. This covers rental buildings using electronic systems that gather information to grant entry. Systems using only manually entered keypad codes are excluded. The information must explain data collection, including guest information, safeguards, storage periods, responses to data leaks, data removal, and temporary access with a tenant's written consent. A developer's policy or website link is enough if the developer supplies all required information and the landlord neither keeps nor sells system information. Required plain-language information must be given at initial lease signing or within five days of system installation. These duties take effect January 1, 2027.

Landlords and third parties may collect only the minimum data needed to check and approve a tenant's entry. This covers access to rental buildings, elevators, shared areas, and homes. Systems using only manually entered keypad codes are excluded. Entrance recordings that do not grant entry fall outside the entry-checking data definition. Systems may collect, generate, or use only the listed information about tenants, their accounts and leases, and their access. Body identifiers are allowed when the system uses them. Entry times and methods may be used only for security and building operations. The data limits take effect January 1, 2027.