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District Of Columbia

District Of Columbia Landlord-Tenant Laws

Security deposit limits, eviction notices, rent control, and more for District Of Columbia.

How we research these summaries

Every rule on this page is drawn from state statutes and municipal codes and summarized with AI assistance. Each one cites the statute it's based on and links to a published text of that law so you can read it firsthand. Where a page says a city or county has no local rule on a topic, that means none was found for the topics covered here — not that none exists. Local governments also regulate rental housing in ways these pages don't track, including registration, licensing, inspections and habitability standards. These summaries may be incomplete or out of date, laws change often, and every property and tenancy has specifics a summary can't capture — so treat this as a starting point for your own research, not as legal advice, and check with the local jurisdiction and a qualified attorney before acting on your particular situation.

What to Know in District Of Columbia

Sources last checked July 2026

The District of Columbia requires cause to evict — a landlord may not remove a tenant so long as rent continues to be paid, except on grounds D.C. Code § 42-3505.01 enumerates, such as nonpayment or lease violation. For nonpayment, a housing provider must give 10 days' notice of intent to file before suing, but may not send that notice at all when the unpaid rent is under $600. Rent-stabilized units — generally those built before 1976 — are capped at a 4.1% annual increase (2.1% for elderly or disabled tenants) through April 2027, and every rent increase citywide now requires 60 days' notice.

  • 10-day notice required before eviction for nonpayment of rent
  • 30-day move-out notice required for month-to-month tenancies
  • Rent-stabilized units in the District are subject to an annual allowable-increase percentage published by the Rental Housing Commission for each Rent Control Year, which runs...
  • 60-day advance written notice required for rent increases
  • Security deposits capped at 1 month's rent
5 rules summarized · Each linked to the law it cites

Security Deposit Limits

Security Deposit Limits

What is the security deposit limit in District Of Columbia?

A security deposit or other payment required by an owner as security for performance of the tenant's obligations may not exceed an amount equivalent to the first full month's rent charged that tenant for the dwelling unit (14 DCMR § 308.2). Within forty-five days after the tenancy ends the owner must either return the deposit with interest or notify the tenant in writing of an intent to withhold, in which case the itemization and any balance follow within a further thirty days (§§ 309.1, 309.2). Interest is due and payable to the tenant on termination of any tenancy of twelve months or more, at not less than the prevailing statement-savings rate (§§ 311.1, 311.2). Note that these operative figures live in the DC Municipal Regulations rather than the DC Code: D.C. Code § 42-3502.17 gives the Office of Administrative Hearings jurisdiction over deposit disputes and points to the Security Deposit Act for the substance.

14 DCMR §§ 308.2, 309.1, 311.2; D.C. Code § 42-3502.17

Eviction Notice Requirements

Eviction Notice Requirements

What are the eviction notice requirements in District Of Columbia?

The District requires cause to evict: no tenant shall be evicted from a rental unit, notwithstanding the expiration of the tenant's lease or rental agreement, so long as the tenant continues to pay the rent to which the housing provider is entitled (D.C. Code § 42-3505.01(a)(1)). Eviction is permitted only on the grounds the section enumerates, including nonpayment, lease violation, illegal acts, and the owner's or a purchaser's personal use on 90 days' notice. For nonpayment specifically, a housing provider must give the tenant notice of intent to file at least 10 days before filing the claim, and may not issue that notice at all if the unpaid rent is less than $600 (§ 42-3505.01(a-1)(1)). The 10-day period replaced a 30-day period under the RENTAL Act of 2025 (D.C. Law 26-80), effective December 31, 2025. Be aware that the model notice language quoted at § 42-3505.01(a-1)(2) still recites the old 30-day figure — a drafting inconsistency the amendment left behind. The controlling pre-filing period is 10 days.

D.C. Code § 42-3505.01

Rent Increase Notice Periods

Rent Increase Notice Periods

How much notice is required for rent increases in District Of Columbia?

No rent increase in the District is effective until the first day on which rent is normally paid occurring more than 60 calendar days after notice of the increase is given to the tenant (D.C. Code § 42-3509.04(b)). The 60-day period applies to every rent increase regardless of size — there is no percentage threshold that shortens or lengthens it. This replaced a 30-day notice requirement on November 28, 2023 under the Fairness in Renting Clarification Amendment Act of 2023 (D.C. Law 25-65), so summaries still citing 30 days predate the change. Note also that the clock runs to the next normal rent-payment date occurring after the 60 days elapse, not to the 60th day itself.

D.C. Code § 42-3509.04(b)

Rent Control / Rent Increase Caps

Rent Control / Rent Increase Caps

Is there rent control in District Of Columbia?

Rent-stabilized units in the District are subject to an annual allowable-increase percentage published by the Rental Housing Commission for each Rent Control Year, which runs from May 1 through April 30. For Rent Control Year 2026 — May 1, 2026 through April 30, 2027 — the cap is 4.1% for most tenants and 2.1% where the tenant is elderly or has a disability. The general figure is set at CPI-W plus 2% and the elderly-or-disabled figure at CPI-W, each subject to statutory ceilings. Rent stabilization reaches most units in buildings built before January 1, 1976; buildings permitted after 1975, owner-occupied buildings with four or fewer units, and federally or District-subsidized housing are among the exemptions. These percentages are republished every year, so confirm the current Rent Control Year before relying on them.

D.C. Code Title 42, Chapter 35 (Rental Housing Act of 1985); Rental Housing Commission annual adjustment

Move-Out & Lease Termination Notice

Move-Out & Lease Termination Notice

What is the move-out notice requirement in District Of Columbia?

A residential tenancy from month to month may be terminated by a 30-day notice in writing only from the tenant to the housing provider (D.C. Code § 42-3505.54(a)). The provision runs one way: it governs the tenant's notice, and a housing provider ending a tenancy must instead satisfy the District's cause requirements for eviction. The 30-day rule is specific to month-to-month tenancies — a fixed-term lease simply ends at the expiration of its term without the tenant giving this notice.

D.C. Code § 42-3505.54

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