District of Columbia eviction laws

A landlord may not file for nonpayment unless at least $600 in rent is owed (late fees do not count). The landlord must give written notice, with a ledger and the statutory language, at least 10 days before filing, delivered BOTH by certified mail (return receipt or tracked delivery) AND by hand delivery or posting on the unit's front door.

• Double-check with the court: The RENTAL Act changed the notice period in 42-3505.01(a-1)(1) from 30 days to 10 days, but the mandatory notice wording in (a-1)(2) still tells the tenant the landlord may file if the balance is not paid 'within 30 days of this notice.' Until this is clarified, waiting 30 days before filing avoids a notice that contradicts its own required text.
• The court may dismiss a case if the notice was missing, defective, not in the required language, or the case was filed too early.
• Nonpayment of late fees can never be the basis for eviction.

For a violation of the lease other than nonpayment, the landlord serves a written notice giving the tenant 30 days to correct it. If it is not corrected, the landlord may file. The notice must also be served on the Rent Administrator.

• Double-check with the court: Service methods for notices to vacate follow D.C. Code 42-3206 and court practice; personal delivery is safest.

In D.C., the end of a lease is NOT a reason to evict. A tenant who continues to pay rent may stay after the lease expires unless the landlord has one of the listed reasons in D.C. Code 42-3505.01.

• Limited exceptions exist (for example, some owner-occupied or single-unit accommodations with specific exemptions); these still require a listed reason and notice.

A landlord cannot end a tenancy without a reason. Owner-action reasons are allowed with long notices served on the tenant and the Rent Administrator: personal use by the owner (90 days), sale to a buyer for personal use (90 days, after the tenant's purchase rights are respected), renovation/alteration (120 days, with a right to return), demolition (180 days), and discontinuing housing use (180 days). Relocation assistance may be required.

• Renovation, demolition and discontinuance require prior approval or filings with the Rent Administrator and may trigger relocation assistance (D.C. Code 42-3507.01 et seq.). Sale requires compliance with the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act.
• The owner (or buyer) must actually occupy the unit; bad-faith use can result in penalties.

Only after a court has determined that the tenant or an occupant performed an illegal act in the unit or building may the landlord serve a 30-day notice to vacate. For cases filed after December 31, 2025, if the illegal act was a dangerous crime or crime of violence (not in self-defense), the landlord may serve a 10-day notice to vacate after considering ways to keep non-offending occupants housed, and the court must hold an expedited hearing within 20 days of filing.

• If the illegal act was committed by someone other than the tenant, the tenant can be evicted only if the tenant knew or should have known it was taking place. Victims of the crime and tenants who took reasonable steps to prevent it have defenses.