District of Columbia renter rights: the basics for first-time renters

Last reviewed: October 2026 · First Apartment Kit

Washington, DC has some of the strongest tenant protections in the country, including rent control for many older buildings and limits on when a landlord can end your tenancy. Your landlord must give you the DC Tenant Bill of Rights when you apply. Here are the essentials.

Quick facts

Security deposit max	The initial month's rent, held in an interest-bearing account
Deposit returned within	45 days (or notice of deductions, then the balance within 30 more days)
Interest on deposit	Yes, for tenancies of 12 months or more
Late fee cap	5% of the rent due, only after 5 days and only if the lease states it
Rent control	Yes for many units: CPI + 2%, max 10% a year (lower for registered elderly/disabled tenants)
Rent increase notice	At least 60 days in writing, for every unit
Ending a month-to-month tenancy	Tenant: 30 days' written notice. Landlord: only for specific legal reasons
Landlord entry	48 hours' notice, unless the lease says otherwise or you agree
Unpaid rent notice	10 days' notice before filing; no filing if under $600 owed
Eviction	Court order and U.S. Marshals only; no lockouts

Quick facts are simplified. Read the sections below for exceptions, and check your city or county too.

Security deposits

Cap: no more than the first month's rent, and it must be kept in an interest-bearing account.
Return: within 45 days after you move out, the landlord must either return the deposit (with interest if you rented 12+ months) or give you written notice of what they claim you owe. Within 30 days after that notice, they must return the balance.
What can be deducted: damage caused by you or guests, but not ordinary wear and tear.
Disclosure: before you sign, the landlord must tell you the deposit amount, the interest rate, and how it will be returned.

Rent increases and late fees

Every DC tenant gets at least 60 days' written notice of a rent increase. Many older buildings are under rent control. In those units, rent can go up only once every 12 months, only if the landlord is properly licensed and registered and the unit substantially meets the housing code, and normally by no more than CPI + 2% (capped at 10%). Registered elderly or disabled tenants have a lower cap. Units properly registered as exempt are limited mainly by the lease. Ask whether a unit is rent-controlled — the landlord must tell you.

Late fees are capped at 5% of the rent due, can only be charged after rent is 5 days late (or a longer grace period in your lease), and only if your written lease states the maximum fee.

Ending a month-to-month tenancy

DC is unusual: after your first lease term ends, you generally have the right to stay month-to-month on the same terms (except lawful rent increases). A landlord can end your tenancy only for one of the specific reasons in DC law, not just because the lease ran out or the building was sold.

As a tenant, you can end a month-to-month tenancy with 30 days' written notice; the notice runs to the first day of the next month at least 30 days away.

When the landlord can come in

The landlord may enter at any time in an emergency. Otherwise they must give reasonable notice — 48 hours unless your lease says otherwise or you agree — and come for a reasonable purpose at a reasonable time.

Repairs and living conditions

Your lease includes a warranty of habitability. The landlord is responsible for common areas and for keeping the building safe, secure, free of pests, in good repair, and with adequate heat, light, and ventilation. You share responsibility for keeping your unit up to code.

Report problems in writing. You can ask the Department of Buildings to inspect and get a copy of any violation notice.
Mold: after your written notice, the landlord must inspect within 7 days and fix it within 30 days.
Serious conditions can support rent abatement or a defense in court. Talk to the Office of the Tenant Advocate before withholding rent.

Write it all down from day one. The 12-page First Apartment Move-In Kit has a first-week timeline, lease and building facts, a utilities board, room-by-room unpacking, and a first-month money sheet — so your lease facts, notice dates, and move-in notes live in one place. $9.99 on Etsy. Undated.

Get the kit — $9.99 on Etsy

Eviction basics

Reasons only: a landlord can evict only for one of the reasons in DC law, after a written Notice to Vacate that explains the reason (and for lease violations, how to fix it).
Unpaid rent: the landlord must give notice at least 10 days before filing and can't file if you owe less than $600. You can't be evicted for unpaid late fees. Paying everything owed before the scheduled eviction date stops a nonpayment eviction.
Court and Marshals only: no lockouts or utility shutoffs. Evictions are carried out by the U.S. Marshals Service under a court order.
Record sealing: eviction records are sealed 30 days after a case the landlord loses, and three years after a case they win.

Retaliation and discrimination

A landlord can't retaliate against you for using any tenant right — for example by trying to evict you, raising rent, cutting services, invading your privacy, or harassing you. You also have a protected right to organize a tenant association.

DC's Human Rights Act covers far more than federal law, including source of income (vouchers), sealed eviction records, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, personal appearance, and homeless status, among others.

City and county rules

If the building is sold or converted, DC's Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) may give you notice rights or a right to buy, and you may be owed relocation help if you're displaced for renovations or demolition.

Move-in checklist for District of Columbia renters

☐ Get a written lease and read all of it before signing
☐ Get a receipt for the deposit and any move-in money
☐ Photograph every room, dated, before you unpack
☐ Fill out (or write your own) move-in condition list and keep a copy
☐ Note the rent due date, grace period, and late fee
☐ Write down how to request repairs, and do it in writing
☐ Save the landlord's legal name and address for notices
☐ Put your notice deadline for moving out in your calendar

Still apartment hunting? Our list of questions to ask a landlord before signing a lease covers deposits, fees, repairs, and move-out rules you will want answered in writing.

Where to get help in District of Columbia

DC Office of the Tenant Advocate — free advice and advocacy for DC renters; phone 202-719-6560.
DC Department of Housing and Community Development — Rental Accommodations — rent control questions and petitions.
DC Department of Buildings — request a housing inspection.
DC Office of Human Rights — discrimination complaints.
Find free legal aid near you — the federal Legal Services Corporation's directory of local legal aid offices.
File a housing discrimination complaint with HUD — the federal fair housing agency.

More help

Nonprofit and legal aid resources (not government sources):

DC Bar Pro Bono Center / Landlord Tenant Resource Center — free legal help for tenants.

Official sources

These are the official state law and government pages we checked for every fact on this page. The law itself controls if anything here differs.

Not legal advice; laws change and cities may add rules. Check the official sources below or a local legal aid office. This page is a plain-language summary written by First Apartment Kit, not the law itself. Last reviewed: October 2026.

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