District of Columbia Eviction Notice Requirements

The District of Columbia limits evictions to specific reasons under D.C. Code § 42-3505.01. For unpaid rent, the housing provider must give written notice of intent to file at least 10 days before filing, and may not issue that notice or file at all when less than $600 is owed. The 10-day period is a recent change, and the notice wording the statute requires still refers to 30 days, so read the current code before filing. For other lease violations, the tenant gets 30 days after notice to correct the problem.

A month-to-month tenancy doesn't end just because the housing provider wants it to. DC protects tenants even after the lease expires, and no-fault reasons such as personal use or a sale for the buyer's personal use require a 90-day notice to vacate and other conditions. A nonpayment notice must go by certified mail or tracked delivery and also be handed over or posted on the front door, and it must use the content set out in the code. Notices for any reason other than nonpayment must also be served on the Rent Administrator.

If the tenant doesn't pay, cure or leave, the housing provider files a case in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, which may dismiss a claim brought on a defective or early notice. The required notice itself tells tenants that only a court can order an eviction. At an eviction, the housing provider changes the locks only in the presence of the U.S. Marshals Service, and may not remove a tenant's belongings except as § 42-3505.01a allows.