DC · Researched October 7, 2026
DC is one of the most regulated rental markets in the country: most older buildings are rent stabilized, landlords cannot end a tenancy without a reason the law allows, and notices must follow strict content and delivery rules. The RENTAL Act (effective December 31, 2025) shortened the nonpayment notice to 10 days with a $600 minimum and changed TOPA sale rules. Rent increases need 60 days' notice.
Property manager is a regulated occupation, and no one may practice it without a DC license. A property manager acts as the owner's agent in property management for pay, may employ resident managers, and may not list, sell or negotiate sales or loans. DC real estate brokers meet the exam and education requirements but must still apply.
Individual owners or lessors managing their own real estate; court-appointed fiduciaries and attorneys in ordinary practice; banks and trust companies acting as fiduciaries; clerical staff of a licensed broker or property manager; people who only provide rental listing information for a fee; qualifying nonprofit housing organizations.
Tenant security deposits must be held in an interest-bearing escrow account at an insured DC financial institution (14 DCMR 308.3). Broker trust account rules in the real estate regulations were not reviewed here.
The deposit cannot exceed the first full month's rent and can be charged only once. You cannot start collecting a deposit from a tenant who has lived in the unit since July 17, 1985 without one. A pet deposit cap of 15% of monthly rent (D.C. Law 25-308) is in the Code but has not been implemented because it was not funded.
If you withhold, refund the balance with an itemized statement of repairs and costs within 30 days after that notice. Since August 14, 2026, within 45 days you must also send written notice of any unpaid amounts with photos or other proof, and give the tenant 30 days to dispute. You cannot deduct ordinary wear and tear. Bad faith withholding can cost treble damages.
Interest accrues at no less than the statement savings rate, reset each January 1 and July 1. State the deposit terms in the lease or receipt. Post where deposits are held and the rates each year, and at move-out list the rate for each 6-month period. Federally subsidized units are excluded from the escrow rule.
Late fees cannot earn interest, cannot be deducted from later rent payments, and cannot be the sole basis for eviction. You cannot charge a late fee on a portion of rent a subsidy provider is responsible for. Unpaid late fees can be invoiced and later taken from the deposit at move-out.
Charge only one fee per housing provider when someone applies for several units within 30 days. Before taking a fee, disclose the amount, screening criteria, automatic denial reasons, and the consumer reporting agency. Refund within 14 days if you do not screen. You cannot consider eviction filings older than 3 years or that did not result in a judgment for possession.
The increase takes effect on the first regular rent due date more than 60 days after notice. For rent-stabilized units you also need a registered building, housing code compliance, the elderly and disability notice, and no more than one increase every 12 months.
For May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027 the cap is 4.1%, and 2.1% for registered elderly or disabled tenants, as published by the Rental Housing Commission. Exemptions include buildings permitted after December 31, 1975 and up to 4 units owned by no more than 4 natural persons, but each exemption must be claimed by filing with the Rent Administrator.
The notice must state the total owed, attach a rent ledger, tell the tenant they can stay by paying the full balance, and list legal help contacts. Deliver it by certified mail with tracking and by hand delivery or posting on the door. The codified model notice wording still mentions 30 days, so follow the statutory text closely. Federally backed or subsidized properties may still need a 30-day notice under federal rules.
Only material, repeated, or serious violations support eviction. Criminal acts have their own 30-day notice to vacate. For certain dangerous crimes in or near the unit, cases filed after December 31, 2025 use a 10-day notice with an expedited hearing.
A tenant who pays rent cannot be evicted just because the lease or month-to-month term ended. Allowed reasons include nonpayment, lease violations, owner personal use (90-day notice), and sale for a buyer's personal use (90-day notice), each with its own notice period.
After the 10-day or 30-day notice, file in the Landlord and Tenant Branch. After judgment and writ, give the tenant at least 21 days' notice of the scheduled eviction date by phone, email, or text, first-class mail, and posting. Evictions are barred in certain severe weather. Expect a longer process than in most states.
During those 7 days (excluding Sundays and federal holidays) give access at agreed times, including a Saturday if the tenant asks. After that you may dispose of it, but not by leaving it outdoors except at a licensed disposal facility or lawful receptacle, or briefly while hauling it away.
Entry must be for a reasonable purpose such as repairs, inspection, or services. Notice can be by email or text, but if the tenant does not acknowledge it in writing, give paper notice. No notice is needed in an emergency, and the tenant can agree to a shorter notice period in writing.
Since August 14, 2026, fees for services the landlord must provide under the implied warranty of habitability and the housing and property maintenance codes, including utilities, trash, locks and third-party billing fees, are barred. From January 1, 2027 you cannot bill tenants separately for common area or vacant unit utilities. Tenants must give access within 48 hours of a written request to fix an alleged code violation.
Give applicants the applicable rent and any pending petitions or surcharges, the unit's rent control or exemption status and business license number, housing code violations from the past 12 months, any indoor mold found in the past 3 years that was not professionally remediated, the Tenant Bill of Rights, and the rent increase pamphlet. Keep this current within 30 days of changes. Lead disclosures apply to pre-1978 units.
Protected traits: race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, familial status, family responsibilities, disability, matriculation, political affiliation, source of income, sealed eviction record, status as a victim of an intrafamily offense, place of residence or business, and homeless status. For voucher holders you cannot screen on income level or credit score unless federal rules require it.
Nonpayment pre-filing notice cut from 30 to 10 days (with a $600 minimum), 10-day notice and expedited hearings for certain dangerous crimes, and TOPA changes including new exemptions.
Allowable increase for rent-stabilized units is 4.1%, or 2.1% for registered elderly or disabled tenants, through April 30, 2027.
Would cap pet deposits at 15% of monthly rent and limit pet fees, but the law is subject to funding and the DC Code notes it has not been implemented.
No evictions on any day when the National Weather Service predicts at 8 a.m. that the temperature at National Airport will exceed 95 degrees Fahrenheit.
Requires a 45-day post move-out notice of unpaid amounts with proof and a 30-day tenant dispute window, bars fees for services the warranty of habitability requires, and from January 1, 2027 bars separate billing of common area and vacant unit utilities.
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With Julian Calvo, who works with property management companies at LeadSimple.
Compare with other states: security deposit limit, deposit return deadline, deposit interest and holding rules, late fees, application and screening fees, rent increase notice, rent control, notice for unpaid rent, notice for lease violations, ending a month-to-month, eviction timeline, abandoned property, landlord entry, repairs and habitability, required disclosures, state fair housing protections.