Sources checked:
Quick answer. District of Columbia: deposit capped at 1 month of rent; deposit returned within 45 days; 30-day notice for unpaid rent; 48-hour entry notice; $10,000 small claims limit. 17 of 23 items are confirmed on official pages; 6 are marked not confirmed, with the page to check.
Key numbers
- Deposit limit
- 1 month's rent
- Deposit back within
- 45 days
- Month-to-month notice (landlord)
- See the rule
- Unpaid rent notice
- 30 days
- Entry notice
- 48 hours
- Time to answer or appear
- At the hearing
- Judgment to writ
- 48 hours
- Small claims limit
- $10,000
Security deposit (5 of 6 confirmed)
Law read: D.C. Code 42-3502.17 and 14 DCMR 308-311.
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ConfirmedDeposit limit
No more than the initial monthly rent (Tenant Bill of Rights, citing 14 DCMR 308-311).
Source: Council of the District of Columbia: D.C. Code 42-3502.17, checked November 2026
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ConfirmedReturn deadline
Within 45 days after the tenancy ends: the deposit with interest, or a written notice of unpaid amounts, delivered personally, by email or by certified mail, with supporting photos or other documentation and a statement of the tenant's right to dispute (42-3502.17(e)(2)).
Source: Council of the District of Columbia: D.C. Code 42-3502.17, checked November 2026
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ConfirmedItemized list of deductions
A written notice of the unpaid amounts claimed, with photos or other documentation and the tenant's right to dispute within 30 calendar days; the landlord answers a dispute in writing within 10 days (42-3502.17(e)).
Source: Council of the District of Columbia: D.C. Code 42-3502.17, checked November 2026
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ConfirmedInterest on the deposit
Returned with interest for tenancies of 12 months or more (Tenant Bill of Rights). Check 14 DCMR 309 for the rate.
Source: Council of the District of Columbia: D.C. Code 42-3502.17, checked November 2026
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ConfirmedWhere the deposit is held
In an interest-bearing account (Tenant Bill of Rights).
Source: Council of the District of Columbia: D.C. Code 42-3502.17, checked November 2026
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Not confirmedPenalty the law states
Not confirmed — check Council of the District of Columbia: D.C. Code 42-3502.17. Not confirmed from official text. Check 14 DCMR 308-311 and the Office of the Tenant Advocate.
More: Security deposit rules by state · Deposit return deadline calculator
Notice periods (5 of 6 confirmed)
What the official text says about each notice. Cities and counties can add their own notice, just-cause or rent rules. Check local rules too.
| Notice | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ending month-to-month (landlord) | A tenant can't be evicted because a lease expired; only for a reason listed in the law, after a written notice to vacate. Notice periods depend on the reason (30 to 180 days). | Source: Council of the District of Columbia: D.C. Code 42-3505.01 (Evictions), checked November 2026 (D.C. Code 42-3505.01) |
| Ending month-to-month (tenant) | Not confirmed — check Council of the District of Columbia: D.C. Code 42-3505.01 (Evictions). Not in the sources read. Check the lease and D.C. Code Title 42, Chapter 35. | |
| Rent increase notice | At least 60 days' written notice of any rent increase. | Source: DC Office of the Tenant Advocate: Tenant Bill of Rights (revised September 25, 2026), checked November 2026 (D.C. Code 42-3509.04(b) and related sections) |
| Unpaid rent notice | Notice of intent to file at least 10 days before filing, with a ledger; no filing for less than $600. The required notice says a case may be filed if the balance isn't paid within 30 days. Sent by tracked or certified mail and by hand delivery or posting. | Source: Council of the District of Columbia: D.C. Code 42-3505.01 (Evictions), checked November 2026 (D.C. Code 42-3505.01(a-1)) |
| Entry notice | Reasonable notice: 48 hours unless the lease says otherwise or the tenant agrees. | Source: DC Office of the Tenant Advocate: Tenant Bill of Rights (revised September 25, 2026), checked November 2026 (12G DCMR 305.1; D.C. Code 42-3505.51) |
| Late fee limits | No more than 5% of the rent due, only if rent isn't paid within 5 days (or a longer lease grace period); the lease must state the maximum; one fee per late payment; no eviction for unpaid late fees. | Source: Council of the District of Columbia: D.C. Code 42-3505.31 (Late fees), checked November 2026 (D.C. Code 42-3505.31) |
More: Notice periods by state · Notice date calculator
Eviction case, in order (6 of 10 confirmed)
- Notice before filing The written notice comes first; its length is in the notice table above.
Unpaid rent: Notice of intent to file at least 10 days before filing, with a ledger; no filing for less than $600. The required notice says a case may be filed if the balance isn't paid within 30 days. Sent by tracked or certified mail and by hand delivery or posting.
- Filing the case Where the case goes and what it costs to start.
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ConfirmedCourt
The Landlord and Tenant Branch of the Superior Court's Civil Division.
Civil Division, Landlord and Tenant Branch of the Superior Court
Source: D.C. Superior Court: Case Management Plan, Landlord and Tenant Branch (rev. Feb. 2021), checked November 2026
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Not confirmedFiling fee
Not confirmed — check D.C. Courts: I have a judgment or a default against my tenant. How do I evict the tenant?. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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- The tenant's answer or appearance
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ConfirmedTime to answer or appear
No written answer is needed unless the tenant wants a jury trial (or raises a plea of title or counterclaim); the tenant comes to the initial hearing.
Defendants are not required to file a written answer unless they are requesting a trial by jury
Source: D.C. Superior Court: Case Management Plan, Landlord and Tenant Branch (rev. Feb. 2021), checked November 2026
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- Hearing or trial
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ConfirmedHearing after filing
Initial hearings are scheduled at least 28 calendar days after filing.
Initial hearings are scheduled at least 28 calendar days from the file date.
Source: D.C. Superior Court: Case Management Plan, Landlord and Tenant Branch (rev. Feb. 2021), checked November 2026
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- Judgment and the writ The order that lets the officer act.
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ConfirmedJudgment to writ
The landlord waits at least 48 hours after a judgment or default before filing for the writ of restitution (valid for 75 days).
wait at least forty-eight hours after entry of a judgment or a default
Source: D.C. Courts: I have a judgment or a default against my tenant. How do I evict the tenant?, checked November 2026
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- Lockout Carried out by an officer, not by either side.
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Not confirmedWrit to lockout
Not confirmed — check D.C. Courts: I have a judgment or a default against my tenant. How do I evict the tenant?. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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ConfirmedWho carries out the lockout
The eviction is carried out under the supervision of the United States Marshals Service.
under the supervision of the United States Marshals Service
Source: D.C. Superior Court: Case Management Plan, Landlord and Tenant Branch (rev. Feb. 2021), checked November 2026
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- Along the way Paying to stop the case, counsel and diversion programs.
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ConfirmedPaying to stop the case
The tenant can redeem the tenancy by paying all rent, interest and costs owed at any time before the eviction.
a defendant may redeem the tenancy by paying in full the past due rent.
Source: D.C. Superior Court: Case Management Plan, Landlord and Tenant Branch (rev. Feb. 2021), checked November 2026
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Not confirmedRight to counsel (statewide)
Not confirmed — check D.C. Courts: I have a judgment or a default against my tenant. How do I evict the tenant?. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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Not confirmedDiversion or mediation (statewide)
Not confirmed — check D.C. Courts: I have a judgment or a default against my tenant. How do I evict the tenant?. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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Example: a case filed Monday, March 1, 2027
The earliest date of each stage the confirmed rules allow, from our eviction timeline estimator. Earliest under the statute; courts' calendars often take longer.
| Stage | Earliest date |
|---|---|
| Case filed | Monday, March 1, 2027 |
| Answer or appear | Monday, March 29, 2027 |
| Hearing or trial | Monday, March 29, 2027 |
| Judgment | Monday, March 29, 2027 |
| Writ or warrant of possession | Wednesday, March 31, 2027 |
Help the official pages name: Landlord Tenant Legal Assistance Network (D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center), free legal information for tenants and small landlords and Landlord and Tenant Resource Center and a free court mediator at initial hearings.
More: District of Columbia eviction process · Eviction timeline estimator
Deposit disputes: small claims
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ConfirmedSmall claims limit (for a deposit dispute)
$10,000: the most a small claims case can ask for.
DC Courts press release: Small Claims limit raised from $5,000 to $10,000 effective January 3, 2017.
Filing fee to start a case: $5 to $45.
Source: DC Courts: Small Claims change of cap from $5,000 to $10,000 (press release), checked November 2026
More: Small claims court limits by state
Still to confirm
- Penalty the law states: check Council of the District of Columbia: D.C. Code 42-3502.17
- Ending month-to-month (tenant): check Council of the District of Columbia: D.C. Code 42-3505.01 (Evictions)
- Filing fee: check D.C. Courts: I have a judgment or a default against my tenant. How do I evict the tenant?
- Writ to lockout: check D.C. Courts: I have a judgment or a default against my tenant. How do I evict the tenant?
- Right to counsel (statewide): check D.C. Courts: I have a judgment or a default against my tenant. How do I evict the tenant?
- Diversion or mediation (statewide): check D.C. Courts: I have a judgment or a default against my tenant. How do I evict the tenant?
District of Columbia kit
District of Columbia Landlord Compliance Kit
This page as a printable checklist with every source link and check date, a move-in and move-out deposit checklist with the DC return deadline, a notice calendar, an eviction timeline sheet, and an Excel workbook with a tenant notice log, a deposit tracker that works out the return date, and a rent ledger.
Kits for any state: Security Deposit Kit for Landlords and Tenants ($15) · Landlord-Tenant Notice Organizer ($15) · Eviction Case File Organizer ($15)
General information, not legal advice. We are not lawyers, and MCC Solutions is not a law firm. The same rules apply whichever side of the lease you are on; this page describes them and doesn't take a side. Rules change, cities and counties can add their own, a lease can add terms, and the official source has the final word.
Common questions
How much can a security deposit be in District of Columbia?
No more than the initial monthly rent (Tenant Bill of Rights, citing 14 DCMR 308-311).
How long does a District of Columbia landlord have to return a deposit?
Within 45 days after the tenancy ends: the deposit with interest, or a written notice of unpaid amounts, delivered personally, by email or by certified mail, with supporting photos or other documentation and a statement of the tenant's right to dispute (42-3502.17(e)(2)). What goes with it: A written notice of the unpaid amounts claimed, with photos or other documentation and the tenant's right to dispute within 30 calendar days; the landlord answers a dispute in writing within 10 days (42-3502.17(e)).
How much notice ends a month-to-month tenancy in District of Columbia?
From the landlord: A tenant can't be evicted because a lease expired; only for a reason listed in the law, after a written notice to vacate. Notice periods depend on the reason (30 to 180 days).
What notice comes before an unpaid-rent case in District of Columbia?
Notice of intent to file at least 10 days before filing, with a ledger; no filing for less than $600. The required notice says a case may be filed if the balance isn't paid within 30 days. Sent by tracked or certified mail and by hand delivery or posting.
How much notice before a landlord enters a rental in District of Columbia?
Reasonable notice: 48 hours unless the lease says otherwise or the tenant agrees.
How long does an eviction case take in District of Columbia?
Time to answer or appear: At the hearing. Hearing after filing: At least 28 days. Judgment to writ: 48 hours. These are the stated rules; the court's calendar often takes longer.
Can a District of Columbia deposit dispute go to small claims court?
The small claims limit in our data: $10,000: the most a small claims case can ask for. The court's own page explains what kinds of cases it hears.
Related: Landlord rules by state · Kits for landlords