In Washington, DC, a landlord can legally evict a tenant only for one of the reasons listed in DC Code § 42-3505.01, part of the Rental Housing Act of 1985.1Rental Housing Commission. Rental Housing Act and Regulations Those reasons are: nonpayment of rent, violation of a lease obligation, illegal activity in the unit, the owner reclaiming the unit as a personal home, sale to a buyer who will personally occupy it, demolition, substantial rehabilitation, and permanent removal of the unit from the rental market. Each ground carries its own written notice period, and several give you a right to fix the problem or receive relocation assistance before you have to leave.
Unpaid Rent
A landlord cannot file for eviction over unpaid rent unless you owe at least $600. Below that amount, the landlord can send a notice about the debt but cannot take the case to court.2D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 42-3505.01 – Evictions Once the balance reaches $600, the landlord must serve a written 30-day notice stating the exact amount owed and informing you that paying it stops the eviction.3D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 42-3505.01(Perm) – Evictions
Late fees alone cannot support an eviction. The statute states that failure to pay a late fee is not a basis for removing a tenant.2D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 42-3505.01 – Evictions
Even after a case is filed, you keep a right to cure. Under DC Code § 16-1124, paying the full rent owed plus court costs at any time before trial requires the court to dismiss the case.4D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 16-1124 – Ejectment for Non-Payment of Rent
Violating the Lease
If you are violating an obligation of your lease other than paying rent, the landlord must give you a written 30-day notice describing the violation and the corrective action expected. Fix the problem within 30 days and the landlord loses the right to evict on that violation.2D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 42-3505.01 – Evictions At trial, the landlord carries the burden of proving the violation actually occurred.
Illegal Activity in the Unit or Building
A landlord can seek eviction when a court has determined that the tenant, a household member, or a guest committed an illegal act inside the unit or the building. A 30-day notice to vacate follows that court determination.2D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 42-3505.01 – Evictions
Two limits matter. A court must actually find the illegal act took place; the landlord’s suspicion or a police report is not enough. And the tenant may only be evicted if the tenant knew or should have known about the activity, which protects a resident whose guest or roommate acts without their knowledge.
Owner Personal Use
A person who holds a freehold interest in the unit can recover possession for their own immediate and personal use as a home. Notice must be 90 days.3D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 42-3505.01(Perm) – Evictions After taking possession, the owner cannot rent the unit to anyone else for 12 months.
If the owner does re-rent the unit or never actually moves in, the displaced tenant can sue for relocation costs plus damages. Damages are based on the tenant’s rent or the area fair market rent, multiplied by the months the unit sat vacant or was rented to someone else, up to 12.2D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 42-3505.01 – Evictions
Sale to a Buyer Who Will Live There
Eviction is allowed when the landlord has a good-faith written contract to sell the unit to a buyer who intends immediate and personal use of it as a home. The same 90-day notice and 12-month re-rental restriction apply. Before proceeding, the landlord must notify the tenant in writing of the tenant’s right to purchase the unit under the tenant opportunity-to-purchase laws in Chapter 34 of Title 42.2D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 42-3505.01 – Evictions
If the buyer never actually moves in, the former tenant has a claim for relocation costs and monthly-rent-based damages. The landlord can only escape liability by showing the failure to occupy resulted from circumstances outside the landlord’s control that arose after repossession.
Demolition
When the landlord plans to immediately demolish the building and replace it with new construction, the required notice to vacate is 180 days. The landlord must also file a copy of the demolition permit with the Rent Administrator.2D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 42-3505.01 – Evictions The notice must tell you about your right to relocation assistance under Subchapter VII of Chapter 35, which pays displaced tenants on a per-room basis if they meet the eligibility rules.
Substantial Rehabilitation
A landlord planning immediate, substantial rehabilitation of the building can evict on 120 days’ notice, provided the work meets the definition of substantial rehabilitation in DC Code § 42-3502.14. The notice must explain your right to relocation assistance.2D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 42-3505.01 – Evictions
You keep a right to return. Displaced tenants may re-rent the unit immediately after the rehabilitation is complete, so the landlord cannot renovate and then lease to someone else at a higher rate.
Removing the Unit from the Rental Market
If the landlord intends to permanently discontinue housing use of the unit, the notice period is 180 days and relocation assistance is required. Payments are $300 for each habitable room of 60 square feet or more (bathrooms, closets, and hallways don’t count), plus $150 for each kitchen, pantry, storage area, or utility room over 60 square feet where you bear the cost of moving furnishings.
What Is Not a Legal Reason
Retaliation is not a legal ground for eviction. Under DC Code § 42-3505.02, a landlord cannot file an eviction, raise your rent, cut services, harass you, or refuse to renew your lease because you exercised a right under the Rental Housing Act.5D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 42-3505.02
If the landlord acts against you within six months of any of the following, the court presumes the action is retaliatory, and the landlord must rebut that presumption with clear and convincing evidence:
- You asked the landlord to fix housing code violations, in writing or verbally with a witness.
- You reported suspected housing code violations to a DC agency.
- You legally withheld rent after giving notice of a housing code violation.
- You joined or took part in a tenant organization.
- You tried to enforce a right under your lease.
- You filed a lawsuit against the landlord.
Your Belongings If an Eviction Happens
When the U.S. Marshals Service carries out an eviction, DC Code § 42-3505.01a governs what happens to anything you leave behind. The landlord must keep your personal property in the unit for seven days after the eviction, not counting Sundays and federal holidays, and cannot charge rent or storage fees during that time.6D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 42-3505.01a – Storage and Disposal of Tenants Personal Property Upon Eviction
The landlord also has to give you access to collect your belongings, for at least 16 total hours across no more than two days, between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. If the landlord refuses, you can go to court for an order forcing entry and extending the storage period. Anything left after the seven-day window is treated as abandoned and can be disposed of.