State Guide
Landlord–tenant law in District of Columbia
The rules that come up in practice — returning a deposit, charging a late fee, raising the rent — each read against the District of Columbia statute and quoted on its own page.
Security deposit return
Full rule →45 days
The 41st shortest of 49 states with a deadline.
14 DCMR 309; D.C. Code 42-3502.17
Late fee limit
Full rule →5% of the full amount of rent due
No fee until rent is 5 days late.
D.C. Code 42-3505.31
Rent increase notice
Full rule →60 days
A statute written specifically about rent increases. The 40th shortest of 49.
D.C. Code 42-3509.04
What is distinctive about District of Columbia
- Deposits: 45 days. Where funds are withheld, the itemised statement and balance follow within 30 days after notifying the tenant. Willfully failing to pay interest carries a fine up to $5,000.
- Late fees: capped at 5% of the full amount of rent due. A 5-day grace period is mandatory.
- Rent increases: 60 days under a statute written for the purpose.
The mistake that costs the most here
Charging a late fee above District of Columbia’s cap. The clause is void rather than reduced, and the tenant’s signature does not save it — which tends to surface in an eviction hearing, exactly when the lease needs to hold up.
Where these figures come from
Each rule above was read against the section it cites and the statutory wording is quoted on the dedicated page, so you can check it rather than take our word for it. That matters more than it sounds on this subject: when we read all 51 jurisdictions we found several widely-published figures to be wrong, including a Kentucky deposit deadline that does not exist, a South Dakota one reported as 14 days when the statute says 21, and late-fee caps for nine states that actually come from their self-storage statutes.
Local ordinances can add requirements the state does not, and statutes move — Washington, Connecticut, Nevada, Rhode Island and Maryland have all changed in the last three years. Each figure carries the date we read it.
States with the same deposit deadline
Common questions about District of Columbia
- How long does a District of Columbia landlord have to return a security deposit?
- 45 days under 14 DCMR 309; D.C. Code 42-3502.17.
- What is the maximum late fee in District of Columbia?
- 5% of the full amount of rent due, under D.C. Code 42-3505.31. A fee above the cap is unenforceable even if the lease says otherwise.
- How much notice before a rent increase in District of Columbia?
- 60 days under D.C. Code 42-3509.04.
- Does District of Columbia have rent control?
- No statewide frequency limit is verified for District of Columbia. Only California, Oregon and Washington cap the amount of an increase statewide; some cities do so locally.
Let the software know the District of Columbia rules
Pacific Rentals Pro checks a lease’s late fee against the District of Columbia cap, counts the deposit deadline from the move-out date, and works out the latest day to serve a rent increase. Same verified data as this page.
Start free →District of Columbia rules last read against their cited sources on November 6, 2026. General information, not legal advice — verify the current text before relying on it, and check your city and county, which can impose more than the state does.