WASHINGTON, DC · UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2026
A DC landlord cannot change the locks to force a tenant out, punish a tenant for requesting repairs, or treat notice and deposit deadlines as optional. Even when an owner has a valid reason to act, the process matters.
These nine actions can put a rental owner on the wrong side of DC law. Use the rules below to check your next step, then use our DC landlord compliance checklist to review the rest of your rental operation. Property exemptions and individual disputes need their own review; this guide is general information, not legal advice.
1. Enter without proper notice
Owning the property does not give you unrestricted access to an occupied unit. For a nonemergency visit, DC requires a reasonable purpose, reasonable timing, and written notice. Repairs, inspections, and showing the unit are among the permitted purposes.
Give written notice before entry. A tenant may agree in writing to a shorter notice period.
Ordinary access hours are 9 a.m.–5 p.m., excluding Sundays and federal holidays, unless the tenant agrees to another time. Emergency exceptions apply.
Email or text can count as written notice, but without the tenant’s written acknowledgment, provide paper notice. A tenant cannot unreasonably block access to assess and address an alleged housing-code violation. Keep the notice and the access arrangements in the property file. Read DC’s entry rules.
Can maintenance enter without notice?
A routine maintenance visit is not an exception to the entry rules. Give the required notice and arrange a reasonable time, even when a contractor will do the work. An emergency or the tenant’s written agreement to shorter notice changes the situation.
What if someone entered without proper notice?
Record who entered, when, why, and what notice was given. If you manage the property, investigate the complaint and correct the access procedure before another visit. Tenants can document the incident and seek legal advice about their options. Under DC’s entry statute, a court may order an owner to stop unlawful entries or repeated unreasonable demands for entry and may award appropriate damages. Relief depends on the facts.
2. Raise rent outside the rules
A rent increase needs more than a message saying the amount has changed. Check the lease, rent-control or exemption status, applicable limits, and required notice before setting an effective date.
The increase can take effect on the first normal rent-payment day that falls more than 60 calendar days after notice is given.
Notice alone does not make an increase lawful. Other statutory requirements and the lease still apply.
For the standard annual adjustment in rent-controlled units, the published caps for May 1, 2026–April 30, 2027 are 4.1%, or 2.1% for qualifying registered elderly tenants and tenants with disabilities. Those figures are not a universal cap for every DC rental or every type of approved adjustment. See the OTA announcement, the notice statute, and our guide to DC rent control.
3. Mishandle a security deposit
DC generally limits a security deposit to one month’s rent, charged once. State the permitted uses in writing, keep the required deposit account, and document deductions. Ordinary wear and tear is not tenant damage; a deposit may cover other lawful obligations, such as unpaid rent, where the written terms allow it.
After the tenant moves out
Within 45 days, take one of these two steps:
Return the deposit with interest where required.
Deliver written notice in person or by certified mail to the tenant’s last known address.
Send an itemized statement of uses and costs, plus any remaining deposit.
Interest is generally payable after a tenancy of at least 12 months, subject to lawful deductions. Some government-owned or subsidized rentals have different rules. Source: D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center’s deposit guide. See also our DC security deposit guide.
4. Ignore essential repairs
DC housing rules require safe, habitable rental units and common areas. A repair request involving unsafe wiring, plumbing, heat, or another essential condition needs a response, not an indefinite place on a to-do list.
Record the reported condition, arrange lawful access, and keep the repair and vendor records. The urgency depends on the condition; there is no single deadline that covers every repair. Our landlord repair laws guide covers the wider responsibility. For DC inspections and enforcement, use the Department of Buildings’ tenant resources.
5. Force a tenant out yourself
Changing locks, removing belongings, or cutting off utilities to make a tenant leave is not a substitute for the legal eviction process. Even when rent is unpaid, an owner cannot carry out an eviction personally.
DC requires the court process, and only the U.S. Marshals Service can perform the physical eviction. “Constructive eviction” concerns conditions that effectively deprive a tenant of the use of the home; it should not be confused with the lockout shortcut often called a self-help eviction. OTA explains the eviction process and tenant protections.
6. Retaliate after a complaint
DC prohibits retaliation against tenants who exercise legal rights. Threats, harassment, unlawful rent increases, or reduced services in response to a protected complaint can create a separate problem for the owner.
A tenant reports an unresolved leak
The tenant sends a written request to repair a housing-code violation.
Retaliatory response
The owner threatens to end the tenancy because the tenant complained.
Practical response
Arrange access, investigate the leak, document the repair, and handle any separate lease issue on its own facts and through the proper process.
Protected conduct includes requesting repairs needed to meet the housing code, reporting violations to DC officials, taking part in lawful tenant organizing, and trying to enforce lease rights. Bringing legal action against the housing provider is also protected.
For the six-month presumption, the statute specifies how certain activities must be documented: a repair request or report to DC officials must be in writing or made orally in the presence of a witness. Other listed activities, including lawful tenant organizing and efforts to enforce lease rights, can also trigger the presumption when they occurred within the preceding six months. The landlord must rebut it with clear and convincing evidence. Timing matters, but it does not automatically decide every dispute. The DC retaliation statute lists the protected activities and the evidence standard.
7. Discriminate against tenants
Use lawful, consistent screening and tenancy policies. DC fair-housing protections extend beyond federal categories and include source of income. Discrimination can occur in advertising, applicant selection, lease terms, or access to services.
A blanket “no pets” policy does not settle a disability accommodation request. Housing providers generally must consider reasonable accommodations, including exceptions for assistance animals where required. Review the circumstances rather than automatically rejecting the request. The DC Office of Human Rights explains local protections and accommodations.
8. Skip required disclosures
Provide the required disclosure package when a prospective tenant applies. It includes the Tenant Bill of Rights, rent-controlled or exempt status, licensing and registration information, required violation reports, and deposit terms, among other items.
The annual request rule is separate: a tenant may request a free copy of the disclosure form and supporting documents in writing once per year, and the owner must provide it within 10 business days. Keep the compilation current and follow the other availability requirements. Use DC’s disclosure statute and the Tenant Bill of Rights when checking your application packet.
9. Rent without required approvals
Confirm the rental’s licensing, registration, inspection, and permitted-use requirements before offering it for rent. A business license and a Certificate of Occupancy serve different purposes; one does not automatically satisfy the other.
A Certificate of Occupancy is not required for every home. DOB identifies an exemption for single-family residences in zones R-1A, R-1B, R-2, and R-3. Check the actual use and property configuration against DOB’s requirements.
If an older checklist sends you to DCRA, update it. DCRA was replaced in 2022 by the Department of Buildings (DOB) and the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP). Use the District’s agency transition guide to find the current service.
DC landlord questions
What can a landlord not do in DC?
A landlord cannot use self-help eviction, retaliate against protected tenant activity, discriminate unlawfully, ignore habitability duties, or bypass applicable entry, rent, deposit, disclosure, and licensing requirements. The rules and exemptions depend on the property and the action.
Can a DC landlord enter without permission?
A nonemergency visit requires a reasonable purpose, reasonable timing, and at least 48 hours’ written notice, unless the tenant agrees in writing to shorter notice. Emergency exceptions apply. The law does not give owners unrestricted access simply because they own the unit.
What counts as landlord retaliation in DC?
Retaliation is an adverse response to a tenant exercising protected rights, such as requesting necessary code-compliance repairs or reporting violations. Specified activity in the preceding six months can create a presumption of retaliation, which the landlord must rebut with clear and convincing evidence.
Let Nomadic handle the day-to-day work.
Notices, repairs, deposit accounting, and tenant communication take ongoing attention. Nomadic provides leasing and property management in Washington, DC. Tell us about your rental and the responsibilities you want to hand over.
Looking for tenant help? Use OTA for tenant-rights assistance, DOB for housing-condition resources, and OHR for fair-housing information. An active dispute may need advice from a DC landlord-tenant attorney.
