Washington DC Lease Agreement: What to Include

A Washington DC residential lease needs to reflect this state's actual rules on security deposits, entry notice, late fees, and required disclosures — not a generic template written for a different state. The figures below come from Washington DC's residential landlord-tenant statute; where the state sets no fixed number, that's stated plainly rather than glossed over, since "the state doesn't specify" is itself something you need to know.

Security deposit

Security deposit limit: 1 month rent. Washington DC requires landlords to pay interest on held deposits — check the current statutory rate and any escrow requirements before you hold tenant funds. Return deadline after move-out: 45 Days.

Entry notice, late fees, and rent increases

Entry notice: 48 Hours. Late fees: Generally capped by DC law; commonly 5% of rent; confirm current DC Code, with a grace period of 5. Rent increase notice for month-to-month tenancies: 30 days. (Entry notice citation: No statewide statute.)

Required disclosures

A Washington DC lease should include or accompany:

• • Federal lead-based paint
• • Tenant Bill of Rights
• • rent control/exemptions
• • mold
• • bedbug
• • radon where applicable

Eviction notice for nonpayment

For nonpayment of rent, Washington DC: 30 for nonpayment under current DC protections; verify before filing This is the minimum notice before you can move to the next step in the eviction process — actual court timelines run longer once a case is filed. (Eviction notice citation: D.C. Code § 42-3505.01 (30 days).)

What actually distinguishes Washington DC

Washington DC caps the security deposit at: 1 month rent.

Washington DC is one of a smaller group of states that requires landlords to pay tenants interest on held security deposits — factor that into how you hold the funds.

Washington DC requires 48 hours notice before a landlord enters an occupied unit for routine, non-emergency purposes.

Washington DC requires a comparatively long 30 for nonpayment under current DC protections; verify before filing notice period for nonpayment before you can file — plan for that lead time when a tenant falls behind.

Sources and the bottom line

The figures above reflect Washington DC's residential landlord-tenant statute as summarized on LeasePilot HQ's Washington DC landlord-tenant law page, which lists the specific sources behind each number. Security deposit rules specifically are codified at D.C. Code § 42-3502.17, with the return deadline set by D.C. Code § 42-3502.17 (45 days). Primary and cross-reference sources used in compiling this page:

• • https://ipropertymanagement.com/laws/security-deposits
• • https://www.justia.com/real-estate/landlord-tenant/information-for-landlords/right-of-entry/
• • https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/state-landlord-tenant-laws

State landlord-tenant law changes through legislative sessions and court decisions — treat the numbers above as a starting point, verify against Washington DC's current statute (linked above) before relying on them for an actual lease, and see LeasePilot HQ's full Washington DC landlord-tenant law summary for the complete breakdown, or generate a lease with Washington DC-specific clauses built in automatically.