D.C. Code § 42-3505.01 forbids ending a tenancy merely because a lease expires — a tenant who keeps paying rent may stay unless the landlord proves one of the statute's just causes. Required notice to vacate ranges from 30 days for lease violations to 90–180 days for owner move-in, sale, or rehab.
Under D.C. Code § 42-3505.01(a), 'no tenant shall be evicted from a rental unit, notwithstanding the expiration of the tenant's lease or rental agreement, so long as the tenant continues to pay the rent.' A landlord must establish a statutory just cause and give the corresponding notice to vacate: 30 days to correct a lease violation, 90 days for owner or purchaser personal occupancy, 120 days for renovation or substantial rehabilitation, and 180 days for demolition or discontinuance of housing use. Service-member tenants may terminate early under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, and D.C. law gives victims of domestic violence or sexual assault the right to end a lease early on documentation.
Attempting to evict without just cause or proper notice fails in Landlord and Tenant Court; retaliatory or self-help evictions expose the housing provider to injunctive relief, actual damages, and statutory penalties under the Rental Housing Act.
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