Under DC's just-cause regime, no-fault evictions are permitted only for narrowly defined reasons such as owner-occupancy, substantial rehab, demolition, change of use, or sale to a buyer who will occupy.
DC Code 42-3505.01 enumerates the exclusive no-fault grounds for ending a tenancy: personal use by an owner or close family member, demolition, substantial rehabilitation, discontinuance of housing use, or sale to a third-party purchaser intending to occupy. Each ground requires specific advance notice (90 to 180 days), tenant-rights disclosures under TOPA where applicable, and most carry relocation assistance obligations. The owner-use ground specifically requires the owner to actually occupy for at least 12 months, with affidavit and penalties for sham conversions. Tenants can challenge bad-faith no-fault claims in Landlord-Tenant Court and recover damages.
Sham owner-use evictions, missed notice periods, or skipped relocation payments void the eviction, expose landlords to treble damages, and can trigger AG enforcement actions.
Washington, DC
When a DC landlord displaces tenants for substantial rehab, demolition, condo conversion, or owner-occupancy, the Rental Housing Act requires statutory reloc...
Washington, DC
DC provides strong just-cause eviction protections under the Rental Housing Act (DC Code Section 42-3505.01). Landlords may only evict tenants for specific e...
See how Washington's no-fault evictions rules stack up against other locations.
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