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.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Washington, DC
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Washington, DC
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Washington, DC
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Washington, DC
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Washington, DC
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Washington, DC
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See how Washington's no-fault evictions rules stack up against other locations.
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