District of Columbia Eviction Notice and Court Process

Under D.C. Code § 42-3505.01, eviction requires a statutory just cause. For nonpayment of rent, the housing provider must serve written notice, by certified mail and posting, stating the exact amount owed and that the tenant has 'the right to remain in the rental unit if the total balance of unpaid rent is paid in full,' and may not file suit unless the balance is at least $600. Lease violations require a 30-day notice to cure. After notice expires the landlord files in Landlord and Tenant Court; only a U.S. Marshal may carry out an eviction. No eviction may proceed when the temperature is below 32°F, during precipitation, or above 95°F, except in limited illegal-activity or abandonment cases.

Self-help evictions, lockouts, utility shutoffs, or removing belongings, are illegal; a tenant may recover possession, actual and punitive damages, and attorney's fees, and the housing provider may face contempt and civil penalties.