District of Columbia Eviction Notice
Create a free District of Columbia eviction notice with the state's required notice periods built in. Pick the notice type, fill in the details, and download a PDF.
District of Columbia notice periods
Nonpayment: 10 days · Lease violation (cure): 30 days · No-cause termination: -1 days · just-cause law applies.
Tenant Name(s)
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⚠ District of Columbia requires a 10-day notice for a notice to pay rent or quit; the count runs from the date of SERVICE, and some states exclude weekends/holidays — verify before relying on a date. Calendar days. The pre-filing notice is "at least 10 days before filing the claim" (D.C. Code § 42-3505.01(a-1)(1)), as amended by D.C. Law 26-80 (RENTAL Amendment Act of 2025), § 101(b)(1), effective Dec. 31, 2025, which struck "at least 30 days" and inserted "at least 10 days." The housing provider may NOT issue the notice (and cannot file) unless unpaid rent is at least $600. Nonpayment of a late fee cannot be the basis for eviction. NOTE: the (Perm) codified text and the official DHCD RAD Form 10 still display 30 days and have not been updated to reflect the 2025 amendment — the in-force statutory number is 10 days as of June 2026.
Notice to Pay Rent or Quit (District of Columbia)
NOTICE TO PAY RENT OR QUIT
Date of Notice: ________________
From (Landlord/Agent): [LANDLORD/AGENT NAME], [LANDLORD ADDRESS]
To: [TENANT NAME(S)], Tenant(s) in possession of: [PROPERTY ADDRESS]
YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that rent is now due and unpaid in the amount of $________. This amount is for unpaid RENT only and excludes late fees, utilities, and other charges unless your state and lease allow them.
You are required to PAY the full amount of rent due within 10 days after this notice is served on you, OR to vacate and surrender possession of the property. Payment must be made to [LANDLORD/AGENT NAME] at [LANDLORD ADDRESS], by cash, check, or money order. If you mail payment, it must be RECEIVED by the deadline.
If you do not comply with this notice within the time stated, the landlord may begin legal proceedings to recover possession of the property under D.C. Code § 42-3505.01 (Evictions); 10-day nonpayment notice per D.C. Law 26-80 (RENTAL Amendment Act of 2025), § 101(b)(1), eff. Dec. 31, 2025, amending § 42-3505.01(a-1)(1).
Only a court can order you to move out. The landlord may NOT lock you out, remove your belongings, or shut off your utilities; doing so is illegal.
This notice is given without waiving, and the landlord expressly reserves, all other rights and remedies, including the right to recover unpaid rent and damages.
How this notice may be served: For nonpayment, the Notice of Past Due Rent / intent to file must be served by certified mail or a delivery service providing delivery-tracking confirmation (return receipt requested) AND by hand delivery to the rental unit or posting on the front door of the unit. Other notices to vacate are filed with the court and copies served on the tenant; many notices must also be filed with the Rent Administrator (DHCD/RAD). DHCD publishes mandatory RAD notice forms (e.g., Form 10 nonpayment, Form 11 illegal act). CAUTION: the published DHCD RAD Form 10 still states a 30-day pay period and lags the Dec. 31, 2025 RENTAL Act amendment that reduced the statutory pre-filing notice to 10 days.
_______________________________________
[LANDLORD/AGENT NAME] — Landlord / Authorized Agent
[LANDLORD ADDRESS]
Date: ________________
PROOF OF SERVICE
I served this notice on the tenant(s) on ____________ (date).
Method of service (use a method permitted in your state — see the service note above):
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________ Date: ____________
Signature of person serving the notice
Email yourself a copy (PDF)
Self-help template, not legal advice. Notice periods, wording, and service rules vary by state and city. You cannot remove a tenant yourself — serve a proper notice and, if needed, file in court.
District of Columbia Eviction Notice Requirements
In District of Columbia, a landlord must serve a written notice before filing for eviction under D.C. Code § 42-3505.01 (Evictions); 10-day nonpayment notice per D.C. Law 26-80 (RENTAL Amendment Act of 2025), § 101(b)(1), eff. Dec. 31, 2025, amending § 42-3505.01(a-1)(1). The required notice period depends on the reason:
- Nonpayment of rent: 10-day notice to pay or quit. Calendar days. The pre-filing notice is "at least 10 days before filing the claim" (D.C. Code § 42-3505.01(a-1)(1)), as amended by D.C. Law 26-80 (RENTAL Amendment Act of 2025), § 101(b)(1), effective Dec. 31, 2025, which struck "at least 30 days" and inserted "at least 10 days." The housing provider may NOT issue the notice (and cannot file) unless unpaid rent is at least $600. Nonpayment of a late fee cannot be the basis for eviction. NOTE: the (Perm) codified text and the official DHCD RAD Form 10 still display 30 days and have not been updated to reflect the 2025 amendment — the in-force statutory number is 10 days as of June 2026.
- Curable lease violation: 30-day notice to cure or quit. 30 days to cure. The housing provider may recover possession "when the tenant is violating an obligation of the tenancy, other than nonpayment of rent, and fails to correct the violation within 30 days after receiving notice" (D.C. Code § 42-3505.01(b)). Unchanged by the 2025 RENTAL Act. If the tenant corrects within 30 days, eviction cannot proceed on that ground.
- No-cause termination (month-to-month): -1-day notice. No-cause termination of a residential tenancy is NOT permitted. DC is a just-cause jurisdiction: a tenant who continues to pay rent and abide by the lease cannot be evicted even after the lease expires (D.C. Code § 42-3505.01(a)). The closest no-fault grounds are owner/relative personal use (90-day notice to vacate) and good-faith sale (90-day notice), demolition (180-day notice), substantial rehabilitation (120-day notice), and discontinuance of housing use (180-day notice), each with statutory conditions. Set to -1 because a plain no-cause 30-day termination does not exist.
Just cause: District-wide just-cause eviction protection under D.C. Code § 42-3505.01. Landlords may recover possession only for the enumerated statutory grounds (nonpayment, lease/obligation violation, illegal act, owner/relative personal use, sale, demolition, substantial rehabilitation, discontinuance of housing use, etc.). Lease expiration alone is not a ground.
Service: For nonpayment, the Notice of Past Due Rent / intent to file must be served by certified mail or a delivery service providing delivery-tracking confirmation (return receipt requested) AND by hand delivery to the rental unit or posting on the front door of the unit. Other notices to vacate are filed with the court and copies served on the tenant; many notices must also be filed with the Rent Administrator (DHCD/RAD). DHCD publishes mandatory RAD notice forms (e.g., Form 10 nonpayment, Form 11 illegal act). CAUTION: the published DHCD RAD Form 10 still states a 30-day pay period and lags the Dec. 31, 2025 RENTAL Act amendment that reduced the statutory pre-filing notice to 10 days.
- Nonpayment: at least 10 days' notice before filing, and only if unpaid rent is $600 or more; nonpayment of late fees alone cannot support eviction (D.C. Code 42-3505.01(a-1)). The 10-day period took effect Dec. 31, 2025 via the RENTAL Act of 2025 (D.C. Law 26-80), replacing the prior 30 days.
- Document lag: the (Perm) codified version and the official DHCD RAD Form 10 still show 30 days; the in-force statutory pre-filing notice is 10 days as of June 2026.
- Lease/obligation violations other than rent: tenant gets 30 days to cure before the provider may file (42-3505.01(b)).
- Illegal-act evictions require a prior court determination that the act occurred and that the tenant knew or should have known; standard notice to vacate is 30 days, reduced to a 10-day notice to vacate (with expedited hearings) for crimes of violence/dangerous crimes in cases filed after Dec. 31, 2025 (42-3505.01(c); RENTAL Act of 2025).
- DC is a just-cause jurisdiction: no-cause/lease-expiration eviction is prohibited; no-fault grounds (owner use, sale = 90 days; substantial rehab = 120 days; demolition/discontinuance = 180 days) carry long notices and conditions.
- Only a court can order an eviction; a notice to vacate or pay does not by itself remove a tenant. DHCD/RAD-prescribed forms should be used for nonpayment and illegal-act notices (verify the form reflects the current 10-day period).
District of Columbia Eviction Notices by Type
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days notice to evict for nonpayment in District of Columbia?
District of Columbia requires a 10-day notice to pay rent or quit before a landlord can file for eviction. Calendar days. The pre-filing notice is "at least 10 days before filing the claim" (D.C. Code § 42-3505.01(a-1)(1)), as amended by D.C. Law 26-80 (RENTAL Amendment Act of 2025), § 101(b)(1), effective Dec. 31, 2025, which struck "at least 30 days" and inserted "at least 10 days." The housing provider may NOT issue the notice (and cannot file) unless unpaid rent is at least $600. Nonpayment of a late fee cannot be the basis for eviction. NOTE: the (Perm) codified text and the official DHCD RAD Form 10 still display 30 days and have not been updated to reflect the 2025 amendment — the in-force statutory number is 10 days as of June 2026.
Can a landlord evict without notice in District of Columbia?
No. A written notice is required before filing, and only a court can order a tenant removed. Self-help lockouts are illegal.
Does District of Columbia require just cause to evict?
Yes — District-wide just-cause eviction protection under D.C. Code § 42-3505.01. Landlords may recover possession only for the enumerated statutory grounds (nonpayment, lease/obligation violation, illegal act, owner/relative personal use, sale, demolition, substantial rehabilitation, discontinuance of housing use, etc.). Lease expiration alone is not a ground.
Disclaimer
This District of Columbia eviction notice generator is a self-help tool for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Confirm District of Columbia and local requirements before serving, and consult a landlord-tenant attorney for contested cases.
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