Security deposit · District of Columbia
We haven't finished checking District of Columbia's deposit rule.
Deposit deadlines differ in what starts the clock (moving out, handing back possession, a forwarding address, a written demand), which days count, and what you have to do first. D.C. Code §42-3502.17(e) sets a 45-day notice of unpaid amounts and a 30-day tenant dispute window; the refund deadline itself is in 14 DCMR §§308–311, not yet read.
What we have read so far, not yet published as a rule:
“Tenants shall have 30 calendar days after the date the housing provider's notice is served to dispute the alleged unpaid amounts.”
What you can do today
- Give your landlord a forwarding address in writing on move-out day and keep proof of sending. Our forwarding-address letter works in any state.
- Photograph every room after you clean, before you return the keys, with the condition report.
- Write down the date and the way you returned the keys.
- Read the statute yourself on the official site: Council of the District of Columbia: D.C. Code.