District of Columbia Landlord Bundle: 3 Kits in One Download (DC Landlord Kit, DC Small Claims Kit, Eviction Case File Organizer)

Who it is for

Landlords and property managers with rentals in District of Columbia: the state's rules, a small claims case for unpaid rent or damage, and an eviction case file if it comes to that.

Not the right fit if

Your rentals aren't in District of Columbia, or you only need one of the kits. Not a property management or legal service.

Why it is different

• 3 kits for 30% less than buying them one by one; each keeps its own folder in the download.
• The DC kits are built only from our DC data files: District of Columbia data files, checked November 2026 against 12 official pages, among them Council of the District of Columbia: D.C. Code 42-3502.17; D.C. Office of the Tenant Advocate: Tenant Bill of Rights (form OTA 2026.09.25); Council of the District of Columbia: D.C. Code 42-3505.01 (Evictions); Council of the District of Columbia: D.C. Code 42-3505.31 (Late fees); D.C. Courts: I have a judgment or a default against my tenant. How do I evict the tenant?; D.C. Superior Court: Case Management Plan, Landlord and Tenant Branch (rev. Feb. 2021), plus National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel and National Center for State Courts (a vetted secondary source, marked in the kit) where no official page could be read; DC small claims data file, checked November 2026 against DC Courts: Small Claims change of cap from $5,000 to $10,000 (press release); DC Superior Court Civil Rule 202 Fees; DC Courts: Small Claims (Civil Division); DC Court of Appeals: Appeals from Small Claims guide; Superior Court Rules of Procedure for the Small Claims and Conciliation Branch (DC Courts).
• Eviction Case File Organizer covers every state; the DC kits carry the state rules.

What is inside

• District of Columbia Landlord Compliance Kit. The District of Columbia landlord-tenant rules in one package: deposit capped at 1 month of rent; deposit returned within 45 days; 30-day notice for unpaid rent; 48-hour entry notice; $15 eviction filing fee; $10,000 small claims limit. Deposits, notice periods, the eviction case and the small claims limit, each confirmed rule with its source link and check date. What it confirms: deposit limit: No more than the initial monthly rent (Tenant Bill of Rights, citing 14 DCMR 308-311); return deadline: Within 45 days after the tenancy ends: the deposit with interest, or a written notice of unpaid amounts, delivered personally, by email or by certified mail, with supporting photos or other documentation and a statement of the tenant's right to dispute (42-3502.17(e)(2)); itemized list of deductions: A written notice of the unpaid amounts claimed, with photos or other documentation and the tenant's right to dispute within 30 calendar days; the landlord answers a dispute in writing within 10 days (42-3502.17(e)); interest on the deposit: Returned with interest for tenancies of 12 months or more (Tenant Bill of Rights); where the deposit is held: In an interest-bearing account (Tenant Bill of Rights); ending month-to-month (landlord): A tenant can't be evicted because a lease expired; only for a reason listed in the law, after a written notice to vacate; rent increase notice: At least 60 days' written notice of any rent increase; unpaid rent notice: Notice of intent to file at least 10 days before filing, with a ledger; no filing for less than $600; entry notice: Reasonable notice: 48 hours unless the lease says otherwise or the tenant agrees; late fee limits: No more than 5% of the rent due, only if rent isn't paid within 5 days (or a longer lease grace period); the lease must state the maximum; one fee per late payment; no eviction for unpaid late fees; court: The Landlord and Tenant Branch of the Superior Court's Civil Division; filing fee: $15 to file a complaint in the Landlord and Tenant Branch; the writ of restitution costs $213 more ($10 court fee, $195 U.S; time to answer or appear: No written answer is needed unless the tenant wants a jury trial (or raises a plea of title or counterclaim); the tenant comes to the initial hearing; hearing after filing: Initial hearings are scheduled at least 28 calendar days after filing; judgment to writ: The landlord waits at least 48 hours after a judgment or default before filing for the writ of restitution (valid for 75 days);
• District of Columbia Small Claims Court Kit. In DC, small claims (Small Claims and Conciliation Branch, Superior Court of the District of Columbia) cover claims up to $10,000. From the official page: DC Courts press release: Small Claims limit raised from $5,000 to $10,000 effective January 3, 2017. Service: Personal delivery by any competent adult who isn't a party, or leaving the papers at the defendant's home with a suitable adult who lives there; or the clerk mails them by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, with postage the plaintiff pays at filing (Small Claims Rule 4). File proof of service within 60 days of filing (90 days in debt collection cases) and at least 7 days before the first court date. Lawyers are allowed. Appeal: An appeal goes to the DC Court of Appeals by an Application for Allowance of Appeal filed in the Court of Appeals Clerk's Office: "you only have 3 days" if an Associate Judge signed the order; if a Magistrate Judge signed it, first file a Motion for Review by an Associate Judge in Superior Court within 10 days, then 3 days to appeal. "It costs $10 to file an Application for Allowance of Appeal" ($40 more if it is granted), and "Applications for Allowance of Appeal are not granted very often.". Where and how to file, from the official pages: The Small Claims Clerk's Office, Room 110, 510 4th St. NW, Building B, Washington, DC 20001, by mail or in person, or the lobby drop box at the Moultrie Courthouse, 500 Indiana Avenue NW. Fees: claims $500 or less: $5 (Superior Court Civil Rule 202 (amended 2020)); claims over $500 up to $2,500: $10; claims over $2,500: $45. Superior Court Civil Rule 202 (Small Claims & Landlord-Tenant column). Service costs extra. Online filing: http://efiledcsuperiorcourt.gov/ A claim calculator that adds up your items and compares the total with $10,000, a costs sheet with the DC fee list, a deadline sheet in business days that skips weekends and federal holidays, and a collection tracker with the balance owed.
• Eviction Case File Organizer. Walk into the hearing with the lease, the ledger, the notices and every date in order, whichever side you are on.