Will I Get Evicted?
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How long before eviction in District of Columbia?

Tenant protection: Strong7 of 9 checked

Tenant protection rating, from nine protections in District of Columbia law. 2 not yet verified, and each counts as zero until it is. How the rating works.

Last verified 2026-09-23

From notice to removal

Each stage has its own timing. A landlord notice alone does not authorize removal.

  1. 01
    Notice

    10 calendar days

  2. 02
    Court stage

    Timing not verified

  3. 03
    Writ wait

    21 days before execution

  4. 04
    Removal

    Enforcement follows a court order

At a glance

Grace period before a late fee
5 days
Late fee cap
Not verified
Pay-or-quit notice
10 calendar days
A housing provider must give the tenant written notice of intent to file for possession for nonpayment of rent at least 10 days before filing, unless the unpaid rent is less than $600, in which case a possession claim cannot be filed on that notice at all. The notice must state the amount owed and include a rent ledger. The statute does not say whether a lease can shorten or lengthen this notice period, and it sets no separate rule for a tenant's first late payment. Nonpayment of a late fee alone is not a basis for eviction.
Recorded court-stage timing
Not verified
Wait before the writ can be executed
21 days
Can paying stop it before judgment?
Yes
Can paying stop it after judgment?
Yes
Lockouts without a court order banned?
Yes
A tenant may not be evicted from a rental unit unless the housing provider has served a written notice that meets the eviction statute's requirements, and possession can be recovered only by a Superior Court summons and judgment for restitution, not by the housing provider acting on its own. A housing provider that unlawfully evicts a tenant for a late fee can also be fined and held liable to the tenant for damages.
Record sealing available?
Yes
Right to counsel
Not verified
Fastest lawful timeline
47 daysNot independently verified. Figure from the Eviction Research Network's state eviction timeframes dataset, as of 2026-07-13. We have not yet checked it against the statutes.
Not legal advice. This page reports what the state statute says as of the last-verified date. It does not describe how a particular court applies it, and it does not account for your lease, local ordinances, or the facts of your case. If you have received a notice or a court summons, contact a legal aid organization listed below.

Can I stop it by paying?

Before judgment: Yes. A tenant cannot be evicted for nonpayment of rent as long as the rent owed is paid; nonpayment of a late fee alone is never grounds for eviction. The notice a landlord must send before filing tells the tenant the total amount owed and that the tenant has the right to remain if that balance is paid in full.

After judgment: Yes. When a court enters a judgment for possession because rent was not paid, the tenant can still keep the home by paying the landlord the full amount needed to redeem the tenancy before the eviction is completed. Paying that amount permanently stops the judgment. The court states the amount, or the landlord must file a notice telling the tenant how much must be paid to avoid eviction, and the amount grows as more rent comes due. A tenant can ask the court to reduce an amount they think is wrong. The right ends once the eviction is carried out. It applies only to judgments based on unpaid rent.

Where to get help

Sources