Washington D.C. 30 Day Notice to Pay or Quit

A Washington D.C. 30 Day Notice To Quit is a letter satisfying local requirements to begin eviction against a tenant for nonpayment of rent. The tenant must pay the rent balance due or else move out within thirty (30) calendar days of receiving notice.

When to Use a Washington D.C. 30 Day Notice to Quit

A Washington D.C. 30 Day Notice To Quit begin the eviction process in Washington D.C. when the tenant is late on rent. This notice may be delivered beginning the day after rent is normally due. The tenant must pay the past due balance or else move out within thirty (30) calendar days.

Some types of Washington D.C. lease termination notice may allow different reasons for termination, or different notice periods. This may also apply to an eviction notice issued because of a lease or legal violation.

How To Write a Washington D.C. 30 Day Notice To Quit

To help ensure the legal compliance of a Notice To Quit:

Use the full name of the receiving parties, and address of record, if known
Specify the basis for terminating the tenancy, and payment required to avoid termination
Specify the termination date of the lease or tenancy
Fill in the full address of the rental premises
Provide updated/current address and phone number information
Print name and sign the notice
Complete the certificate of service by indicating the date and method of notice delivery, along with printed name and signature

It is easy to lose an otherwise justified legal action because of improper notice. Check carefully to ensure enough time after notice is delivered, not when it’s sent.

How To Serve a Washington D.C. 30 Day Notice To Quit

Washington D.C. landlords may deliver an initial Notice To Quit using any of these methods:

Hand delivery to the tenant
Only if the tenant cannot be found: Hand delivery to a person of suitable age on the premises who can accept the notice on behalf of the tenant
Only if all forms of hand delivery fail: Posting the notice on the premises, PLUS, within three (3) calendar days, mailing notice by first class mail with return postage prepaid

Mailed notice extends a notice period by three (3) calendar days, to account for variable delivery times.

Special Notice Requirements in Washington D.C.

In Washington D.C., notice from a landlord must be delivered in both English and Spanish, by default. If the landlord knows the tenant speaks a language other than English and Spanish, in most cases the landlord must provide notice in the tenant’s preferred language.

Some notices must be served on the Rent Administrator in addition to being served to the tenant. Notice posted to the premises can only be proven in Washington D.C. courts by providing a picture of the posted notice with a readable date and timestamp.

note

In almost all cases, notice is legally served when it is received by the other party, NOT when it’s sent. Check specified date of termination carefully to ensure compliance with the legal requirements for a notice period.

Sources

1 DC Code § 42–3505.01: A housing provider shall provide the tenant with notice of the housing provider’s intent to file a claim against a tenant to recover possession of a rental unit for the non-payment of rent at least 30 days before filing the claim.
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2 D.C. Code § 42-3206: Every notice to the tenant to quit shall be served in English and Spanish upon him personally, if he can be found, and if he can not be found it shall be sufficient service of said notice to deliver the same to some person of proper age upon the premises, and in the absence of such tenant or person to post the same in some conspicuous place upon the leased premises. If the notice is posted on the premises, a copy of the notice shall be mailed first class U.S. mail, postage prepaid, to the premises sought to be recovered, in the name of the person known to be in possession of the premises, or if unknown, in the name of the person occupying the premises, within 3 calendar days of the date of posting.

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3 Sup. Ct. R. D.C. 6(c): c) Additional time after service by mail. Whenever a party has the right to act or is required to act within a specified time period after service of a notice or other paper upon the party, if the notice is by regular first class mail, then the party shall have three additional days, separately computed pursuant to paragraph (a) of this Rule, to act. For the purpose of this Rule service by facsimile transmission is not service by mail.
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4 D.C. Code § 42-3505.01(a)(1) - (a)(3): (1) …No tenant shall be evicted from a rental unit for any reason unless the tenant has been served with a written notice which meets the requirements of this section. Notices for all reasons other than for nonpayment of rent shall be served upon both the tenant and the Rent Administrator.

(2) If a notice is served by posting a copy on the premises, a photograph of the posted notice must be submitted to the court. The photograph must have a readable timestamp that indicates the date and time of when the summons was posted.

(3) If the landlord knows the tenant speaks a primary language other than English or Spanish that is covered under § 2-1933, the landlord must provide the notice in that language.

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To determine whether a language other than English or Spanish is covered by the legal requirement in section (D), above, see D.C. Code § 2-1933 (“A covered entity shall provide translations of vital documents into any non-English language spoken by a limited or no-English proficient population that constitutes 3% or 500 individuals, whichever is less”).
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