The rule
- Landlord ends month-to-month
- No fixed period
- Tenant ends month-to-month
- 30 days
- Week-to-week
- No fixed period
- Unpaid rent
- 10 days
- Lease violation
- 30 days
- Unpaid rent
- Landlord must give written notice at least 10 days before filing, and may not file unless at least $600 in rent is owed; the statutory notice form tells tenants they have 30 days to pay. Tenant’s 30-day notice expires on the first day of a month.
- Lease violations
- 30 days to correct a lease violation. Landlords may not end a tenancy simply because the lease or month-to-month term expires; they need a cause listed in D.C. Code § 42-3505.01.
Law: D.C. Code § 42-3505.01, § 42-3202
Last reviewed September 30, 2026
Not legal advice. Statutes change; check the linked section.