25 Del. C. ch. 51 § 5118
Summary of residential landlord-tenant code
Operative Text
A summary of the Landlord-Tenant Code, as prepared by the Consumer Protection Unit of the Attorney General’s Office or its successor agency, shall be given to the new tenant at the beginning of the rental term. If the landlord fails to provide the summary, the tenant may plead ignorance of the law as a defense.
Under 25 Del. C. ch. 51 § 5118, Delaware landlords are required to provide new tenants with an official summary of the Landlord-Tenant Code at the start of the rental term. This summary is prepared by the Consumer Protection Unit of the Attorney General's Office. If a landlord does not provide this document, the law allows a tenant to claim ignorance of the law as a legal defense in relevant proceedings.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Section 5118 of Delaware's Landlord-Tenant Code places a clear obligation on property owners and managers to hand new tenants an official summary of the Landlord-Tenant Code at the outset of each rental term. Compliant operators typically obtain the current version of this summary from the Consumer Protection Unit of the Attorney General's Office and include it as part of their standard move-in documentation package. Keeping a signed acknowledgment from the tenant confirming receipt is a common practice that helps demonstrate compliance with § 5118.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under 25 Del. C. ch. 51 § 5118, you are entitled to receive an official summary of Delaware's Landlord-Tenant Code from your landlord at the beginning of your rental term. If that summary was never provided, the law expressly allows you to raise ignorance of the law as a defense in legal proceedings where knowledge of the code might otherwise be assumed. Tenants who believe this requirement was not met may wish to consult a tenant-rights organization or review resources from the Delaware Attorney General's Consumer Protection Unit to better understand how this defense might apply.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 22, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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