D.C. Code tit. 42 § 42-3505.54
Notice of tenant's intent to vacate after the expiration of the signed lease term, renewal or extension term.
Operative Text
(a) A residential tenancy from month-to-month may be terminated by a 30-day notice in writing only from the tenant to the housing provider of the tenant's intention to quit. The notice shall expire on the first day of the first month at least 30 days after the date of the notice. (b) A housing provider shall not place or cause to be placed in a residential lease or rental agreement a requirement that the tenant provide more than a 30-day notice to the housing provider of the tenant's intention to vacate the premises, unless the lease or agreement also requires the housing provider to provide the tenant with a written notice of any rent increase that is at least 30 days more than that time period.
Under D.C. Code § 42-3505.54 (part of the broader D.C. Code § 42-3501.01 et seq. framework), a month-to-month residential tenancy can be ended by the tenant giving the housing provider at least 30 days' written notice, with that notice expiring on the first day of the first month at least 30 days out. The provision also limits what landlords can require in a lease: if a lease demands more than 30 days' notice from a tenant intending to vacate, the landlord must correspondingly give the tenant a rent-increase notice that exceeds that same extended period by at least 30 days. In effect, the rule creates a balance — any extra notice burden placed on tenants must be matched by an equivalent extra notice obligation on the housing provider for rent increases.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Housing providers operating under D.C. Code § 42-3505.54 generally ensure that their lease agreements do not require tenants to give more than 30 days' notice of intent to vacate unless the lease simultaneously obligates the provider to deliver rent-increase notices at least 30 days beyond that extended period. Compliant operators review their standard lease templates to confirm that any extended notice clause is paired with a correspondingly longer rent-increase notice requirement. Keeping lease language aligned with this provision helps avoid clauses that could be challenged as unenforceable under D.C. Code § 42-3501.01 et seq.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
D.C. Code § 42-3505.54, part of the D.C. Code § 42-3501.01 et seq. tenant-protection framework, establishes that a month-to-month tenant generally needs to give only 30 days' written notice to end a tenancy, and that notice takes effect on the first day of the first month at least 30 days later. If a lease purports to require more than 30 days' notice without a matching extended rent-increase notice obligation on the housing provider, that clause may conflict with this provision — a point tenants can raise with a tenant-rights organization or before the relevant D.C. housing authority. Tenants who believe their lease contains a non-compliant notice requirement have several general paths available, including filing a complaint with a local housing agency or raising the issue as a defense in a housing proceeding.
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 13, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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