make your free district of columbia lease agreement

district of columbia

residential lease agreement

this lease agreement (the "agreement") is made and entered on (the "effective date") by and between (the "landlord") and the following tenants:

(the "tenant")

subject to the terms and conditions stated below the parties agree as follows:

. property. landlord, in consideration of the lease payments provided in this agreement, leases to tenant a house

. term. this agreement will begin on (the "start date") and will terminate on (the "termination date").

tenant will vacate the property upon termination of the agreement, unless: (i) landlord and tenant have extended this agreement in writing or signed a new agreement; (ii) mandated by local rent control law; or (iii) landlord accepts rent from tenant (other than past due rent), in which case a month-to-month tenancy will be created which either party may terminate all other terms and conditions of this agreement will remain in full force and effect.

. management.

. rent. there will be no rent increases through the initial term of the lease. landlord may increase the rent that will be paid during any month-to-month renewal period by providing at least 30 days written notice to tenant.

payments should be sent to:

payment address: , or at such other place as landlord may designate from time to time.

payments can be made by using one of the following methods of payment:

acceptable forms of payment:

tenant agrees to submit rent payments by one of the methods above. in the event of roommates, or another form of joint or multiple occupancy, tenant will be responsible for collecting payment from all parties and submitting a single payment to landlord. tenant is responsible for any payment made by mail and not received by the due date stated herein. mailed payments must be received on or before the due date. if the first month of the lease is a partial month, rent payment will be pro-rated at the rate of 1/30th of the monthly rent payment per day. no pro-rated rent shall be accepted at any other time. landlord shall provide the tenant with receipts for the payment of rent, including any remaining balance.

. failure to pay. tenant is hereby notified that a negative credit report reflecting on tenant's credit history may be submitted to a credit reporting agency if tenant fails to fulfill the terms of their credit obligations, such as their financial obligations under the terms of this agreement.

. occupants. the only persons who may live on the property during the term of this agreement are:

tenant may have guests on the property for not over consecutive days or days in a calendar year, and no more than two guests per bedroom at any one time. persons staying more than consecutive days or more than days in any calendar year will not be considered original occupants of the property. tenant is not required to disclose to landlord when guests stay at the property fewer than consecutive days or days in a calendar year, but tenant must obtain the prior written approval of landlord if an invitee of tenant will be present at the property for more than consecutive days or days in a calendar year.

. possession. tenant will be entitled to possession of the property on the first day of the term of this agreement, and will yield possession to landlord on the last day of the term of this agreement, unless otherwise agreed by both parties in writing. at the expiration of the term, tenant will remove its goods and effects and peaceably yield up the property to landlord in as good a condition as when delivered to tenant, ordinary wear and tear excepted.

. use of property/absences. tenant will occupy and use the property as a full-time residential dwelling unit. tenant will notify landlord of any anticipated extended absence from the property not later than the first day of the extended absence.

no retail, commercial or professional use of the property is allowed unless the tenant receives prior written consent of the landlord and such use conforms to applicable zoning laws. in such case, landlord may require tenant to obtain liability insurance for the benefit of landlord. landlord reserves the right to refuse to consent to such use in its sole and absolute discretion.

the failure to abide by the provisions of this section will constitute a material breach of this agreement and is a just cause for eviction.

. storage. any personal property stored in the common areas of the property will be removed without notice.

. parking.

. roof/fire escapes. use of the roof and/or the fire escapes by tenants and/or guests is limited to emergency use only. no other use is permitted, including but not limited to, the placement of personal property.

. keys and locks. tenant will be given a set number of keys for the property. if all keys are not returned to landlord following termination of the agreement, tenant will be charged a monetary fee to replace the keys. if a security deposit was collected by the landlord at the time of signing this agreement, then such amount will be subtracted from the security deposit. tenant is not permitted to change any lock or place additional locking devices on any door or window of the property without landlord's approval prior to installation. if allowed, tenant must provide landlord with keys to any changed lock immediately upon installation.

. maintenance and repairs.

. utilities and services.

. default. tenant will be in default of this agreement if tenant fails to comply with any material provisions of this agreement by which tenant is bound. subject to any governing provisions of law to the contrary, if tenant fails to cure any financial obligation (or any other obligation) after written notice of such default is provided by landlord to tenant, landlord may elect to cure such default and the cost of such action will be added to tenant's financial obligations under this agreement. all sums of money or charges required to be paid by tenant under this agreement will be additional rent, whether or not such sums or charges are designated as "additional rent." the rights provided by this paragraph are cumulative in nature and are in addition to any other rights afforded by law.

. military termination. in the event, the tenant is, or hereafter becomes, a member of the united states armed forces on extended active duty and hereafter the tenant receives permanent change of station orders to depart from the area where the property is located, or is relieved from active duty, retires or separates from the military, or is ordered into military housing, then in any of these events, the tenant may terminate this lease upon giving thirty (30) days written notice to the landlord. the tenant will also provide to the landlord a copy of the official orders or a letter signed by the tenant's commanding officer, reflecting the change, which warrants termination under this provision. the tenant will pay prorated rent for any days (he/she) occupy the dwelling past the first day of the month. any security deposit will be promptly returned to the tenant, provided there are no damages to the property.

. condition of property. tenant stipulates, represents and warrants that tenant has examined the property, and that they are at the time of this agreement in good order, repair, and in a safe, clean and tenantable condition.

. alterations and improvements. tenant will make no alterations to the buildings or improvements to the property or construct any building or make any other improvements on the property without the prior written consent of landlord. any and all alterations, changes, and/or improvements built, constructed or placed on the property by tenant will, unless otherwise provided by written agreement between landlord and tenant, be and become the property of landlord and remain on the property at the expiration or earlier termination of this agreement.

. hazardous materials. tenant will not keep on the property any item of a dangerous, flammable or explosive character that might unreasonably increase the danger of fire or explosion on the property or that might be considered hazardous or extra hazardous by any responsible insurance company.

. damage to property. if the property is damaged or destroyed as to render it uninhabitable, then either landlord or tenant will have the right to terminate this agreement as of the date on which such damage occurs, through written notice to the other party to be given within 20 days of occurrence of such damage. however, if such damage should occur as the result of the conduct or negligence of tenants or tenants' guests or invitees, landlord will have the right to termination and tenants will be responsible for all losses, including, but not limited to, damage and repair costs as well as loss of rental income.

. landlord access to property. landlord and landlord's agents will have the right at all reasonable times during the term of this agreement and any renewal thereof to enter the property for the purpose of inspecting the property and all buildings and improvements thereon. tenant will make the property available to landlord or landlord's agents for the purposes of making repairs or improvements, or to supply agreed services or show the property to prospective buyers or tenants, or in case of emergency. except in case of emergency, landlord will give tenant reasonable notice of intent to enter. for these purposes, forty eight (48) hour written notice will be deemed reasonable.

. indemnity regarding use of property. to the extent permitted by law, tenant agrees to indemnify, hold harmless, and defend landlord from and against any and all losses, claims, liabilities, and expenses, including reasonable attorney fees, if any, which landlord may suffer or incur in connection with tenant's possession, use or misuse of the property, except landlord's act or negligence. tenant hereby expressly releases landlord and/or agent from any and all liability for loss or damage to tenant's property or effects whether on the property, garage, storerooms or any other location in or about the property, arising out of any cause whatsoever, including but not limited to rain, plumbing leakage, fire or theft, except in the case that such damage has been adjudged to be the result of the gross negligence of landlord, landlord's employees, heirs, successors, assignees and/or agents.

. accommodation. landlord agrees to and is committed to complying with all applicable laws providing equal housing opportunities. to ensure compliance, landlord will make reasonable accommodations for the known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified individual with a disability who is an applicant or a tenant, unless undue hardship would result. it is the applicant or tenant's responsibility to make landlord aware of any required accommodation. in writing, the individual with the disability should specify the nature and effect of the disability and any accommodation he or she needs. if after thoughtful consideration and evaluation, the accommodation is reasonable and will not impose an undue hardship, landlord will make the accommodation. landlord reserves the right to require appropriate medical verification of the disability.

. compliance with regulations. tenant will promptly comply with all laws, ordinances, requirements and regulations of the federal, state, county, municipal and other authorities, and the fire insurance underwriters. however, tenant will not by this provision be required to make alterations to the exterior of the building or alterations of a structural nature.

. mechanics liens. neither tenant nor anyone claiming through the tenant will have the right to file mechanics liens or any other kind of lien on the property and the filing of this agreement constitutes notice that such liens are invalid. further, tenant agrees to (1) give actual advance notice to any contractors, subcontractors or suppliers of goods, labor, or services that such liens will not be valid, and (2) take whatever additional steps that are necessary in order to keep the property free of all liens resulting from construction done by or for the tenant.

. subordination of lease. this agreement is subordinate to any mortgage that now exists, or may be given later by landlord, with respect to the property.

. assignment and subletting.

. notice. notice under this agreement will not be deemed valid unless given or served in writing and forwarded by mail, postage prepaid, addressed to the party at the appropriate address set forth below. such addresses may be changed from time to time by either party by providing notice as set forth below. notices mailed in accordance with these provisions will be deemed received on the third day after posting.

landlord:

, ,

tenant:

, , district of columbia

such addresses may be changed from time to time by any party by providing notice as set forth above.

. governing law. this agreement will be governed, construed and interpreted by, through and under the laws of the district of columbia.

. waiver and severability. the failure of either party to enforce any provisions of this agreement will not be construed as a waiver or limitation of that party's right to subsequently enforce and compel strict compliance with every provision of this agreement. if any provision of this agreement or the application thereof will, for any reason and to any extent, be invalid or unenforceable, neither the remainder of this agreement nor the application of the provision to other persons, entities or circumstances will be affected thereby, but instead will be enforced to the maximum extent permitted by law.

. time of essence. time is of the essence with respect to the execution of this lease agreement.

. estoppel certificate. tenant will execute and return a tenant estoppel certificate delivered to tenant by landlord or landlord's agent within three (3) days after its receipt. failure to comply with this requirement will be deemed tenant's acknowledgment that the estoppel certificate is true and correct, and may be relied upon by a lender or purchaser.

. entire agreement. this document constitutes the entire agreement between the tenant and landlord. this agreement cannot be modified except in writing and must be signed by all parties. neither landlord nor tenant have made any promises or representations, other than those set forth in this agreement and those implied by law. the failure of tenant or its guests or invitees to comply with any term of this agreement is grounds for termination of the tenancy, with appropriate notice to tenants and procedures as required by law.

. application. tenant represents and warrants that all statements in tenant's rental application are accurate. any misrepresentations will be considered a material breach of this agreement and may subject tenant to eviction. tenant authorizes landlord and any broker to obtain tenant's credit report periodically during the tenancy in connection with the modification or enforcement of this lease. landlord reserves the right to terminate this agreement (i) before occupancy begins, (ii) upon disapproval of the credit report(s), or (iii) at any time, upon discovering that information in tenant's application is false.

. binding effect. the provisions of this agreement will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of parties and their respective legal representatives, successors and assigns.

receipt

initials

lease agreement

inspection checklist

tenant has inspected the property and states that the property is in satisfactory condition, free of defects, except as noted below:

kitchen

living room

hallways or other areas

tenant:

acknowledged by landlord:

what you should know about rent control in the district of columbia

this pamphlet will help you understand rent control laws and regulations. the rent control law is the rental housing act of 1985 (dc law 6-10) as amended (the act), which is codified as dc official code §42-3501.01 et seq., as well as the corresponding d.c. municipal regulations, title 14, chapter 4200 et seq. you can find the complete law in most dc public libraries or online at: https://code.dccouncil.us/dc/council/code/

rental accommodations division

the rental accommodations division (rad), which is part of the department of housing and community development's (dhcd) housing regulation administration (hra), is responsible for administering the act. the head of rad is the rent administrator. hra was transferred from the department of consumer and regulatory affairs to dhcd, effective october 1, 2007.

office of administrative hearings

the office of administrative hearings (oah) conducts hearings on rad petitions.

rental housing commission

a separate, 3-member rental housing commission (rhc) is the first level of appeal of the decisions made on rad petitions. the rhc also writes regulations under the act.

rent control terms

under the act, an apartment building or apartment complex is called a housing accommodation, and a single apartment or house is called a rental unit. a tenant is a tenant, but a landlord is referred to as a housing provider.

applicability

the act applies to all housing accommodations in the district of columbia, unless they are specifically exempted by the act. the most common exemptions are rental units in these categories:

registration

every housing accommodation or rental unit must be registered with rad by filing a rad registration and claim of exemption form. once registered, the housing accommodation or rental unit is assigned a registration number if it is subject to rent control. if it is exempt, it is assigned an exemption number. if a housing accommodation was initially exempt from the act but later becomes subject to the act, the housing provider must amend the rad registration and claim of exemption form at that time. changes in ownership or management must be filed with rad within 30 days of the event.

increases in rent

under the act, any increase in rent must meet these conditions:

allowable rent increases based on cpi-w

the most common allowable increase in rent is an annual adjustment, based on the increase in the consumer price index (cpi-w). for most tenants, the most that their rent can increase is the cpi-w percentage plus 2%, but not more than 10%. for tenants who are elderly or disabled, the maximum increase in rent charged is the cpi percentage only, but not more than 5%. allowable increases based on cpi are sometimes called automatic -- because no petition or other special steps are required.

rent increases when a unit becomes vacant or vacancy increase

the only exception to the limit of one rent increase per year is when a rental unit becomes vacant. the housing provider can raise the rent charged upon a vacancy to:

comparable rental units have essentially the same square footage and floor plan; comparable amenities and equipment; comparable locations with respect to exposure and height (if exposure and height have previously been factors in the amount of rent charged) and comparable physical condition.

once there has been a vacancy increase in rent, the housing provider cannot make another increase in rent for 12 months, even if another vacancy occurs.

other allowable rent increases

a housing provider may choose to seek larger allowable increases under other provisions of the act, including hardship, capital improvements, services and facilities or substantial rehabilitation, or agreement with 70% of the tenants. the other allowable increases, described in more detail below, are not automatic. the housing provider must petition or otherwise seek the consent of the rent administrator, and tenants may choose to participate in the process, often at hearings before an administrative hearing judge.

hardship

under the act, housing providers are allowed to raise rents enough to earn a 12% rate of return on the housing provider's rental property investment.

to apply for this increase, the housing provider must document operating expenses for 12 of the last 15 months preceding the filing of the hardship petition. rad will notify the tenants that a hardship petition has been filed and allow the tenants to designate a representative to support or oppose it.

rad performs an audit of the hardship petition and supporting documents. the rent administrator issues an order granting or denying the hardship petition. the housing provider and tenants may each submit exceptions and objections to the rent administrator's order. if exceptions and objections are submitted, a hearing will be held with oah to resolve the disputed matters. oah then issues an order setting the rent increase.

capital improvements

a housing provider can petition to raise rents by an amount enough to cover the cost of capital improvements. a capital improvement is an improvement or renovation other than ordinary repair, repair or maintenance if the improvement or renovation is deemed depreciable under the internal revenue code. a housing provider files a petition, serves copies to the tenants, and presents the case to the office of administrative hearings (oah). the capital improvement petition must be filed no later than 10 calendar days after the installation of the capital improvements. tenants may support or oppose the petition. if oah approves the surcharge, the housing provider performs the work and may then raise rents.

oah makes a ruling on the petition, based on:

in addition to the work's cost, the housing provider can include financing costs, including interest and service charges. the housing provider must spread the costs of a building-wide improvement project for 96 months. for an improvement to one or more but not all rental units, the costs must be spread over for 64 months. only units affected by the capital improvements are subject to rent increases.

the surcharge may be no more than 20% of the prior rent charged for a building-wide capital improvement and no more than 15% for an improvement that does not affect all rental units.

the act allows a housing provider to continue the surcharge until the housing provider has recovered all costs, including interest and service charges, of the capital improvement. certain low-income elderly and disabled tenants can be exempted from a capital improvement surcharge.

the increase is terminated once the housing provider recovers all costs of the capital improvements. this type of increase in rent is called a surcharge.

services & facilities

the act allows an adjustment in rents when related services or facilities supplied by a housing provider or a housing accommodation or for any rental unit in the housing accommodation are increased or decreased.

a housing provider files a petition, serves copies to the tenants, and presents the case for the change at an oah hearing. tenants may support or oppose the petition. the oah makes a ruling on the petition, based on:

substantial rehabilitation

the housing provider may submit a petition to raise rents for a substantial rehabilitation of the housing accommodation. a substantial rehabilitation petition is filed only when proposed rehabilitation cost equals or is more than 50% of the real property tax assessment of the rental unit or housing accommodation. the petition must include detailed plans, specifications and projected costs. the tenants are notified, a hearing is conducted, and the oah issues a decision before the work starts. the maximum allowed rent increase is 125%.

this rent increase is not a temporary surcharge, but a permanent increase. when determining if a substantial rehabilitation is warranted, oah considers:

70% voluntary agreement

the act allows tenants of a housing accommodation to enter into a voluntary agreement with the housing provider to establish the rent, capital improvements, services and facilities, or repairs and maintenance. if the housing provider initiates the voluntary agreement, the tenants must be given at least 14 days to review it following the filing of the voluntary agreement with rad and service on the tenants.

the rent administrator must approve the voluntary agreement and any conditions in the voluntary agreement must be met, before rents can be raised. if approved, the voluntary agreement will affect all tenants, including those tenants who did not sign the voluntary agreement.

tenant petition

a tenant who believes that a rent adjustment is incorrect may file a tenant petition with rad. when a petition is filed:

5. oah issues a decision and order. a tenant petition may address any perceived violation(s) of the act.

protections for elderly and disabled people

a tenant who believes he or she fits the definitions of elderly or disabled under the act must file an application with the rent administrator and give a copy of the application to the housing provider. to qualify:

act and regulations

this pamphlet is intended to outline the act, but does not include every detail. interested parties are encouraged to review the act and its regulations, or to ask a lawyer or housing professional for more help.

when laws are enacted, they are called statutes. later they become part of the dc official code; in that process section numbers are changed. the web site shows the law in code form. the agency usually uses statute numbers.

the section numbers from the statute appear in the notes below the text of the law.

to find the act online, go to https://code.dccouncil.us/dc/council/code/

the regulations are part of title 14 of the dc municipal regulations. the complete regulations run from chapter 38-43, but chapter 42 has most key provisions.

to find the regulations online, go to https://www.dcregs.dc.gov/

the regulations can be printed from the site.