District of Columbia Lease Agreement with ezSign

District of Columbia Residential Lease Agreement

Washington D.C. has some unique Lease laws, and Landlords need a Lease Agreement that complies with them all. Here’s how we guarantee our Washington DC Lease Agreement complies with all DC Lease laws:

• All state-required terms and clauses are automatically included in the Lease
• As you customize your Lease Agreement, you’ll get State Assist Tips to point out state laws
• All state-required disclosures or additional documents are automatically added to your Lease

Besides being guaranteed to comply with all state laws, our Lease is EZ to create and customize:

1. Follow user-friendly prompts to customize your Lease entirely online.
2. Add any additional disclosures or documents you want to create the complete Lease Package. For example, a Pet Addendum, Smoke-Free Policy Addendum, or a Pest Control Addendum.
3. Once completed, you and your Tenant can review and sign the Lease entirely online with our electronic signing tool, ezSign.

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Landlord-Tenant Laws

DC has some complex Landlord-Tenant laws. Thankfully, our Lease Agreement complies with all of them.

Even so, we know Pro Landlords need to be familiar with Landlord-Tenant laws when managing their property. So, here are some key Landlord-Tenant laws.

Category	State Law
Ending and Renewing	Periodic Term: When real estate is Leased on a month-to-month or quarter-to-quarter basis, Landlords or Tenants must give 30 days' notice when ending or renewing a Lease Agreement. Fixed-Term: When real estate is Leased for a certain term, no notice is required for termination, and the Landlord is entitled to possession at the end of the Lease term.
Security Deposit	Collecting last month's rent in advance is not permitted. Non-Refundable Fees: There are no stated regulations limiting the collection of non-refundable fees.
Returned Payment Fee	There are no statutory limitations placed on a charge for a returned payment fee.
Late Fee	The late fee cannot exceed 5% of the rent and there is a five-day grace period. If a Tenant is receiving government assistance for housing, the late fee will apply only to the portion paid by the Tenant. Any late fees must be stated in the Lease Agreement.
Insurance Requirements	In DC, Landlords are not permitted to require Tenants to obtain rental insurance.
Notice to Enter	Landlords must provide at least 48 hours notice to enter the rental unit.
Landlord Requirements	Landlords must provide the Tenant with a copy of the Lease and all addendums within seven (7) days after execution of the Lease. In DC, all Landlords are governed by the Rental Housing Act of 1985 unless they are exempt or excluded from the Act. Landlords must register with the Housing Regulation Administration to ensure compliance with DC's complex rent control system (which establishes a maximum amount of rent a Landlord may charge for a rental unit). For rent-controlled units, rent adjustment information can be found here: DC Certification of Rent Adjustment of General Applicability Landlords should check with local housing officials, an attorney, or a rent control board for further information and to ensure compliance.

Contact your local housing or zoning office to be sure your rental property complies with city and county requirements for inspections, rent control, occupancy limits, property codes, and zoning. Many cities and counties require inspections and registrations and have specific maintenance regulations.

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Required Disclosures

Washington DC has some complex Lease laws. We make it EZ to comply with them all - all DC-required disclosures are automatically included in our Washington D.C. Lease Agreement!

• District of Columbia Tenant Bill of Rights: Landlords should provide Tenants with this resource at the time the Lease is signed.
• District of Columbia Lead-Based Paint Disclosure: Pursuant to federal law, if the property was built before 1978 all occupants must be provided with a lead-based paint disclosure.
• DC Required Notice to Tenants of Housing Code Provisions: This document should be provided to Tenants at the start of their tenancy.
• Receipts: Every time a Tenant pays the Landlord, the Tenant must be provided with a receipt. A Security Deposit Receipt or Rent Receipt is sufficient to comply with this requirement. Note: if the Tenant pays with a personal check, no receipt is necessary.
• RAD Form 1: Every Rental Unit in DC must be registered with the Rental Accommodations Division (RAD) using this form.
• RAD Form 3: This form must be completed and given to all Tenants.
• RAD Form 5: This form notifies the Tenant that disclosure forms must be available for inspection.
• Voter Registration Packet: Landlords must provide Tenants with up-to-date voter registration forms provided by the Board of Elections.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a DC Lease Agreement need to be notarized?

No, Lease Agreements do not need to be notarized in DC. Regardless of the length of the Lease term, Rental Contracts simply need to be signed by both parties.

What is the standard Lease term in the District of Columbia?

The standard Lease term is one year (12 months). That said, Lease terms can be longer or shorter as long as the term is clearly stated in the Lease Agreement.

Because we know Landlords have different needs, we offer a short-term Lease Agreement, a Month-to-Month Lease Agreement, and a Vacation Rental Contract.

How should you store your Lease Agreement?

It’s vital that Landlords keep a copy of their Lease Agreement accessible so that they can address any questions or concerns that Tenants have. Additionally, should a problem arise with a Tenant, it’s the Lease Agreement that protects the Landlord.

Our Lease Agreements are automatically stored securely on the cloud with ezCloudStorage. They are also EZ to print or download if you’d prefer.

Whether you have a hard copy, a saved PDF, or a document stored in the cloud, it’s important to have access to all of your signed Lease Agreements.

Do DC Landlords need a Lease Agreement?

Yes, anyone who rents real estate needs a Lease Agreement in place before handing over possession of their property. This is true whether you rent an apartment, duplex, condo, or single-family home.

There are some generic or simple Lease Agreements available online. While these are better than nothing, they don’t provide the complete protection that comes from a thorough state-specific Lease Agreement. You can find a blank and fillable free District of Columbia Lease

Agreement - like the one offered by the DC Association of Realtors - online, but that doesn’t provide Landlords with the complete protection they need. Instead, Landlords should use a state-specific, customizable Lease Agreement that covers all terms of their rental and complies with all applicable Lease laws.

The Lease is a legally binding contract between the Landlord, or lessor, and Tenant, or lessee. It’s vital to have a good Lease Agreement in place before handing over possession of your property.

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District of Columbia Rental Forms and Templates

• Rental Application: Our Free Rental Application makes it EZ to start the screening process. Pro Tip: Tenant Screening is THE BEST way to reduce bad rental outcomes.
• Move-In/Move-Out Walkthrough Checklist: Use this checklist to document the condition of your property at move-in and move-out. This is a MUST USE form if you collect a security deposit!
• Tenant Welcome Letter: Customize this form to provide renters with all the info they need about their new home. This is a great way to establish good Landlord-Tenant communication from day 1!
• Rent Ledger: Use this Free Rent Ledger to keep track of rent payments and have documentation of any missed payments.
• District of Columbia BBL Inspection Consent Form: This form must be signed by both the Landlord and Tenant as part of an application for a Basic Business License for a Residential Housing Endorsement.
• DC 30-Day Notice to Correct or Vacate: This notice gives Tenants 30 days to fix a Lease violation or vacate the premises. It’s a necessary step prior to starting the eviction process.
• DC 30-Day Notice to Vacate for Illegal Activity: This notice should be provided if a Tenant needs to vacate the Rental Unit due to the performance of illegal activity.

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Other State Lease Agreements

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Create a District of Columbia Lease Agreement

Ensure that you and your rental property are protected.

• Create and customize your Washington DC Rental Lease Agreement online in minutes.
• Include Addenda & Additional Documents with the click of a box.
• Sign online with our electronic signing tool, ezSign

Create District of Columbia Lease