District of Columbia 30-Day Nonpayment Notice

District of Columbia 30-Day Notice of Nonpayment and Possible Eviction Packet

Download a District of Columbia 30-Day Notice of Nonpayment and Possible Eviction packet for residential nonpayment under D.C. Code § 42-3505.01(a-1). This attorney-reviewed forms packet includes a PublicLegal-authored notice plus editable landlord companions for instructions, dual service, and mailing records.

4 editable Word files
Attorney-reviewed notice materials
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What you receive for District of Columbia

This District of Columbia nonpayment packet helps complete the PublicLegal-authored 30-Day Notice, apply the $600 rent-only threshold, include mandatory tenant-rights text, document both required service legs, and preserve records before any Landlord and Tenant Branch filing.

PublicLegal-authored notice

The tenant-facing 30-Day Notice is built around D.C. Code § 42-3505.01(a-1). It is not an official D.C. Courts or Superior Court form and is not a court-stage Complaint for Possession.

Editable self-help files

Download the editable Word files, customize the notice on your own device, and keep a completed or served copy for your records.

Dual-service and cure focus

Use the companions to serve only the completed notice, document tracked delivery and hand delivery or timestamped photographic posting, and preserve the full 30-day cure record.

Included District of Columbia 30-Day Notice packet files

This product includes four editable Microsoft Word files: the DC 30-Day Notice of Nonpayment and Possible Eviction, DC Notice Instructions, DC Notice Service Record, and #10 Mailing Envelope. Serve only the completed notice; keep the other three as landlord companion files.

30 Day Notice of Nonpayment and Possible Eviction State-specific notice Word
Notice Instructions Minnesota usage notes and statutory notice checklist Word
Notice Service Record State-specific notice Word
Required notice envelope Service-envelope document Word

Self-help notice overview

Using a District of Columbia 30-Day Notice of Nonpayment and Possible Eviction

A District of Columbia 30-Day Notice of Nonpayment and Possible Eviction is the written residential nonpayment notice used before a possible Landlord and Tenant Branch case under D.C. Code § 42-3505.01(a-1). This packet’s notice is PublicLegal-authored and attorney-reviewed at the form level; it is not an official D.C. Courts or Superior Court form.

Do not issue the notice when unpaid rent is less than $600 or use late fees as a basis for eviction. Give at least 30 days to pay in full, include the mandatory tenant-rights text and phone numbers, complete both required service legs, address covered-language access, and include the required rental housing registration or exemption statement and number when applicable.

A notice is not a completed eviction judgment. A pending Emergency Rental Assistance Program application can pause the process, only a court can order eviction, and only the U.S. Marshals Service may carry it out.

About this District of Columbia 30-Day Notice packet

This page highlights the current four-file District of Columbia packet: the PublicLegal-authored 30-Day Notice of Nonpayment and Possible Eviction plus editable instructions, a Notice Service Record, and a #10 envelope. The state-specific guidance below explains the $600 rent-only threshold, 30-day cure, mandatory tenant-rights text, dual service, language access, licensing statement, ERAP pause, court-stage separation, and no-self-help limits before checkout.

District of Columbia notice requirements and usage notes

The complete District of Columbia 30-Day Notice packet is available immediately after checkout. Use the state-specific guidance below to apply the $600 rent-only threshold, provide the full 30-day cure period, include the mandatory tenant-rights text, document both required service legs, and preserve companion records before serving or filing.

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Last reviewed August 2026

ILRG editorial team reviewed this page against the sources linked here.

Primary sources

Primary District of Columbia statutory sources, DC Superior Court Landlord and Tenant Branch resources, and the Office of the Tenant Advocate are linked for self-help research. Confirm the lease, rent ledger, license or exemption status, the two required service legs, any covered-language obligation, ERAP status, current court forms, fees, and Landlord and Tenant Branch practice before serving or filing.

Quick answer

Use this District of Columbia residential nonpayment packet when rent is due and unpaid, the unpaid rent is at least $600, and the housing provider needs the D.C. Code § 42-3505.01(a-1) 30-Day Notice of Nonpayment and Possible Eviction before filing in the Landlord and Tenant Branch. The tenant-facing notice is PublicLegal-authored and attorney-reviewed at the form level; it is not an official D.C. Courts or Superior Court form. Serve only the completed notice and keep the instructions, service record, and envelope as landlord files.

Product type District of Columbia residential nonpayment 30-Day Notice of Nonpayment and Possible Eviction packet — PublicLegal-authored notice plus landlord companions

Main use Residential nonpayment when rent is due and unpaid and the unpaid rent is at least $600, under D.C. Code § 42-3505.01(a-1)

Included 4 editable Word files: notice, instructions, service record, and #10 envelope

$600 threshold Do not issue the notice if the unpaid rent is less than $600, and do not include late fees as a basis for eviction (§ 42-3505.01(a-1)(1))

Cure period At least 30 days for the tenant to pay the balance in full and avoid eviction (§ 42-3505.01(a-1)(2))

Required text The notice must carry statutory language and the phone numbers for the Office of the Tenant Advocate (202-719-6560) and the Landlord Tenant Legal Assistance Network (202-780-2575)

Service method Two legs are both required (§ 42-3505.01(a-1)(3)): certified mail or tracked delivery with return receipt, and hand delivery to the unit or posting on the front door with photographic proof and a readable timestamp (§ 42-3505.01(a)(2))

Language access If the tenant’s primary language is covered by the D.C. Language Access Act (§ 2-1933) and is not English or Spanish, provide the notice in that language

License / registration The provider generally must hold a current District rental housing license or exemption and include the registration or exemption statement and number (§ 42-3505.01(q))

After notice Possession requires a separate case in the Landlord and Tenant Branch and execution only by the U.S. Marshals Service; a pending ERAP application can pause the process (§ 42-3505.01(r)–(t))

Before you use this notice

Confirm this is ordinary District of Columbia residential nonpayment at or above the $600 threshold — not commercial property, a late-fee-only balance, bankruptcy, subsidized-housing or federal-program overlays, retaliation, habitability or rent-withholding disputes, domestic-violence-sensitive facts, or another special track — without D.C. counsel review.
Do not issue the notice if the unpaid rent is less than $600, and keep late fees, utilities, damages, and other non-rent charges out of the amount claimed as a basis for eviction (§ 42-3505.01(a-1)(1)).
Do not call the 30-Day Notice an official court form. This packet’s notice is a PublicLegal-authored form reviewed at the document level by counsel; the court stage uses the DC Superior Court Complaint for Possession.
Serve only the completed 30-Day Notice of Nonpayment and Possible Eviction on the tenant. Keep the DC Notice Instructions, Notice Service Record, and #10 Mailing Envelope as landlord companion files.
Complete both required service legs: (1) certified mail or a tracked delivery service with delivery-tracking confirmation, return receipt requested; and (2) hand delivery to the rental unit or posting on the front door with photographic proof and a readable timestamp (§ 42-3505.01(a-1)(3) and (a)(2)). One leg alone is not enough.
Include the mandatory tenant-rights text and the Office of the Tenant Advocate (202-719-6560) and Landlord Tenant Legal Assistance Network (202-780-2575) phone numbers, and confirm whether a covered Language Access Act translation is required.
Confirm the provider holds a current District rental housing license or exemption and that the notice includes the registration or exemption statement and number (§ 42-3505.01(q)).
Before filing, wait the full 30-day notice period, confirm no ERAP application is pending (§ 42-3505.01(r)–(t)), and confirm the current Complaint for Possession, filing fee, service requirements, hearing timing, and any weather-related execution limits with the Landlord and Tenant Branch.

PublicLegal-authored notice before the court stage

D.C. Code § 42-3505.01(a-1) requires a written 30-day notice of nonpayment and possible eviction before a housing provider may file for possession when the unpaid rent is at least $600. This packet’s notice is a PublicLegal-authored, attorney-reviewed form for that pre-filing step, not a D.C. Courts or Superior Court form.

This packet is the pre-filing layer that comes before the court-stage Complaint for Possession filed in the Landlord and Tenant Branch. It does not replace District court forms; its value is the $600 threshold, mandatory tenant-rights text, dual-service, and recordkeeping discipline before any filing.

Serve this; keep those

Serve only the completed 30-Day Notice of Nonpayment and Possible Eviction on the tenant.
Keep the DC Notice Instructions, Notice Service Record, and #10 Mailing Envelope as landlord companion files for completion, proof of service, payment tracking, and pre-filing records.

Dual service, cure period, and language access

Both service legs are required (§ 42-3505.01(a-1)(3)): certified mail or tracked delivery with return receipt, and hand delivery to the unit or posting on the front door with photographic proof and a readable timestamp under § 42-3505.01(a)(2).
The tenant gets at least 30 days to pay the balance in full and avoid eviction (§ 42-3505.01(a-1)(2)). Wait the full period before filing.
If the tenant’s primary language is covered by the D.C. Language Access Act (§ 2-1933) and is not English or Spanish, provide the notice in that language.

Licensing, rental assistance, and no self-help

A housing provider generally must hold a current District rental housing license or exemption and include the registration or exemption statement and number to rely on the notice (§ 42-3505.01(q)).
A tenant’s pending Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) application can pause the process (§ 42-3505.01(r)–(t)).
The District does not permit self-help eviction. Only a court can order an eviction, and only the U.S. Marshals Service may carry it out.

What happens after service

If the tenant does not pay in full after proper dual service and the full 30-day period, possession still requires a separate case in the Landlord and Tenant Branch of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and lawful execution by the U.S. Marshals Service. Confirm the current Complaint for Possession, filing fee, service requirements, hearing timing, any pending ERAP application, and any weather-related or other statutory limits on execution before filing or acting.

State-specific caution

Do not describe this 30-Day Notice as an official District of Columbia court form, do not issue it when the unpaid rent is less than $600, do not include late fees as a basis for eviction, do not serve only one of the two required service legs, do not omit the mandatory tenant-rights phone numbers or a required Language Access Act translation, do not rely on the notice without the required license or registration statement, and do not treat the notice as a judgment, writ, lockout authorization, utility-shutoff authorization, or legal advice.

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Frequently Asked Questions About District of Columbia 30-Day Notices for Nonpayment

What documents are included?

This District of Columbia product includes four editable Microsoft Word files: the DC 30-Day Notice of Nonpayment and Possible Eviction, DC Notice Instructions, DC Notice Service Record, and a #10 Mailing Envelope. Serve only the completed notice; keep the other three as landlord companion files.

When can I issue the notice, and how long does the tenant have to cure?

Do not issue this notice if unpaid rent is less than $600, and do not include late fees as a basis for eviction. The notice gives the tenant at least 30 days to pay the unpaid rent in full and avoid eviction under D.C. Code § 42-3505.01(a-1).

How must the District of Columbia notice be served?

D.C. Code § 42-3505.01(a-1)(3) requires two service legs: certified mail or tracked delivery with return receipt, and hand delivery to the unit or posting on the front door with photographic proof and a readable timestamp under § 42-3505.01(a)(2).

Is this an official court form, and what tenant-rights information must it include?

This is a PublicLegal-authored, attorney-reviewed form, not an official D.C. Courts or Superior Court form and not a Complaint for Possession. The notice includes mandatory tenant-rights text identifying the Office of the Tenant Advocate at 202-719-6560 and the Landlord Tenant Legal Assistance Network at 202-780-2575. A notice is not an eviction judgment; only a court can order eviction, and only the U.S. Marshals Service may carry it out.

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