District of Columbia security deposit itemization
A District of Columbia landlord must send the itemized statement within 45 days after move-out. Miss it and the tenant can sue for the penalty. The generator checks the deadline, the delivery method and the documentation as you fill it in.
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What District of Columbia requires
- Deadline
- Within 45 days of the tenancy ending, either return the deposit with interest or serve written notice of intent to withhold; the itemized statement and balance follow within 30 days of that notice.
- Delivery
- Personally, by email, or by certified mail to the forwarding address; ask for a forwarding mailing or email address at move-out.
- If it is late
- A missed notice is prima facie evidence that the full deposit plus interest is due; bad faith allows treble damages.
- Photographs
- The statement goes out with photographs or other documentation supporting each claim.
- Deposit account
- The deposit is held in an interest-bearing escrow account at a District financial institution.
- Interest
- Interest at no less than the statement-savings rate is owed on tenancies of 12 months or longer.
- Also
- A move-out inspection is optional; if you hold one, give 10 days' written notice and hold it within 3 business days of termination. State the interest rate for each six-month period, answer a dispute within 10 days, and keep proof of service for 60 days before sending any balance to a debt collector.
- Statute
- D.C. Code § 42-3502.17(e) (added by D.C. Law 26-156, eff. Aug. 14, 2026); 14 DCMR §§ 308–311
What goes on the statement
The deposit and the date it was received, each deduction with a specific description and amount, the total withheld, and the refund or balance owed. District of Columbia landlords also record how and when the statement was sent, because the deadline is measured to that date. Damage lines should say what was damaged and how, not just a room name: a tenant, and a judge, can tell a burn mark from carpet wear.
Interest, a separate deposit account, receipts, photographs and a sworn attestation are only required in some states. The generator shows the fields District of Columbia needs and leaves out the ones it does not.
District of Columbia deposit FAQ
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