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Tenant Abandoned Property Laws in the District of Columbia

In the District of Columbia, a housing provider must give the tenant notice at least 21 days before an eviction, and property left at the eviction stays in the unit for 7 days (excluding Sundays and federal holidays), after which it is deemed abandoned and may be disposed of.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

District of Columbia at a glance

Written notice required
Yes, 21 days before eviction
A second notice is posted on the day of eviction with contact details for regaining access.
Holding period
7 days, excluding Sundays and holidays
The tenant must get at least 16 hours of access over up to 2 days, without paying rent or fees for the storage period.
After the holding period
Deemed abandoned and disposed of
Abandoned property may not be left in outdoor space other than a licensed disposal facility or lawful disposal receptacle.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in the District of Columbia

Does a landlord in the District of Columbia have to notify the tenant before disposing of left-behind property?

Yes, 21 days before eviction. Written notice required in the District of Columbia: yes, 21 days before eviction. A second notice is posted on the day of eviction with contact details for regaining access.

How long must a landlord in the District of Columbia keep a tenant's abandoned property?

Holding period in the District of Columbia: 7 days, excluding Sundays and holidays. The tenant must get at least 16 hours of access over up to 2 days, without paying rent or fees for the storage period.

What can a landlord in the District of Columbia do with abandoned property after the waiting period?

After the holding period in the District of Columbia: Deemed abandoned and disposed of. Abandoned property may not be left in outdoor space other than a licensed disposal facility or lawful disposal receptacle.

Where do the the District of Columbia tenant abandoned property laws come from?

The rules above come from D.C. Code 42-3505.01a. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

Good to know

This rule covers property left after an eviction carried out by the US Marshals; it does not apply to evictions by the DC Housing Authority.

What this means in practice

Before treating anything as abandoned, confirm that the tenancy has actually ended. Some statutes define when a unit counts as abandoned, and removing property while a tenant still has a right to possession can expose a landlord to claims for wrongful eviction or conversion.

Keep a written record. Photos or a video of the items, a dated inventory, a copy of any notice sent and proof of how it was delivered make it much easier to show that the required steps were followed if the former tenant later asks for the property or its value.

Store items safely and in a reasonable way during any holding period. Where a statute allows the landlord to charge reasonable moving and storage costs, or to keep sale proceeds to cover those costs, the rules on what may be charged and what happens to any surplus vary, so check the exact text for your state.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.