Free District of Columbia Lease Agreement Template

Last updated July 17, 2026

Download a free District of Columbia lease agreement template

A District of Columbia residential lease agreement records the deal between a landlord and tenant for a home in the District of Columbia. It identifies the parties and premises, sets the rent and term, allocates utilities and maintenance responsibilities, and provides a written place for property rules. The free PDF and Word versions on this page are labeled for District of Columbia and are intended as a practical starting document—not a substitute for checking which statutes, disclosures, or local rules apply to a particular property.

The principal research authority for this page is D.C. Code title 42, chapter 35, and 14 DCMR chapter 3. Research scope: District law and housing regulations govern residential lease terms, screening and deposits, habitability, entry, disclosures, execution, and eviction, with property-specific registration, licensing, rent-stabilization, and housing-program checks applied separately. Because residential rules can depend on property type, tenancy length, location, and regulated-housing status, review the completed agreement and any required addenda before signing.

District of Columbia lease topics to review

The current research draft for District of Columbia identifies the following topics as relevant to residential lease preparation. Use them as a checklist, and verify each rule's scope, current text, and exceptions before adding a term to the lease.

• District residential coverage depends on the property's use, program, physical and ownership facts, and a filed registration or exemption rather than a generic lease classification.
• District housing regulations void specified waivers and prohibit enumerated exculpation, jury, cost, fee, and confession terms in residential agreements.
• District regulations cap a covered security deposit at one month's rent, require protected interest-bearing escrow, and impose inspection, return, notice, and itemization deadlines.
• District regulations imply continuing code-compliant maintenance and can void a lease made for premises known or reasonably knowable to be unsafe or unsanitary.
• District law requires a detailed official disclosure package when a prospective tenant applies, not merely when the lease is signed.
• A District tenant who continues paying rent is not evictable merely because the lease expired; recovery requires a statutory ground and ground-specific notice, cure, service, and eligibility checks.
• District regulations require prompt delivery of a complete and legible copy of each agreement or application the tenant signs.
• For District property, the local overlay is the District's own address-specific licensing, registration, rent-stabilization, subsidy, conversion, and code-compliance regime.

The final lease should not waive protections that cannot lawfully be waived. If a selected term conflicts with a controlling statute, official form, court order, housing-program rule, or local ordinance, the controlling rule applies even when the parties signed different language.

What to include in a District of Columbia residential lease

• Landlord, tenant, and premises details — use the parties' full legal names, the complete District of Columbia property address, and a clear description of included parking, storage, furnishings, or shared spaces.
• Term and rent — state whether the tenancy is fixed-term or periodic, when it begins, when rent is due, accepted payment methods, and what happens at the end of the stated term.
• Deposits and charges — identify each deposit, prepaid amount, fee, and late-payment term separately so it can be compared with the current District of Columbia rule that applies to the property.
• Utilities, maintenance, and access — allocate day-to-day responsibilities without attempting to transfer a nonwaivable landlord or tenant duty.
• Rules and addenda — document pets, smoking, parking, guests, insurance, association rules, and any federal, state, local, or property-specific disclosure that applies.
• Notices and signatures — provide reliable notice addresses and retain a complete signed copy for every party.

State and local checks before signing

For District property, the local overlay is the District's own address-specific licensing, registration, rent-stabilization, subsidy, conversion, and code-compliance regime. Confirm the property address and the current local text before signing.

Federal requirements can also apply. For example, most pre-1978 housing requires the federal lead-based-paint disclosure process. Manufactured housing, short-term occupancy, owner-occupied rooms, subsidized housing, and rent-regulated property may follow a different legal path from an ordinary residential lease.

Use the official source linked below to confirm the current statewide text. For a disputed tenancy, an eviction or termination, unusual fees, regulated housing, or a property in a city with additional renter protections, obtain advice about the specific facts before relying on a template.

How to use the free District of Columbia template

1. Download the District of Columbia PDF when you want a printable blank, or the Word file when you want to edit the text electronically.
2. Complete the parties, property, rent, term, deposit, utilities, maintenance, access, and notice fields.
3. Attach the disclosures and property-specific addenda that actually apply.
4. Compare the completed document with the current official source and local requirements.
5. Give every party the same final version to review before anyone signs, then retain the fully executed copy.

The guided builder is available when you prefer questions and a generated preview. Whether you use the free template or the builder, confirm the final agreement against the property and the parties' actual arrangement.