Dollar Scholars Foundation

Renting and Housing Choices · Lesson 1 of 2

Renting in the DC Area: Leases, Deposits, and Your Rights

A lease checklist, the deposit and fee rules in DC, Maryland, and Virginia, a move-in photo routine, and where to get free help with repairs, rent increases, or eviction.

  • About 18 min
  • Quiz questions: 6
  • Last checked: září 2026
  • Builds on: Money Smart for Adults, Module 12: Making Housing Decisions (Section 3)

Parts of this lesson are not translated into your language yet, so they are shown in English.

In this lesson

What you will learn

  • Review a lease and find the key terms: rent, fees, length, renewal, repairs, and how to end it.
  • Compare the security deposit, fee, and notice rules in DC, Maryland, and Virginia.
  • Record a unit's condition at move-in and move-out to protect your deposit.
  • Find free local help for repairs, rent increases, lockouts, or eviction notices.

How this connects to class: In class, Module 12 walks through the steps to renting, reading a rental agreement, renter's insurance, and your basic rights as a renter. This lesson adds the actual rules in DC, Maryland, and Virginia, a lease checklist, a photo routine that protects your deposit, and local places to get free help.

Words to know

Lease
A written contract between you and a landlord. It lists the rent, how long you can live there, the fees, and the rules for both of you.
Security deposit
Money you pay the landlord before you move in. The landlord can use it for unpaid rent or damage you caused. The rest must come back to you after you move out.
Normal wear and tear
Small changes that happen when people live in a home in the usual way, such as faded paint or carpet worn from walking. A landlord cannot keep your deposit for it.
Renter's insurance
Insurance for tenants. It helps pay to replace your belongings after a fire or theft, and it protects you if someone is hurt in your home.
Deductible
The part of a loss you pay yourself before insurance pays. With a $500 deductible and a $1,200 loss, insurance pays $700.
Rent control
Rules that limit how much a landlord can raise the rent each year. In DC, many older rental buildings are covered. DC also calls this rent stabilization.
Eviction
The legal process a landlord uses to make a tenant leave a home. In DC, Maryland, and Virginia, only a court can order it.
Sublet
To rent all or part of your home to another person while your name stays on the lease. Many leases require the landlord's written permission first.

Before you apply: fees and screening

Most landlords check your income, rental history, and credit. Many charge an application fee for this. Ask what the landlord requires before you pay, and apply only where you are likely to be accepted. The law limits these fees:

  • DC: For 2026, the limit is $54.
  • Maryland: A landlord with five or more units can keep only $25, unless the real screening costs were higher, and must refund the rest.
  • Virginia: No more than $50, plus the real cost of an outside background check.

No Social Security number or credit history? Ask what else the landlord accepts, such as an ITIN, pay stubs, bank statements, or a letter from a past landlord. See our lesson on building credit.

Fair housing laws make it illegal to refuse to rent to you because of your race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, or children. DC, Maryland, and Virginia law also protect your source of income, such as a housing voucher, in most cases.

Watch out

Fake rental listings

Scammers copy real listings, lower the price, and ask for a deposit or fee before you see the home. Warning signs:

  • The rent is much lower than for similar homes nearby.
  • The "owner" is away and cannot show you the home.
  • You are pushed to pay today.
  • They want a wire transfer, gift card, cryptocurrency, or payment app.

Visit the home in person. Search the address online for the same home at a different price or under a different name. Look up the owner in the property tax records. Never send money before you see the home and sign a lease. See also how to spot scams and scams that target newcomers.

Your lease checklist

A lease is a legal contract. Read all of it before you sign. If English is hard for you, ask someone you trust or a free legal helper to read it with you. Check:

  • Rent amount, due date, and ways to pay
  • Late fee: how much, and after how many days
  • Length of the lease, and whether it renews by itself
  • How much written notice you must give before you move out
  • Which bills you pay: electric, gas, water, trash, internet
  • How to ask for repairs, and who to call in an emergency
  • Rules for guests, roommates, pets, and subletting
  • What happens if you must end the lease early
  • Every extra fee, and whether renter's insurance is required

Clauses to question before you sign

  • A clause saying you give up your legal rights or your right to a jury trial, or that you "confess judgment." To confess judgment means you agree ahead of time to let the landlord win a court case. Maryland leases may not include these clauses. Virginia leases may not include a confession of judgment or make you give up your rights under the state rental law.
  • Fees for repairs or basic services. Virginia landlords cannot charge fees for maintenance or repairs you did not cause. Since August 14, 2026, DC landlords may not charge separate fees for services needed to keep a home livable, such as trash service or locks.
  • A late fee above the local limit (see the next section).
  • Blank spaces. Never sign a lease with blanks.

Keep a full copy of the signed lease. In Maryland, the Maryland Tenants' Bill of Rights must be attached to it. In Virginia, you must get the state's Statement of Tenant Rights and Responsibilities with a written lease.

Example

DC, Maryland, and Virginia rules, with real numbers

The rules depend on where the home is. Some counties and cities add more protections.

Key renter rules as of September 2026
RuleDCMarylandVirginia
Largest security depositOne month's rentOne month's rent for most leases signed on or after October 1, 2024Two months' rent
Deadline after you move out45 days to return it with interest or say in writing what will be kept45 days to return the rest with interest and a list of charges45 days to return it with a list of deductions
Largest late fee5% of the rent due, only after rent is 5 days late5% of the late rent10% of the monthly rent or of the unpaid balance, whichever is less
Written notice before an eviction case for unpaid rent10 days, and only if you owe $600 or more10 days14 days

Now use the numbers. Rosa wants a one-bedroom apartment in Columbia Heights for $1,800 a month. This is the most cash she may need on moving day:

Rosa's move-in cash for an $1,800 DC apartment
CostAmount
Application fee (DC limit for 2026)$54
Security deposit (one month's rent at most)$1,800
First month's rent$1,800
Renter's insurance, first month$15
Moving truck and supplies$200
Total$3,869

In Virginia, the landlord could ask for a deposit of up to $3,600 for the same rent. In Maryland, you cannot be required to pay more than the first month's rent plus the deposit before you move in.

DC or Maryland late fee limit: $1,800 × 5% = $90

Virginia late fee limit: $1,800 × 10% = $180

Protect your deposit with photos

Many deposit arguments are about one question: was the damage there before you moved in? Dated photos and a written list answer it.

  1. Before you move your things in, take dated photos and a slow video of every room: walls, floors, windows, doors, appliances, the bathroom, and any damage. Email the files to yourself the same day.
  2. List every problem, such as "stain on bedroom carpet." Test the lights, faucets, heat, air conditioning, and smoke alarm.
  3. Send the list and some photos to the landlord in writing, and keep a copy. In Maryland, you can ask for a move-in inspection by certified mail within 15 days after you move in. In Virginia, the landlord must give you a move-in report within 5 days, and you have 5 days to object in writing.
  4. When you move out, clean, then take new photos and video of the same places.
  5. Return all keys and give the landlord your new address in writing. In Maryland, to be present at the move-out inspection, send a certified letter at least 15 days before you leave. In Virginia, you have the right to be present at it if you ask the landlord in writing.

A landlord cannot keep your deposit for normal wear and tear. In DC, since August 2026, a landlord who says you owe money must send photos or other proof, and you have 30 days to dispute it.

Sample letter: asking for your deposit

Dear [landlord name],

I moved out of [address and unit number] on [date] and returned all keys. I left the unit clean and in the same condition as when I moved in, except for normal wear and tear. My photos are attached.

Please send my security deposit of $[amount], plus any interest the law requires, to [new address]. If you plan to keep any part of it, please send me an itemized list of the charges and your proof.

Thank you,
[Your name], [phone number], [date]

Keep a copy and proof of the date you sent it.

Tip

Renter's insurance: what it covers, with a sample cost

Your landlord's insurance covers the building, not your things. Renter's insurance can pay to replace your belongings after a fire, a burst pipe, or a theft. It also protects you if a guest is hurt in your home, and many policies pay for a hotel while your home is repaired. Some leases require it.

For example, Rosa gets a quote of $15 a month, or $180 a year, for $20,000 of coverage for her belongings, with a $500 deductible. Later, someone breaks in and steals her $1,200 laptop.

$1,200 loss − $500 deductible = $700 paid by insurance

Prices depend on the company, your ZIP code, the coverage, and the deductible, so compare two or three quotes. Standard renter's insurance usually does not cover floods.

Watch out

A lockout is not a legal eviction

In DC, Maryland, and Virginia, only a court can order an eviction. A landlord may not change the locks, remove your things, or shut off your heat, water, or electricity to force you out. After a court order, the U.S. Marshals Service carries out evictions in DC, and the sheriff does in Maryland and Virginia.

If you are locked out, call the police and free legal help right away. In DC, also call the Office of the Tenant Advocate.

If you get court papers, go to your court date. You may be able to stop an eviction for unpaid rent by paying what the court says you owe before the eviction date. Get legal help fast.

A landlord also may not punish you for asking for repairs or reporting code problems, such as by raising your rent. In Maryland, it is a crime to demand money or anything of value by threatening to report someone's immigration status.

Repairs, rent increases, and free help

Repairs

Ask for repairs in writing, such as by email or text, and keep a copy. In DC, you can ask the Department of Buildings for a housing inspection online or at (202) 671-3500. In Maryland and Virginia, call your local code enforcement office. Do not simply stop paying rent. Maryland and Virginia have court processes where you pay rent to the court until repairs are made. Get legal advice first.

Rent increases

  • DC: Many older buildings have rent control. From May 1, 2026, to April 30, 2027, rent on a rent-controlled unit can go up by at most 4.1%, or 2.1% for qualifying elderly tenants and tenants with a disability. Ask the Office of the Tenant Advocate if your unit is covered.
  • Maryland: Rent can go up only when the lease renews, in most cases with 90 days of written notice. There is no statewide limit, but some local governments have limits.
  • Virginia: A landlord who owns more than four rental units must give written notice of a rent increase at least 60 days before a lease that can renew ends. Starting July 1, 2027, this notice period becomes 90 days.

Free help

If a job loss or emergency makes rent hard to pay, talk to your landlord before the rent is late, and see our lesson on what to do when your income drops.

Key takeaways

  • Never pay a deposit or fee for a home you have not seen, and never pay by gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency.
  • Read the whole lease before you sign. Ask about every fee, and keep a signed copy.
  • DC and Maryland limit most security deposits to one month's rent. Virginia allows up to two months. All three give landlords 45 days after you move out to return it or explain in writing what they will keep.
  • Take dated photos and video when you move in and when you move out, and send your list of problems to the landlord in writing.
  • Only a court can order an eviction. If you get court papers, go to your court date and call free legal help right away.

Check your understanding

Answer the questions, then select Check my answers. Get 5 of 6 right to complete this lesson. This is practice: there is no time limit, and we do not keep your answers.

Question 1 of 6 Rosa finds an online ad for a two-bedroom apartment in Columbia Heights for $1,100 a month, much less than similar places. The "owner" says he is out of the country, cannot show it, and wants a $1,100 deposit by gift card today to hold it. What should Rosa do?
Question 2 of 6 Tesfaye is reading a lease for an apartment in Silver Spring, Maryland. Which clause should he question and get help with before he signs?
Question 3 of 6 Nadia will rent a townhouse in Alexandria, Virginia, for $2,200 a month. The landlord asks for a security deposit of $4,400. What does Virginia law say?
Question 4 of 6 Abdi is moving into an apartment in Northeast DC. When is the best time to take photos of the unit's condition?
Question 5 of 6 Mei has renter's insurance with a $500 deductible. A burst pipe in the apartment above ruins her $1,500 sofa, and her policy covers this kind of water damage. How much will her insurance pay?
Question 6 of 6 Luis rents an apartment in DC and is two months behind on rent. While he is at work, the landlord changes the locks and puts his things outside. Which statement is true?

Go further

Trusted websites where you can learn more. These links go to other websites that Dollar Scholars does not run.

This lesson is general financial education, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Rules and amounts change, so check important numbers with an official source.