You can be protected from eviction if:

• you or your minor child is the victim of domestic violence, known as an intra-family offense; and
• the judge determines that the domestic violence is the reason for the eviction case against you.¹

If you got a temporary or permanent order of protection that removes the abuser from the home as a result of this domestic violence incident, the judge should not evict you.² If you filed for an order of protection based on this incident and asked that the abuser be removed from the home, but the judge didn’t grant you the order or you filed a police report based on the incident within the past 60 days, the judge has the option (discretion) to not evict you.³

Note: In this section, even though the domestic violence incident must be an act that is punishable as a crime, the abuser does not necessarily have to be arrested for it in order for you to be protected under this law. Also, you could be protected if you are being taken to court for things the abuser did to your apartment during a domestic violence incident. For example, if the abuser kicks in the door or punches a hole in the wall, and the landlord is trying to evict you due to this damage to your apartment, you could be protected from eviction. If the landlord is taking you to court because s/he got complaints from your neighbors about noise caused by the abuser screaming at you, this law may protect you.

¹ D.C. Code § 42-3505.01(c-1)(1)
² D.C. Code § 42-3505.01(c-1)(2)
³ D.C. Code § 42-3505.01(c-1)(3)

You still have to pay the rent until the lease termination becomes effective. How quickly it becomes effective depends, in part, on you.  If you carefully follow the steps described in I am afraid to stay in my apartment. How can I get out of my lease if I am a domestic violence victim?, the lease would end as soon as (whichever happens first):

• the landlord re-rents the apartment to a new tenant or to someone who has the right to your apartment under the lease (such as your adult child who lived with you) or
• fourteen days after you give the landlord:
  • written notice of the lease termination ordered by the judge and
  • a copy of the permanent protective order or the signed documentation from one of the following people: a law enforcement officer, a domestic violence counselor, a health professional, the D.C. Housing Authority Office, or a D.C. Public Safety Officer.¹

So, the quicker you give the landlord the required documents, the quicker your lease will end.  If you do not provide all of the necessary paperwork, you have to wait until the landlord is able to re-rent the apartment, which could take a lot longer than fourteen days.

¹ D.C. Code § 42-3505.07(d) & (f)

You likely can get the landlord to change the locks but you may have to pay for it.

If the abuser does not live with you: Any victim of a domestic violence incident can make a request in writing that the landlord change the locks (without providing proof of the incident).

If the abuser does live with you: If the abuser is a tenant in the home with you, along with the written request to your landlord, you need to provide the landlord with a copy of the protective order, which must state that the abuser has to stay away from you, any other household member, or the apartment.

The landlord must change the locks to all entrance doors to your apartment within 5 business days of your request.¹

The landlord will pay the initial cost of changing the locks, but you have to pay back the landlord within 45 days of him/her providing you with proof of the cost. You might also have to pay whatever additional fee the building normally charges tenants to change locks.²

See our Safety Planning page for more information and ideas on how to keep yourself and your family safe.

¹ D.C. Code § 42-3505.08(a)
² D.C. Code § 42-3505.08(b)