If you are a landlord in Washington, DC, there is a complicated legal process to complete before the DC Superior Court orders the eviction of a tenant, and securing a judgment for possession will not automatically restore your control over the property. Below is a step-by-step guide on how to execute a judgment for possession and lawfully remove a DC tenant for non-payment of rent. 

Step 1. Notify the tenant of the amount owed

In non-payment of rent cases, the court will issue a redeemable judgment for possession, meaning the tenant can still redeem the tenancy by paying the full amount of rent owed to the landlord. The judge deciding the case will set the redemption amount and order the landlord to file a Form 6 (Notice to Tenant Of Payment Required to Avoid Eviction) within seven days of the judgment date. The form tells the tenant the amount they must pay to remain in the unit. The form is submitted directly to the Court, and the Clerk will mail a copy to the tenant. It is important that as a landlord, you do this by the deadline, or you will have to file a motion that explains to the judge the reason for your delay. 

Keep in mind that the redemption amount will not include late fees or attorneys' fees, but you can add any rent that may accrue between the judgment date and the date of the eviction. 

Step 2. Apply for a writ of restitution

Within 90 days of the judgment, you must submit a writ of restitution to the clerk of court along with the filing fee ($213 as of August 1, 2026). Unlike other legal documents that can be filed electronically, the writ must be mailed or delivered to the clerk's office along with a check. A clerk will review the writ and the case file to ensure that the landlord has met all requirements. This is a good time to confirm your Basic Business License (BBL) is still active. Unless the court allowed you to proceed without a BBL, the clerk will not issue a writ unless your license is active when the writ is filed. 

Make sure to include a reliable telephone number on top of the writ. The U.S. Marshals Service will try to contact you by phone three times to schedule the eviction. After a third failed attempt, they cancel the writ and return it to the court, and you will have to file again.

Once approved, the writ expires after 75 days. If the writ expired or you waited more than 90 days to submit a writ, you will have to file a motion to obtain a new writ, set it for a hearing, and notify the tenant. 

Step 3. Schedule the eviction

When the Marshals call you, choose a date within 67 days of the writ's date of issuance, which is the latest they will schedule. Once the eviction is scheduled, the Marshals will not move it, because your tenant will have been mailed notice of that date. The Marshals do not schedule on weekends or holidays. 

Step 4. Send your own notice at least 21 days before the scheduled eviction

Once the eviction is scheduled by the Marshals, there is one last notice a landlord must send to their tenant in Washington, DC. At least 21 days before the scheduled date of the eviction, you are required to provide written notice to the tenant informing them of the date of the eviction. 

The notice must strictly comply with D.C. Code § 42-3505.01a. If the notice is late or incomplete, your tenant can ask a judge to postpone the eviction until you correct it.

The notice must be emailed, mailed, and posted to the door or the rental unit. And yes, you have to do all three, and all three must be done at least 21 days before the date of the eviction. Because of the strict notice requirements, we recommend engaging a professional process server to notify the tenant, but if you prefer to do it yourself, keep copies of the email and the stamped envelope and take a photo of the notice posted to the door. In the event the tenant tries to stop the eviction by claiming they were never notified, you will be expected to show the judge that you complied with the notice requirement. 

Step 5. On the day the eviction is scheduled, the landlord must be ready

The U.S. Marshals will call you a day ahead with your assigned time slot, and deputies may arrive later than planned because of other duties. As a landlord, you must be available at the scheduled time, and we recommend blocking off the full day to account for contingencies. It is also the time to update your ledger to make sure you have the exact redemption amount. Remember that the tenant has the right to redeem the property up until the moment the Marshals enter the rental unit, but in order to redeem, the tenant must pay you all they owe, including the rent accrued since the judgment date, plus the Marshals' eviction fee. 

On the day of the eviction, be at the unit or send a representative before the scheduled arrival time. If nobody is there, or if you cannot get the door open within ten minutes of your scheduled time, the Marshals can cancel the eviction. Bring a key that works or a locksmith. Confirm the street number is clearly displayed, because the Marshals will cancel if they cannot match the property to the writ.

Expect a postponement if it is raining or snowing, or if the forecast is for weather below freezing or above 95 degrees. The Marshals will return on the next workable date.

Change the locks while the Marshals are still present and keep any document they hand you as proof of legal possession. The Marshals will not close out the eviction unless someone is there to change the locks.

Step 6. Do not remove the tenant's belongings right away

You are required to store the tenant's belongings for seven days after the eviction, not counting Sundays and federal holidays, at no cost to the tenant, and provide access to the property during that window so the tenant can collect their belongings. 

On eviction day, post a notice at the unit stating the information about their belongings, and mail a copy to an emergency contact if your tenant gave you one. The notice must say who the tenant can call to arrange access to the unit and collect their belongings, and list telephone numbers required by statute.

DC landlords are required to give evicted tenants at least 16 total hours of access to the property during the week following their eviction, between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., over no more than two days, on dates you agree on, including Saturday if requested. Once the seven days have expired, you may dispose of the tenant's belongings, but do not leave them outdoors, as that may result in fines against you. 

What to do if you are a DC landlord with a non-paying tenant

If you are a landlord in Washington, DC who needs to evict a tenant for non-payment of rent, consulting a qualified attorney is a way to prevent any avoidable or additional delays. The eviction process in DC is lengthy and complex, and landlords can easily miss a key step and set their own case back. Getting to a fair and legal result as quickly as possible requires knowing the rules, the law and the steps, and following them precisely.