Evicting a Tenant in DC - What to expect?

[Anonymous]

I have a deadbeat tenant who is 6 months behind on rent. Would be longer if he hadn't received rental assistance of 4 months from the city. Our initial hearing is in Feb 2024, after the lease expires. Can someone walk me through what to expect and any recourse that I have?

[Anonymous]

Lots of time, lots of money, little recourse. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Is it your expectation that the tenant will move out at lease expiration, or are you assuming they'll squat. If I were you I'd be concerned about the latter. Forget about even trying to recoup the money lost from lack of rent payments, just hope to get them out!

[Anonymous]

Yeah, I agree with everyone. Focus on getting them out.

[Anonymous]

You could offer to pay them to move out sooner. Otherwise make sure you have dotted all your i's and crossed all your t's or you could end up back at square one.

[Anonymous]

Cash for keys.

[Anonymous]

I saw a story (not in DC) about a professional “tenant” (tough guy) for hire who will move in under their valid lease with a property owner and make the squatters’ lives hell. Would that work around here?

[Anonymous]

Use DC youth criminals to your advantage, pay them to scare the tenants out

[Anonymous]

We sold the place rather than deal with the tenant. The condo association was threatening to sue us for his hoarding anyway.

[Anonymous]

Why does DC do this to landlords? It’s a shame. You’re being punished for no good reason.

[Anonymous]

No red flags when renting to him? I'd pay him to get rid of him.
Unbelievable. There's so much work out there right now.

[Anonymous]

Get a lawyer, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I saw a story (not in DC) about a professional “tenant” (tough guy) for hire who will move in under their valid lease with a property owner and make the squatters’ lives hell. Would that work around here?

He was the son of the elderly owners. Squatters had moved into his mom's home. He did some research and learned that because the squatters didn't have a lease and if he DID have a lease then he could rightfully evict them. He had to wait for them to leave for the day, then he got all their stuff moved out and he moved his stuff in.

[Anonymous]

Pretty rare that a pro se landlord dots all the is and crosses all the ts that are necessary to properly evict a tenant in DC.

Do you have a BBL? Are you registered with RAD? Are those numbers on your lease and your court paperwork? Was the notice to quit served properly? Was it provided in both English and Spanish (regardless of whether the tenant speaks Spanish)? Your initial hearing is February, but that's just the hearing where mediation will be scheduled. If the tenant requests a jury trial, you're looking at the end of 2024 til you get your day in court, and evictions cannot be scheduled when there's rain in the forecast or particularly cold weather. The tenant could get a new round of ERAP and you'll be back in the same place to repeat next year.

The people saying to offer cash for keys (cold hard cash, only after the tenant is OUT and you've changed all the locks) are speaking the truth. It's the easiest way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a deadbeat tenant who is 6 months behind on rent. Would be longer if he hadn't received rental assistance of 4 months from the city. Our initial hearing is in Feb 2024, after the lease expires. Can someone walk me through what to expect and any recourse that I have?

You have to do everything absolutely by the book because the judge will throw the case out if you did anything improperly.

The case to restore the property to you and the case to recover the $ are two different cases.

Focus on getting them out, worry about the money later.

It took us about 8 months and we were lucky to get the $$ back as the tenant's mother cosigned. She was a CPA with a business, and we told her clients she's about to have an eviction on her record.