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Proposed eviction reforms would accelerate timelines and require court registry payments; tenant advocates warn of curtailed due process
Summary
The mayor—s package and a companion eviction bill would shorten notice periods and require disputed rent to be paid into a court registry at early hearings. Legal-aid groups warned the changes could strip longstanding protections and increase default judgments if courts remain backlogged.
The Committee on Housing heard hours of testimony on changes to DC—s eviction process that would speed certain proceedings, change the timing for protective orders and require disputed rent payments to be deposited with the court early in some cases.
The administration said the measures are intended to restore a functioning rent-collection system after pandemic-era rules and court backlogs created heavy arrears that threaten properties— finances and maintenance. "A broken process doesn't serve our tenants or providers," Chad Jarvis of Jubilee Housing said.
What the changes would do
Key procedural reforms under discussion would:
- Shorten the pre-filing notice period landlords must give tenants for nonpayment in some instances and compress time between filing and the initial hearing.
- Give judges clear authority to order disputed monthly rent to be paid into a court registry at or immediately following the initial hearing…
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