How does joint tenancy with right of survivorship work in District of Columbia?
In District of Columbia, an estate granted to two or more people in their own right, including spouses and domestic partners, is a tenancy in common unless it is expressly declared to be a joint tenancy. A tenancy by the entirety may be created in any conveyance of real property to spouses or domestic partners. Owners may deed property to themselves, or to themselves and others, as tenants in common, joint tenants or tenants by the entirety. An estate held by executors or trustees as such is a joint tenancy unless otherwise expressed. The words in the deed decide which kind of ownership was created, so read the deed itself. This is D.C. Code § 42-516.
| What | District of Columbia |
|---|---|
| A deed to two or more people | Tenancy in common unless the deed says joint tenancy |
| What it means | Tenancy in common unless the deed declares survivorship |
Source
D.C. Code § 42-516
Read the statute in the Code of the District of Columbia (DC Council): code.dccouncil.gov.
Checked against the statute on November 13, 2026.
This is a summary of a published statute, not legal advice. Rules change, local ordinances can add to them, and the terms of a specific lease may differ. Check the citation and speak to a lawyer before acting.
How Seayora uses this rule
An owner on Seayora keeps each property’s owners of record, its entity and its documents in one place, so who holds title and how is on file beside the leases and the books.
Guides on this rule
- Joint Tenancy and Transfer-on-Death Deeds by State — How each state reads a deed to two or more people, survivorship rules, and where a transfer-on-death deed is allowed by statute.
Compare this rule in every state
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