Does a home seller have to disclose the property’s condition in District of Columbia?
In District of Columbia, the seller of property with one to four residential dwelling units, where the buyer states in writing an intent to live there, must deliver a signed disclosure statement on the Mayor’s form before or when the buyer signs the purchase agreement, and a buyer who receives it later may terminate by written notice within 5 calendar days and get any deposit back. The right to terminate is waived if not used before the earliest of a written mortgage application (when the lender has disclosed that effect in writing), settlement, or occupancy. The seller is not liable for an error or omission not within the seller’s actual personal knowledge. Court-ordered and foreclosure transfers, transfers by a nonoccupant fiduciary, transfers to close relatives, and sales of newly built homes never lived in are exempt. Federal law separately requires a lead-based paint disclosure when selling most homes built before 1978. This is D.C. Code §§ 42-1301, 42-1302, 42-1303.
| What | District of Columbia |
|---|---|
| Seller disclosure | Required by contract signing; 5 days to cancel if late |
| Kind of rule | A written property condition statement is required |
What the statute says
“… the prospective transferee may terminate any of the foregoing by delivering written notice of termination to the transferor not later than 5 calendar days after receipt of the disclosure statement by the prospective transferee …”
Quoted word for word from the section’s text.
Source
D.C. Code §§ 42-1301, 42-1302, 42-1303
Read the statute in the Code of the District of Columbia (DC Council): code.dccouncil.gov.
Checked against the statute on November 15, 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
This page states the state’s rule so the costs and paperwork of a sale can be checked against it before a contract is signed. An owner on Seayora keeps each property’s owners of record and its documents in one place.
Guides on this rule
- Seller Disclosure Requirements by State — Whether a home seller must give a written property condition disclosure, with the rule in each of the 48 jurisdictions with a statute.
Compare this rule in every state
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