What are squatters’ rights in District of Columbia?
In District of Columbia, an action to recover land may not be brought more than 15 years after the right to bring it accrues. A person whose title has vested by adverse possession may file a complaint in the Superior Court to have the title perfected. The rights of infants and others under a legal disability are saved for two years after the disability is removed, but for no more than 22 years in all from the time the rights accrued. The time limit does not apply to actions brought by the District of Columbia government. Until that period has run, a person occupying property without permission has no claim to its title. This is D.C. Code §§ 12-301, 16-3301.
| What | District of Columbia |
|---|---|
| Adverse possession period | 15 years |
Source
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 the published procedure, not legal advice. Courts, local rules and the facts of a tenancy change what applies, and a defect in a notice or a filing can end a case. Have a lawyer review anything before it is served or filed.
How Seayora uses this rule
Seayora does not file, serve or appear in an eviction, and is not anybody’s lawyer. When a tenant has stopped paying, it lays out these steps for the property’s own state and city with the statute beside each one, holds back any step that would come too early, keeps an append-only record of the case — and shows the resident what would end it, legal-aid links included.
Guides on this rule
- Squatters’ Rights by State: Adverse Possession and Removal — How long adverse possession takes in 51 states, what the statutes require, and which states let law enforcement remove a squatter without an eviction case.
Compare this rule in every state
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