Can a tenant sublet in District of Columbia?
In District of Columbia, a housing provider may prohibit subletting or assigning a lease, in its sole and absolute discretion, as long as the prohibition is included in the lease. Where the lease allows subletting subject to the housing provider’s reasonable consent, or is silent about subletting, the housing provider may make its consent conditional on the prospective subtenant meeting all of its reasonable rental qualification guidelines, and it must give those guidelines to the tenant on request. The lease can add its own conditions where the statute allows, so read the lease’s sublet clause together with this rule. This is D.C. Code § 42-3505.55.
| What | District of Columbia |
|---|---|
| Subletting | The lease may prohibit it, otherwise with the housing provider’s consent |
| Kind of rule | The landlord’s consent is required |
Source
D.C. Code § 42-3505.55
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
Seayora keeps every lease’s term, rent and signers in one record and dates every change to it. This page states the state’s rule so a lease’s own early-termination and sublet clauses can be checked against it before the lease is signed.
Guides on this rule
- Subletting Laws by State: When a Tenant May Sublet — Whether a tenant may sublet an apartment, the 18 states with a statute on subletting, and who owes the rent during a sublease.
Compare this rule in every state
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