AUGUST 9, 2026 | RENTING IN THE DMV
Your rights, in plain sight.
The rules a renter needs — keyed to where you live. The deposit cap for your state, what a landlord can legally ask for, and calm, sourced lines to respond with.
A plain-language summary of public law · current as of August 2026 · not legal advice.
The up-front money check
In DC the security deposit is capped at one month’s rent, and money held as “last month’s rent” still counts toward that cap. Enter a monthly rent to see the line for Washington DC.
In Maryland the security deposit is capped at one month’s rent for leases on or after Oct 1, 2024 (older leases may still carry up to two months), and last month’s rent paid in advance counts as a deposit. Enter a monthly rent to see the line for Maryland.
In Virginia the deposit can be up to two months’ rent, and a landlord may also require last month’s rent on top — this is the one place the big move-in stack is legal, so it’s used as a wealth screen. Enter a monthly rent to see the line for Virginia.
This covers the deposit and rent up front; a legal application fee can be on top, and some counties add their own rules. Every figure is current as of August 2026. Not legal advice — a plain-language summary to help you ask the right questions.
When a landlord asks for…
Whether it’s allowed where you live — and a calm, sourced line you can actually say or send.
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Pay first month + last month + a separate security deposit, all up front
Not allowed · Over the DC cap
You can say“In DC the security deposit is capped at one month’s rent, and money held as “last month’s rent” still counts toward that cap. Could you send the full up-front total, itemized, in writing?”
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Text or email your Social Security number to “hold” the unit
Not allowed · Don’t send it
You can say“I’m glad to complete screening through your application service, which handles that securely. I don’t send a Social Security number in a message thread.”
Landlord-tactics reference
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Provide your last 3 tax returns and 3 months of bank statements
Know the limit · More than needed
You can say“I can provide standard proof of income — a recent redacted paystub or an employer letter. Is that sufficient for your screening?”
Landlord-tactics reference
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The application fee is non-refundable even if you’re never screened
Not allowed · Must be refunded
You can say“DC requires an unused or never-run application fee to be refunded within 14 days. Could you confirm that in writing?”
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We inspect the unit on a routine schedule (e.g. every 45 days)
Not allowed · Not as a routine
You can say“Entry needs reasonable notice and a real reason; routine sweeps run against my right to quiet enjoyment. Can we put the entry policy in the lease?”
Landlord-tactics reference
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The lease ends immediately if the landlord decides something’s wrong (self-help)
Not allowed · Unenforceable
You can say“The law requires the legal eviction process. A clause allowing immediate self-help termination isn’t enforceable — I’d like it removed.”
Landlord-tactics reference
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No pets — and breed or size restrictions on any animal
Know the limit · Takes effect Oct 1, 2026
You can say“DC’s Pets in Housing law (Roscoe’s Law) takes effect October 1, 2026 and will bar breed and size restrictions; and assistance animals already aren’t counted as “pets.” Could you confirm your policy against the current rules?”
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We don’t accept vouchers — and you must earn 3× the full rent
Not allowed · Source-of-income discrimination
You can say“In DC, refusing a voucher or subsidy is source-of-income discrimination, and an income test generally applies to my share of the rent, not the full rent.”
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Your application was auto-rejected for an eviction filing or an old record
Know the limit · Ask for a human
You can say“Could I get individualized consideration by a person? An eviction filing without a judgment, or a sealed or dismissed case, isn’t a lawful basis for denial in DC.”
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Pay first month + last month + a separate security deposit, all up front
Not allowed · Over the MD cap
You can say“In Maryland the security deposit is capped at one month’s rent (leases on/after Oct 1, 2024), and last month’s rent paid in advance counts as a deposit. Could you itemize the full up-front total in writing?”
-
Text or email your Social Security number to “hold” the unit
Not allowed · Don’t send it
You can say“I’m glad to complete screening through your application service, which handles that securely. I don’t send a Social Security number in a message thread.”
Landlord-tactics reference
-
Provide your last 3 tax returns and 3 months of bank statements
Know the limit · More than needed
You can say“I can provide standard proof of income — a recent redacted paystub or an employer letter. Is that sufficient for your screening?”
Landlord-tactics reference
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A non-refundable screening fee, no cap
Know the limit · MD fee limits
You can say“For a landlord with five or more units, Maryland caps the screening fee at $25, and it must be waived if I provide a recent screening report. Could you confirm the fee?”
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We inspect the unit on a routine schedule (e.g. every 45 days)
Not allowed · Not as a routine
You can say“Entry needs reasonable notice and a real reason; routine sweeps run against my right to quiet enjoyment. Can we put the entry policy in the lease?”
Landlord-tactics reference
-
The lease ends immediately if the landlord decides something’s wrong (self-help)
Not allowed · Unenforceable
You can say“The law requires the legal eviction process. A clause allowing immediate self-help termination isn’t enforceable — I’d like it removed.”
Landlord-tactics reference
-
We don’t accept vouchers — and you must earn 3× the full rent
Not allowed · Source-of-income discrimination
You can say“Maryland’s HOME Act bars refusing my voucher or subsidy, and a 2025 ruling (Hare v. David S. Brown) limits rigid income-ratio screens. The income test should apply to my share of the rent.”
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The rent goes up whatever amount we decide at renewal
Know the limit · County rent caps
You can say“In Montgomery and Prince George’s County, annual rent increases are capped. If this unit is in either county, could you point me to the current allowable increase?”
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Your application was auto-rejected for a record
Know the limit · Ask for a human
You can say“Montgomery County limits criminal- and credit-history screening, so a filing or an old record isn’t an automatic bar. Could I get individualized consideration?”
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First month + last month + up to two months’ deposit, all up front
Know the limit · Legal in VA — negotiate
You can say“In Virginia this stack is legal — first, last, and up to two months’ deposit — which is the main reason move-in costs here run high. I’d like to negotiate the deposit down or spread it over the first months.”
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Text or email your Social Security number to “hold” the unit
Not allowed · Don’t send it
You can say“I’m glad to complete screening through your application service, which handles that securely. I don’t send a Social Security number in a message thread.”
Landlord-tactics reference
-
Provide your last 3 tax returns and 3 months of bank statements
Know the limit · More than needed
You can say“I can provide standard proof of income — a recent redacted paystub or an employer letter. Is that sufficient for your screening?”
Landlord-tactics reference
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A large application fee
Know the limit · VA caps it at $50
You can say“Virginia caps the application fee at $50. Could you confirm the fee before I apply?”
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Several months of rent prepaid up front
Know the limit · Must go to escrow
You can say“Virginia doesn’t cap prepaid rent, but it must be placed in escrow by the end of the fifth business day after the landlord receives it. Where will it be held?”
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We inspect the unit on a routine schedule (e.g. every 45 days)
Not allowed · Not as a routine
You can say“Entry needs reasonable notice and a real reason; routine sweeps run against my right to quiet enjoyment. Can we put the entry policy in the lease?”
Landlord-tactics reference
-
The lease ends immediately if the landlord decides something’s wrong (self-help)
Not allowed · Unenforceable
You can say“The law requires the legal eviction process. A clause allowing immediate self-help termination isn’t enforceable — I’d like it removed.”
Landlord-tactics reference
-
We don’t accept vouchers
Not allowed · Source-of-income discrimination
You can say“Virginia has prohibited source-of-income discrimination since 2020, so refusing my voucher or subsidy isn’t allowed.”
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Your application was auto-rejected for a dismissed eviction case
Know the limit · Dismissed cases expunge
You can say“Virginia automatically expunges dismissed eviction cases (HB 73), so a dismissed filing isn’t a lawful basis for denial. Could you reconsider with that in mind?”
Where to go for real help
For an actual dispute, these are free and real. This page helps you ask the right questions; they can act on your case.
- DC — Office of the Tenant Advocate ↗
Free DC agency for renters — advice, deposits, disputes.
- DC — Legal Aid DC ↗
Free legal help, including housing and renting with a record.
- DC — Office of Human Rights ↗
File a free fair-housing complaint (source of income, disability, family status).
- MD — People’s Law Library ↗
Plain-language Maryland tenant law: deposits, protections, options.
- VA — Virginia Fair Housing Office ↗
Fair-housing complaints and the VRLTA, statewide.
Survivor of domestic violence? Each jurisdiction has an early lease-termination right and an address-confidentiality program. Legal Aid DC (or the MD/VA equivalent) can walk you through them.
Sources & fine print
Not legal advice. This is a plain-language summary of public law to help you ask the right questions and recognize a demand that’s out of bounds. For a real dispute, talk to a tenant attorney or one of the offices above.
Laws change — every figure here is current as of August 2026. Verify against the sources before you rely on it; this region’s housing law changes often, and rules can differ by county and by lease date.
Nothing you type leaves your browser. There’s no account and no AI on this page. The deposit check is arithmetic that runs on your own device.
- Jurisdiction deposit & fee caps — DC Office of the Tenant Advocate ↗
- DC tenant screening & application fees — D.C. Code § 42-3505.10 ↗
- DC Pets in Housing / Roscoe’s Law — D.C. Law 25-308 ↗
- Maryland security deposits & last month’s rent — People’s Law Library ↗
- Maryland HOME Act + Hare v. David S. Brown (2025) ↗
- Montgomery County rent stabilization ↗
- Virginia VRLTA — fees, deposits, prepaid rent, expungement ↗
- Virginia Fair Housing Law (source of income, eff. 2020) ↗
This is a no-plugin front door for DC Rentals — the same rights the full kit coaches, reachable with no account and no AI. Renting sight-unseen or worried about a listing? Run the is-this-a-scam check. Got a lease in hand? Read it before you sign. Moving in? Protect your deposit from day one. One node in a wider commons of DC civic tools.