How to Move Out of a DC Apartment and Get Your Full Deposit Back

The rules in DC, Maryland, and Virginia

All three give the landlord 45 days. The details differ, and the right to attend the inspection has to be requested in Maryland and Virginia. This is general information and your lease still matters, so read it too.

• DC. The deposit cannot be more than one month's rent and has to be held in an interest-bearing account. Within 45 days after you leave, the landlord must return it with interest or tell you in writing that it will be used for legitimate expenses, and then itemize those expenses within 30 more days. If there is a move-out inspection, the landlord has to tell you the date and time.
• Maryland. The deposit comes back within 45 days after the tenancy ends, with a written list of any damages claimed. You can be present at the inspection if you tell the landlord by certified mail at least 15 days before you move, with your new address. The inspection then happens within five days before or after your move date.
• Virginia. The landlord has 45 days after the tenancy ends or you leave, whichever is later, to return the deposit with an itemized list of deductions. The landlord has to tell you in writing that you may attend the inspection, which takes place within 72 hours of you handing back the unit. Ask in writing to be there.

Step 1: Give notice the way your lease says (30 to 60 days out)

Read the lease for the notice period and the method, then send notice in writing and keep a copy. Include your move-out date, your forwarding address, and a request to be present at the move-out inspection. In Maryland, send that request by certified mail so the 15-day rule is met.

Step 2: Find your move-in record

Pull out the move-in inspection form and any photos from the day you arrived. Marks that were already there are the landlord's, and this record is how you show it. If you have none, your dated photos at move-out become more important.

Step 3: Repairs and cleaning (the week before)

Ordinary wear is expected. Damage and dirt are what get deducted, and most of it can be fixed in an afternoon.

• Fill nail holes with spackle and wipe the patch smooth.
• Replace dead light bulbs and missing smoke detector batteries.
• Clean the oven, the stovetop, and the inside of the refrigerator.
• Wipe baseboards, window sills, and the inside of cabinets.
• Clean the bathroom fixtures and the tub.
• Take down anything you mounted, including TV brackets and shelves, unless the lease says to leave them.
• Do the floors last, after the unit is empty.

Step 4: Protect the building on moving day

Most damage happens in hallways and doorways, where furniture meets a frame or a wall. Our crew pads doorframes, uses floor runners, and takes large pieces apart instead of forcing them through tight turns. You can help in three ways.

• Reserve the freight elevator and ask the office whether elevator pads are required.
• Clear a straight path from each room to the door.
• Tell us ahead of time about wall-mounted TVs and shelves, so the crew plans for them.

Step 5: Photograph the empty unit

Once your things are out and the cleaning is done, take dated photos and one slow video of every room. Include the floors, walls, doorframes, the inside of the oven and refrigerator, and the bathroom fixtures. Photograph the hallway outside your door and the elevator too.

Step 6: Hand back the keys and get it in writing

Return every key, fob, garage remote, and parking pass, and ask for a written receipt. Confirm your forwarding address in the same email. Then mark your calendar for 45 days out. If the deposit or a written notice has not arrived by then, write to the landlord and keep a copy.

If something is damaged during the move

Tell the crew lead right away and photograph it. If our crew caused it, you file a claim from your portal with photos and we resolve it with you in writing. Deposit rules in this guide were last checked in October 2026 against the DC Tenant Bill of Rights, Maryland Real Property section 8-203, and Virginia Code section 55.1-1226.