What District of Columbia Deposit Interest Works Out To
District of Columbia does not publish a single rate — it is the statement savings rate at the bank holding the deposit — so there is no fixed table to print. The calculator above takes whatever rate applies to the account and shows what it produces over the holding period. The rate usually appears on the annual statement or the notice naming the bank where the deposit sits.
When the Interest Is Never Paid
Deposit interest is one of the more commonly overlooked obligations in residential tenancy, partly because the amounts are small enough that neither side tracks them and partly because it is often owed annually while the deposit itself only comes up at move-out. A tenant who has never received an interest payment or an annual statement has usually not been told the obligation exists.
What tends to matter is documentation rather than argument. The lease records the deposit amount and the date it was paid. Bank records show when it cleared. The statute supplies the rate and the schedule, and the arithmetic follows from those three things. Where a landlord is required to give an annual statement naming the bank and the interest payable, the absence of that statement is itself part of the record.
How District of Columbia Compares to Nearby States
Deposit interest is one of the sharpest state-line differences in residential tenancy: neighboring states frequently land on opposite sides of it.
The full picture across all 51 jurisdictions is on the deposit interest by state index.
Common Questions About District of Columbia Deposit Interest
Does my landlord have to pay interest on my security deposit in District of Columbia?
Yes. District of Columbia requires it under D.C. Code § 42-3502.17; 14 DCMR § 311, verified as of September 11, 2026. All residential security deposits. The deposit must be held in an interest-bearing escrow account. The rate is the statement savings rate at the bank holding the deposit. At the end of the tenancy, together with the deposit.
How much interest is a security deposit worth in District of Columbia?
District of Columbia does not set a single published percentage — the rate is the statement savings rate at the bank holding the deposit, so the amount depends on the account the deposit is held in. The calculator on this page takes a rate and shows what it produces across a range of deposit sizes and holding periods.
When does a District of Columbia landlord have to pay the interest?
At the end of the tenancy, together with the deposit. The deposit itself is subject to a separate deadline: 45 days after the tenant vacates, either returning the deposit with interest or giving written notice of the amounts claimed.
What is unusual about the District of Columbia rule?
The landlord must post a notice stating where the deposit is held and the prevailing interest rate, which is the practical way a tenant finds out what rate applies.