Superior Court Amends Landlord and Tenant Rules of Procedure
July 31, 2019
On July 23 the Superior Court of the District of Columbia issued Rule Promulgation Order 19-03 amending its Rules of Procedure for the Landlord and Tenant Branch. The court amended many of the rules for consistency with stylistic changes to the civil rules; however, there are some substantive revisions.
The amendments include:
Rule 3-II: This new rule is intended to standardize the procedures for joinder of additional parties, consistent with the summary nature of landlord and tenant proceedings.
Rule 4: Cases will be automatically dismissed if an affidavit is filed less than six days before the date set for the initial hearing, unless the court grants the plaintiff’s Motion for Extension.
Rule 5: Counterclaims must be requested in writing at least 14 days before trial in the Landlord and Tenant Branch, unless the deadline is extended by the court for good cause shown.
Rule 7: Any party may file an application for continuance in advance of the initial court hearing. The application will be heard by the court the day it is filed.
Rule 16: The two-day waiting period to file a writ after judgment has been removed.
The amendments take effect September 16, 2019. View the full order.
