District of Columbia · land contract
District of Columbia land contract, explained.
A plain-English guide to land contract (also called contract for deed) in District of Columbia — statute, recording, default remedies, interest caps, and where deals actually happen.
D.C. Code § 42-401 et seq. (recording); no installment-contract-specific statute
Recordable with the D.C. Recorder of Deeds under D.C. Code § 42-401. No statutory deadline; recording required for priority. D.C. recordation tax and transfer tax apply.
Hybrid. D.C. courts apply equitable-mortgage doctrine; forfeiture is heavily disfavored; foreclosure framework applies when recharacterized as mortgage.
Is land contract legal in District of Columbia?
Recognized at common law as 'installment land contracts' or 'contracts for deed.' Rarely used given the District's well-developed mortgage market and consumer-protection environment.
How do you record a land contract agreement in District of Columbia?
Recordable with the D.C. Recorder of Deeds under D.C. Code § 42-401. No statutory deadline; recording required for priority. D.C. recordation tax and transfer tax apply.
What happens if the buyer defaults?
Hybrid. D.C. courts apply equitable-mortgage doctrine; forfeiture is heavily disfavored; foreclosure framework applies when recharacterized as mortgage.
What is the maximum interest rate?
24% per annum cap on most loans (D.C. Code § 28-3301), with exceptions for federally insured/regulated loans.
What disclosures are required?
Seller's Property Condition Disclosure Statement (D.C. Code § 42-1301 et seq.) for residential 1-4 unit; lead-paint disclosure (federal and D.C. Lead Hazard Prevention and Elimination Act); tenant opportunity-to-purchase (TOPA) requirements may apply for rental properties.
Who's protected — buyer vs. seller
Buyer protections
Strong consumer-protection environment; equitable-mortgage doctrine; mandatory disclosures; TOPA for tenants in rental units; D.C. Consumer Protection Procedures Act (D.C. Code § 28-3901 et seq.).
Seller protections
Title retention; judicial enforcement; specific performance.
Where in the state do these deals happen?
Rare; occasional intra-family transfers and small-scale transactions. Most D.C. residential financing uses conventional mortgage structure.
District of Columbia cities
Per-city market notes for land contract buyers and sellers.
Notable case law
Research needed for definitive D.C. Court of Appeals precedent.
Looking at a District of Columbia deal?
Send the parcel and the terms — we'll walk through whether land contract fits, how to record it, and what the cure period looks like if things go sideways.
Talk to WyattEducational content only. Statute citations are public-record research, not legal advice. District of Columbia contracts and remedies are fact-specific — consult a licensed District of Columbia real-estate attorney before signing anything.