I appreciate the feedback from my original C of O question.

My first question was: I gave my landlord 30-day notice to vacate the townhome that we're renting from him in DC. He informed me that the lease required a 60-day notice.

I found out from Consumer Regulation Affairs that he does not have a C of O.

Since it appears that the contract is not valid, is he required to return my down payment?

Since it appears that the contract is not valid, is he required to return my down payment?Hello P:

Please keep your follow up questions on the same thread.

If you're talking about your security deposit, of course he's required to return it, if you did no damage. But, I wouldn't know about your "down payment", because people don't make down payments on rentals...

So, you're going to have to explain that first...

Next, is the advice you already received... If the lease/contract is not valid, it will be a JUDGE who makes that determination. Certainly, your landlord thinks it's valid and he's not going to believe you when you tell him you found out it's NOT valid on the internet... Nope, that's not going to impress him at all.

So, you're going to wind up in court in any case. It's a matter of whether he sues you for not giving proper notice, or you sue him because he didn't return your security and is still charging you rent...

If it were me, I'd sue him first.

excon

Thank you for your response. I did mean to say security deposit, not down payment.

It's as if you know this guy. You're right. Since he believes himself to be the Master of the Universe, he'll never believe anything I have to say.

Thanks again. I appreciate your feedback.