Washington, D.C.
In-person lien sale at OTR, runs daily until every property sells
D.C.'s Office of Tax and Revenue holds its real property tax lien sale in person starting August 19, running daily (excluding weekends and holidays) from 8:30 a.m.–noon and 1–4 p.m. until every property on the list sells, at OTR's offices at 1101 4th Street SW.
D.C. doesn't run a simple statutory redemption clock like most states. The winning bidder gets a certificate of sale, but the owner keeps the right to redeem until the certificate holder actually files a foreclosure lawsuit and wins it — there's no automatic deed on a fixed date. Registration opened August 3 and is mandatory, purchasers must file Form FR-500 and can't be delinquent on their own D.C. taxes, and bidders must post a deposit of at least 20% of the purchase price before bidding.
District of Columbia rules at a glance
D.C. sells tax lien certificates at an annual auction where bidders raise the price rather than lower the rate (D.C. Code § 47-1346). The certificate earns a fixed 1.5% a month on the amount paid, excluding the surplus above the opening bid (§ 47-1334). The owner can redeem until a foreclosure judgment is final; the buyer may file to foreclose after six months and must file within one year of the certificate or forfeit everything paid (§§ 47-1360, 47-1370, 47-1355).
The statute, the bidding and what goes wrong for new buyers are on the District of Columbia page; every sale date we have sourced for Washington, D.C. is on the Washington, D.C. page.
Property & tax profile
The median homeowner in District of Columbia pays $4,312 a year in property tax — close to the District of Columbia median of $4,312 (U.S.: $3,119). That is roughly what a typical home here owes after one missed year — about the face value of a one-year certificate, before interest, fees and any premium. Homes with a mortgage pay a median of $4,422; homes owned outright, $3,842.
On a home with a mortgage, the lender has its own reason to pay a delinquent tax bill: the tax lien outranks the mortgage, and a tax deed can wipe out the loan. On a home owned outright, nobody but the owner — or the heirs — has that reason. In District of Columbia, 24.3% of owner-occupied homes are owned outright (District of Columbia: 24.3%, U.S.: 39.4%). About the same as the state as a whole.
10.1% of all housing units in District of Columbia are vacant. The figure that matters for a lien buyer is the Census “other vacant” category — not for rent, not for sale, not a holiday home, but a catch-all that includes foreclosures, homes held up by legal proceedings or family reasons, homes needing repairs, and abandoned ones. Here it is 3.5% of all units (District of Columbia: 3.5%, U.S.: 3.6%). Close to the state rate.
Half of the homes in District of Columbia were built in or before 1958 (District of Columbia: in or before 1958). The typical tax bill is 3.9% of the median household income of $109,870 (District of Columbia: 3.9%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (tables B25077, B25103, B25081, B25002, B25004, B25035, B19013) — see the figures on data.census.gov. Survey estimates with margins of error; anything too uncertain to state is left out.
Before you bid: D.C.'s lien sale has drawn real scrutiny in recent years over how it's administered — confirm current eligibility rules and any procedural changes with OTR before registering, not from a prior year's notice.
This page reflects publicly posted county auction notices as of publication and is general information, not financial or legal advice. Sale details can change — always confirm current terms with the county directly.