Published
July 17, 2026
The DC Attorney General secured $4 million from rent-to-own company Acima over lease agreements the office says buried hidden markups and left customers paying more than double retail. If you leased through Acima in DC, relief is coming to you — refunds, debt forgiveness, or account credit, with nothing to file.
What Happened?
The District of Columbia's Office of the Attorney General announced a $4 million settlement with Acima, a rent-to-own (rental-purchase) company, to resolve allegations that it used deceptive lease practices against DC consumers. According to the OAG, Acima attracted customers with misleading advertising, charged hidden markups, and obscured parts of its lease agreements during sign-up — practices the office said left thousands of people paying more than double an item's original retail price. Acima agreed to the settlement to resolve the matter; the allegations were not proven in court.The settlement is notable for DC consumers because the relief flows to them directly rather than through a claims process. The OAG said eligible residents would be notified by email and mail over the following several months.
Status
Settlement Reached · Relief Being Distributed
DC Office of the Attorney General · eligible residents notified by email and mail
Total Value
$4 Million
$900K refunds · $2.7M debt forgiveness · $100K account vouchers · $300K penalties to the District
Who Benefits
10,000+ DC rent-to-own customers
Refunds, debt forgiveness, or account credit depending on when the lease was signed
Can I Claim?
No claim form — relief is automatic
Eligible DC residents are contacted directly; there is nothing to file
Who Gets What
The $4 million breaks into three forms of consumer relief plus a penalty to the District. Which one applies depends on when a customer signed with Acima:• Refunds — $900,000. More than 9,500 DC consumers who entered rental-purchase agreements between January 2015 and December 2023 share in refund payments.
• Debt forgiveness — $2.7 million. More than 1,000 DC consumers with outstanding, overdue balances on agreements entered between January 1, 2018 and April 29, 2024 will have that debt forgiven.
• Account vouchers — $100,000. About 1,000 DC consumers with existing leases entered between April 30, 2024 and August 30, 2025 receive vouchers they can apply to their lease payments.
• Penalties — $300,000. Paid to the District, separate from consumer relief.
What You Should Do
If you leased through Acima in the District of Columbia, watch for a notification by email and mail from the settlement in the months ahead — that is how eligible residents are being told which form of relief applies to them. There is no separate claim form to submit. Because scammers often follow high-profile settlements, remember that a legitimate settlement will not ask you to pay a fee or hand over sensitive account credentials to "release" a refund; verify anything you receive against the DC Attorney General's official announcement.This settlement is specific to the District of Columbia. Rent-to-own and lease-to-own practices have drawn regulatory action elsewhere too — for example, the FTC's separate Progressive Leasing refunds program for lease-to-own customers charged more than advertised prices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is covered by the Acima DC settlement?
More than 10,000 DC residents who entered rent-to-own agreements with Acima — about 9,500 (Jan 2015–Dec 2023) get refunds, 1,000+ with overdue balances (Jan 2018–Apr 2024) get debt forgiveness, and about 1,000 with current leases (Apr 2024–Aug 2025) get account vouchers.Do I need to file a claim?
No. The DC Attorney General said eligible residents would be notified by email and mail; the relief is delivered through the settlement, not a claim form.What did DC allege Acima did?
That Acima used misleading advertising, hidden markups, and obscured lease terms in violation of DC consumer protection law, leaving many customers paying more than double an item's retail price. Acima settled; the allegations were not proven in court.Sources
• DC Office of the Attorney General — Schwalb Secures $4 Million From AcimaFree settlement alerts
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Status
Settlement reached; relief being distributed to DC residents
Total Value
$4,000,000
Defendant
Acima (rental-purchase / rent-to-own)
Enforcing Office
District of Columbia Office of the Attorney General
Jurisdiction
District of Columbia
Official Announcement
DC Attorney General Press Release
