Rental Property Rules in Washington, DC (2026)
7 verified rental property rules for Washington, District of Columbia, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Rent Control
Washington, D.C. runs a citywide rent stabilization program that caps most landlords' annual rent increases to the change in the CPI-W, with a hard 10% ceiling, though small buildings of four or fewer units are exempt.
Washington DC Rent Control Annual Increase Cap
Significant RestrictionsD.C. Code § 42-3502.06(b)
On an annual basis, the Rental Housing Commission shall determine an adjustment of general applicability in the rent charged established by subsection (a) of this section. This adjustment of general applicability shall be equal to the change during the previous calendar year... in the... Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) for all items... No adjustment of g...
Just Cause Eviction
DC provides strong just-cause eviction protections under the Rental Housing Act (DC Code Section 42-3505.01). Landlords may only evict tenants for specific enumerated reasons, and tenants have the right to cure most violations before eviction proceedings can begin.
Washington DC Just-Cause Eviction Protections
Heavy RestrictionsDC Code § 42-3505.01 (Evictions)
(a)(1) Except as provided in this section, no tenant shall be evicted from a rental unit, notwithstanding the expiration of the tenant's lease or rental agreement, so long as the tenant continues to pay the rent to which the housing provider is entitled for the rental unit; provided, that the nonpayment of a late fee shall not be the basis for an eviction. No tenant shall be evicted from a rent...
Rental Registration
Housing providers must file a registration statement with the Rent Administrator for every non-exempt rental unit in the District.
Washington DC Rental Unit Registration
Some RestrictionsD.C. Code § 42-3502.05(f)
each housing provider of any rental unit not exempted by this chapter and not registered under the Rental Housing Act of 1980, shall file with the Rent Administrator, on a form approved by the Rent Administrator, a new registration statement for each housing accommodation in the District for which the housing provider is receiving rent or is entitled to receive rent. Any person who becomes a ho...
Relocation Assistance
A DC housing provider that substantially rehabilitates, demolishes, or discontinues a rental building must pay displaced tenants relocation assistance: $300 per qualifying room plus $150 per oversized pantry, kitchen, or utility room, under D.C. Code § 42-3507.03.
DC Tenant Relocation Assistance Payments
Some RestrictionsD.C. Code § 42-3507.03(a)(1)-(2)
Relocation assistance in the amount of $300 for each room in the rental unit shall be payable to the tenants or subtenants bearing the cost of removing the majority of the furnishings... Relocation assistance in the amount of $150 for each pantry, kitchen, storage area, and utility room that exceeds 60 square feet in area shall be payable to the tenants or subtenants bearing the cost of removin...
Tenant Anti-Harassment
D.C. Code § 42-3505.02 bars landlords from taking retaliatory action against a tenant who exercises any legal right, and explicitly lists harassment among the prohibited retaliatory acts alongside unlawful rent hikes and service cuts.
Washington DC Landlord Retaliation and Harassment Ban
Significant RestrictionsD.C. Code § 42-3505.02(a)
No housing provider shall take any retaliatory action against any tenant who exercises any right conferred upon the tenant by this chapter, by any rule or order issued pursuant to this chapter, or by any other provision of law. Retaliatory action may include any action or proceeding not otherwise permitted by law which seeks to recover possession of a rental unit, action which would unlawfully ...
Rent Increase Notice
In Washington, D.C., landlords must give tenants at least 30 days' written notice before a rent increase takes effect, or the increase is not valid.
Washington DC Rent Increase Notice Period
Some RestrictionsD.C. Code § 42-3509.04(b)
No rent increases, whether under this chapter, the Rental Accommodations Act of 1975, the Rental Housing Act of 1977, the Rental Housing Act of 1980, or any administrative decisions issued under these acts, shall be effective until the first day on which rent is normally paid occurring more than 30 days after notice of the increase is given to the tenant.
Repairs & Habitability
The Mayor can inspect any District building for habitability and sanitary condition, condemning those found unsafe or filthy until they are repaired, demolished, or made habitable and sanitary again.
Washington DC Rental Habitability Standards
Some RestrictionsD.C. Code § 6-901(a)
The Mayor may examine the habitability and sanitary condition of all buildings in the District of Columbia, to condemn those buildings which are in such insanitary condition as to endanger the health or lives of the occupants thereof or persons living in the vicinity, and to cause all buildings to be habitable and sanitary or to be demolished and removed.