DC's home occupation regulations under 11 DCMR limit customer visits and employee counts to maintain residential neighborhood character. Tutoring is capped at 5 students at a time. The Zoning Administrator considers cumulative impact of traffic from home businesses.
Under 11 DCMR, home occupations must limit customer and client visits to levels compatible with residential neighborhood character. Specific limits include tutoring capped at 5 students at a time. The number of non-resident employees is limited. Deliveries and pickups must not exceed what is normal for a residential property. The Zoning Administrator may consider the cumulative impact of multiple home occupations at one address, including the total customer traffic generated. Physician and dentist offices operating from home face additional restrictions on patient volumes. If customer traffic exceeds what is compatible with residential character, the business must relocate to commercial space.
Excessive customer traffic may result in HOP revocation, cease-and-desist orders, and fines from DOB. Neighbors may file complaints through the 311 system.
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See how Washington's customer traffic restrictions rules stack up against other locations.
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