DC caps unhosted short-term rentals at 90 nights per calendar year. Hosted stays where the owner remains on-site have no night limit. The cap is enforced through platform data sharing with the DC Office of Short-Term Rentals.
Under the DC STR Act (DC Law 22-307), a vacation rental is classified as either hosted (host present during the stay) or unhosted (vacation rental, whole home, host absent). Hosted stays have no annual cap and can operate year-round. Unhosted stays are capped at 90 nights per calendar year per registered unit. The cap resets each January 1. Airbnb, Vrbo, and other platforms submit quarterly booking reports to the DC Office of Short-Term Rentals. Exceeding the cap triggers automatic license revocation and platform delisting. The cap applies to the property, not the host, so splitting bookings between platforms does not help. This rule sharply distinguishes DC from Virginia and Maryland neighbors, which have no statewide cap.
Specific penalty amounts for this ordinance are not published in a publicly accessible fine schedule. Contact Washington code enforcement directly for current fines, enforcement procedures, and hearing options.
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