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Rent Control

District of Columbia

Ordinance Adoption Date

7/17/85; (Rental Housing Act of 1985, District of Colombia Code §45-2501 et seq.); latest amendment in §18, Omnibus Budget Support Congressional Review Emergency Act of 1995 (D.C. Act I 11-124, July 27, 1995; 42 DCR 4160).

Exceptions 

Any rental unit in any federally or District-owned housing accommodation, buildings constructed after 12/75, rental additions after 1/80, buildings with four or less rental units, cooperative housing, housing which receives rehabilitation assistance. [D.C. Code §42-2515.]

Administration

Appointed three-member Rental Housing Commission, [D.C. Code §45-2511], North Potomac Building, 614 H Street, N.W., Room 1105, Washington, DC 20001, 202-727-7400.

Registration 

Required and landlord cannot increase the rent if the building is not registered. [D.C. Code §45-2518, §452515.]

Rent Formula 

Rents may not be increased by more than 10% in any 12-month period. (increase allowed each year equal to the change during the previous year in the DC Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers for all items during the preceding calendar year.) [D.C. Code §452 51 6(b). ]

Rent Increase Notice Requirements

Landlord must give tenant 30 days written Notice of any rent adjustment with a statement of the current rent, the increased rent, and the utilities covered by the rent which justify the adjustment. [D.C. Code §45-2518(a)(l)(E) and (f). In addition, any notice must include a summary of tenants' rights and a list Of sources of technical assistance.

Vacancy Decontrol 

If tenant vacates voluntarily or is evicted for not paying rent or using the rental unit for illegal purposes, the landlord may increase the rent 12% above the rent ceiling. Landlord may do this only once per 12-month period. [D.C. Code § 45-2523.]

Eviction

Landlord must show just cause to evict. [D.C. Code § 45-2551 .]

Penalties 

A landlord who demands or receives any rent in excess of the maximum allowable rent or substantially reduces or eliminates related services previously provided for a rental unit, will be liable for the amount by which the rent exceeds the applicable rent ceiling or for three times that amount (in the event of bad faith) and/or for a rollback of the rent to the amount the Rental Housing Commission allows. A landlord who violates the chapter in any way will be subject to a civil fine of not more than $5,000 for each violation. [D.C. Code § 45-2591.]

Tenant may challenge a rent increase by filing a petition with the Rent Administrator within three years of the increase. [D.C. Code §45-251 6(e).]