Photo: Washington DC, Yeon Choi / Unsplash
Rental license for a home or condo
Required.
DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP)
A rental business needs a Basic Business License with Clean Hands tax certification from DLCP, and the unit must also be registered with DHCD's Rental Accommodations Division as rent-controlled or exempt.
Source: DLCP(opens in a new tab)Units are generally exempt from DC rent stabilization if government-subsidized, built after 1975, or owned by a person with four or fewer rental units citywide. Unregistered units default to rent control.
Source: DHCD Rent Control(opens in a new tab)For the rent control year running May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027, the maximum standard annual rent increase is 4.1 percent for most tenants and 2.1 percent for elderly or disabled tenants.
Source: Office of the Tenant Advocate(opens in a new tab)Before selling a rental housing accommodation, an owner must give tenants a written, bona fide opportunity to purchase the property first.
Source: DC Official Code(opens in a new tab)For housing built before 1978, owners must disclose known lead paint or hazard information to tenants before lease signing, and disclose new lead findings within 10 days.
Source: DOEE(opens in a new tab)WMATA Metrorail's six lines serve the District of Columbia.
Source: WMATA(opens in a new tab)A DC housing provider has 45 days after a tenancy ends to return the deposit with interest or give the tenant written notice of amounts withheld.
Source: DC Official Code §42-3502.17(opens in a new tab)DC law requires security-deposit interest to accrue at not less than the statement savings rate at the DC institution holding the escrow account, reset each January 1 and July 1.
Source: D.C. Law 16-276(opens in a new tab)DC law does not require a written lease to create a tenancy, but if a written lease exists the landlord must give the tenant a copy of it.
Source: Office of the Tenant Advocate(opens in a new tab)DC law presumes housing built before 1978 contains lead-based paint and requires landlords to disclose known lead paint or hazard information before a tenant is bound under a lease.
Source: DOEE(opens in a new tab)Full-service management across Maryland, DC, and Virginia. 8% of monthly rent — that's the whole fee.
