D.C. Code tit. 30, ch. 2 § 30-201.08
Requirements for booking services.
Operative Text
(a) (1) A booking service shall permit a host to provide a prospective guest with the short-term rental license endorsement number for a short-term rental before booking. (2) A booking service shall not book a short-term rental in the District of Columbia within 5 business days upon notice from the Department that the license endorsement for the short-term rental has been suspended or revoked. (3) A booking service shall not book a short-term rental that was the subject of notice provided pursuant to paragraph (2) of this subsection, until notified by the Department that the license endorsement for that short-term rental has been reinstated. (4) A booking service shall not book a vacation rental for more than 90 nights cumulatively in a calendar year, unless the Department has transmitted to the booking service a notification that the host has received an exemption pursuant to § 30-201.06(f) . For the purposes of complying with this paragraph, a booking service may assume that an accommodation is a vacation rental if the license provided by the host has a "Short Term Rental: Vacation Rental" endorsement. (b) (1) A booking service shall submit to the Department a report itemizing transactions for which the booking service charged or received a fee for short-term rentals in the District. (2) The report shall include the following information for each transaction: (A) The name of the host who provided the short-term rental; (B) The physical address of the short-term rental; (C) The "Short Term Rental" or "Short Term Rental: Vacation Rental" license endorsement number of the short-term rental; (D) The url at which the short-term rental is listed; (E) The dates for which each transient guest procured use of the short-term rental using the booking service; (F) Whether the short-term rental was booked as a vacation rental; (G) The rate charged for each short-term rental stay; and (H) Any other information deemed necessary by the Department and prescribed through regulations. (3) The report shall be submitted in a time, manner, and form established by the Department, which may include electronic submission in a format established by the Department. (4) The report shall be submitted on a monthly basis, or less frequently as determined by the Department. (c) Information submitted to the Department pursuant to subsection (b) of this section shall be considered confidential and shall not be subject to disclosure under subchapter II of Chapter 5 of Title 2 ; provided, that the Office of the Chief Financial Officer and the Office of the Attorney General, may inspect the information for enforcement purposes. (d) A booking service shall retain records of all short-term rentals in the District for 2 years. (e) A booking service shall obtain from each host consent to provide the information described in this section to the Department. Obtaining lawful consent may consist of providing notice to the host that use of such booking service constitutes consent to the Department disclosure. It shall not be a defense to a violation of this section that the booking service did not obtain consent. (f) A booking service shall collect and remit on behalf of hosts all required transient occupancy taxes, as provided under § 30-201.06(d) .
Under D.C. Code § 30-201.01 et seq. § 30-201.08, booking services operating in the District of Columbia must follow a set of rules governing how short-term rentals are listed, booked, and reported. These rules include stopping bookings within five business days of a license suspension notice, capping vacation rental bookings at 90 nights per calendar year unless an exemption is granted, and submitting monthly transaction reports to the Department. Booking services are also required to collect and remit transient occupancy taxes on behalf of hosts and to retain records of all District short-term rental transactions for two years.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers who list short-term rentals through booking platforms should be aware that D.C. Code § 30-201.01 et seq. § 30-201.08 places significant compliance obligations on those platforms that directly affect hosts. Compliant operators generally ensure their license endorsement numbers are current and shared with booking services, since platforms are required to halt bookings promptly upon notice of a suspension or revocation. Hosts who offer vacation rentals should also track their annual night totals, as booking services are required to stop accepting reservations once the 90-night cumulative threshold is reached unless the Department has confirmed an exemption.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Guests booking short-term rentals in the District of Columbia benefit from the protections established under D.C. Code § 30-201.01 et seq. § 30-201.08, which requires booking services to verify that rentals hold valid license endorsements before completing a reservation. If a rental's license has been suspended or revoked, the booking service is required to stop accepting new reservations within five business days of receiving notice from the Department. Guests who believe a booking service has facilitated an unlicensed or improperly listed rental may consider contacting the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs or a local tenant-rights organization to understand available options.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 13, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation