D.C. Code tit. 42 § 42-3502.03e
Rental Housing Registration Fund.
Operative Text
(a) There is established as a special fund the Rental Housing Registration Fund ("Fund"), which shall be administered in accordance with subsections (c) and (d) of this section.
(b) Revenue from penalties charged to a housing provider pursuant to § 42-3502.05(f) shall be deposited into the Fund.
(c) Money in the Fund shall be used for developing and maintaining the database created by § 42-3502.03c(a) .
(d) While the Office of Tenant Advocate is developing and administering the database, it shall administer the Fund. The Office of Tenant Advocate shall transfer Fund administration to the Rent Administrator upon transferring administration and maintenance of the database to the Division pursuant to § 42-3502.03c(e-2) .
(e) (1) The money deposited into the Fund shall not revert to the unrestricted fund balance of the General Fund of the District of Columbia at the end of a fiscal year, or at any other time.
(2) Subject to authorization in an approved budget and financial plan, any funds appropriated in the Fund shall be continually available without regard to fiscal year limitation.D.C. Code § 42-3501.01 et seq. § 42-3502.03e establishes the Rental Housing Registration Fund, a dedicated special fund in the District of Columbia. Revenue flowing into this fund comes from penalties assessed against housing providers under a separate section of the rental housing law. The fund's money is earmarked exclusively for building and maintaining the District's rental housing registration database, and any unspent balances carry over from year to year rather than reverting to the general budget.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under D.C. Code § 42-3501.01 et seq. § 42-3502.03e, housing providers in the District of Columbia should be aware that penalties collected for registration-related violations are directed into the Rental Housing Registration Fund rather than the general treasury. Compliant operators generally ensure timely and accurate registration to avoid the penalty assessments that feed this fund under § 42-3502.05(f). Staying current with registration requirements is the primary way housing providers avoid contributing to the fund through enforcement actions.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
D.C. Code § 42-3501.01 et seq. § 42-3502.03e creates a dedicated fund sustained by penalties paid by housing providers who fail to meet registration obligations, and those funds are used to maintain the rental housing database that tenants can use to verify their unit's registration status. Tenants who believe their housing provider is not properly registered may consider filing a complaint with the Office of Tenant Advocate, which administers both the database and the fund during its development phase. Tenant-rights organizations in the District can help renters understand how the registration database and the enforcement process under this provision may be relevant to their situation.
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.
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