D.C. Code tit. 42 § 42-3502.06
Rent ceilings abolished.
Operative Text
(a) Rent ceilings are abolished, except that the housing provider may implement, in accordance with § 42-3502.08(g) , rent ceiling adjustments pursuant to petitions and voluntary agreements approved by the Rent Administrator prior to August 5, 2006. Petitions and voluntary agreements pending as of August 5, 2006, shall be decided pursuant to the provisions of this subchapter in effect prior to August 5, 2006, and may be implemented in accordance with § 42-3502.08(g) . In considering a hardship petition pursuant to § 42-3502.12 , any unimplemented rent charged increase pursuant to a petition or voluntary agreement approved by the Rent Administrator shall be included in the maximum possible rental income. Except to the extent provided in subsections (b) and (c) of this section, no housing provider of any rental unit subject to this chapter may charge or collect rent for the rental unit in excess of the amount computed by adding to the base rent not more than all rent increases authorized after April 30, 1985, for the rental unit by this chapter, by prior rent control laws and any administrative decision under those laws, and by a court of competent jurisdiction. No tenant may sublet a rental unit at a rent greater than that tenant pays the housing provider. (b) On an annual basis, the Rental Housing Commission shall determine an adjustment of general applicability in the rent charged established by subsection (a) of this section. This adjustment of general applicability shall be equal to the change during the previous calendar year, ending each December 31, in the Washington, D.C., Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) for all items during the preceding calendar year. No adjustment of general applicability shall exceed 10%. A housing provider may not implement an adjustment of general applicability, or an adjustment permitted by subsection (c) of this section for a rental unit within 12 months of the effective date of the previous adjustment of general applicability, or instead, an adjustment permitted by subsection (c) of this section in the rent charged for that unit. (c) At the housing provider's election, instead of any adjustment authorized by subsection (b) of this section, the rent charged for an accommodation may be adjusted through a hardship petition under § 42-3502.12 . (d) If on July 17, 1985 the rent being charged exceeds the allowable rent ceiling, that rent shall be reduced to the allowable rent ceiling effective the next date that the rent is due. This subsection shall not apply to any rent administratively approved under the Rental Accommodations Act of 1975, the Rental Housing Act of 1977, or the Rental Housing Act of 1980, or any rent increase authorized by a court of competent jurisdiction. The housing provider shall notify the tenant in writing of any decrease required under this chapter before the effective date of the decrease. (e) A tenant may challenge a rent adjustment implemented under any section of this chapter by filing a petition with the Rent Administrator under § 42-3502.16 . No petition may be filed with respect to any rent adjustment, under any section of this chapter, more than 3 years after the effective date of the adjustment, except that a tenant must challenge the new base rent as provided in § 42-3501.03(4) within 6 months from the date the housing provider files his base rent as required by this chapter. (f) Repealed. (g) Repealed.
Under D.C. Code § 42-3501.01 et seq. § 42-3502.06, the District of Columbia has abolished formal rent ceilings as a regulatory mechanism, but this does not mean rents are uncontrolled. Instead, the maximum rent a housing provider may charge is calculated by starting from a base rent and adding only those increases specifically authorized under D.C. rent control law, prior rent control laws, or court decisions since April 30, 1985. Annual adjustments are set by the Rental Housing Commission based on the Washington, D.C. area CPI-W, capped at 10%, and no two such adjustments may take effect within 12 months of each other for the same unit. Tenants are also prohibited from subletting at a rent higher than what they themselves pay the housing provider.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Housing providers operating under D.C. Code § 42-3501.01 et seq. § 42-3502.06 generally ensure that any rent charged does not exceed the base rent plus all lawfully authorized increases since April 30, 1985. Compliant operators track the annual adjustment of general applicability set by the Rental Housing Commission—which is tied to the CPI-W and cannot exceed 10%—and confirm that no two general adjustments are applied to the same unit within a 12-month window. Providers who prefer an alternative to the annual CPI-W adjustment may pursue a hardship petition under § 42-3502.12, and those with pre-August 5, 2006 approved petitions or voluntary agreements should verify implementation procedures under § 42-3502.08(g).
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under D.C. Code § 42-3501.01 et seq. § 42-3502.06, tenants have the right to pay no more than the lawfully computed rent—base rent plus only those increases authorized by D.C. rent control law, prior laws, or court order since April 30, 1985. If a tenant believes a rent adjustment was improperly implemented, this provision allows them to file a petition with the Rent Administrator under § 42-3502.16, generally within 3 years of the adjustment's effective date, though challenges to a new base rent must be filed within 6 months of the housing provider's filing. Tenants seeking to understand their rights under this provision may find it useful to consult a tenant-rights organization or review resources provided by the D.C. Office of the Tenant Advocate.
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 Out
Rules and statutes cited by this regulation
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation