D.C. Code tit. 42 § 42-3502.20
Report of Mayor.
Operative Text
(a) No later than October 1, 1988, the Mayor shall report to the Council on the continued need for the rent stabilization program. (b) The report shall be prepared by a person not affiliated with the District government and shall contain: (1) The number of new and renovated units which have been placed on the rental housing market since July 17, 1985; (2) The number of new and renovated units it is anticipated will be placed on the rental housing market annually until 1996; (3) An assessment of the effectiveness of the Tenant Assistance Program; the adequacy of monies appropriated for the program; and the projected costs of the Tenant Assistance Program in the absence of rent stabilization legislation; (4) The impact of the rent stabilization program on the cost and supply of rental housing; (5) An assessment of the present rent stabilization program in terms of its being understandable, efficient, inexpensive, equitable, and flexible; (6) The impact of the present rent stabilization program upon small housing providers compared to large housing providers; (7) The number of District residents living in substandard housing and their locations; (8) An assessment of the impact of the proposed civil infractions law on housing code violations, if the law is enacted in a timely manner; (9) An assessment of the probable impact on the private rental housing market and the present rent stabilization program of the following individual or combination of factors: (A) Vacancy decontrol; (B) Luxury decontrol; (C) Increasing from 4 units to 10 units the maximum rental units exemption under § 42-3502.05(a)(3) ; and (D) Tying the rent stabilization program to the amount of family income available for rent; and (10) Any other information considered appropriate by the drafters of the report.
D.C. Code § 42-3502.20 required the Mayor of the District of Columbia to submit a comprehensive report to the Council by October 1, 1988, evaluating the ongoing need for the rent stabilization program. The report had to be prepared by an independent party unaffiliated with the District government and cover a wide range of topics, including housing supply trends, the effectiveness of tenant assistance, the program's equity and efficiency, and the potential effects of various policy alternatives such as vacancy decontrol and luxury decontrol. This provision was essentially a legislative accountability mechanism, ensuring that the rent stabilization framework would be examined through an objective lens before any continuation or modification decisions were made.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under D.C. Code § 42-3502.20, the District government was obligated to commission an independent review of the rent stabilization program, including an analysis of how the program affected small housing providers differently from large ones. Compliant operators of that era would have been aware that the report could influence future changes to the program, such as adjustments to unit-count exemptions or the introduction of decontrol mechanisms. Property owners and managers generally benefited from staying informed about the report's findings, as its conclusions were intended to shape the legislative direction of rent stabilization policy in the District.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
D.C. Code § 42-3502.20 established a formal requirement for an independent assessment of the rent stabilization program, including an evaluation of the Tenant Assistance Program and its adequacy for residents in need. Tenants had an interest in this provision because the report was designed to examine whether the program was equitable, understandable, and effective at protecting access to affordable housing. Tenants seeking to understand how this historical review shaped current D.C. rent stabilization rules may find it useful to consult tenant-rights organizations or review publicly available Council records related to the report's findings.
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 14, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation