D.C. Code tit. 42 § 42-3505.04
Arbitration.
Operative Text
(a) By mutual consent, the housing provider and tenant may submit for arbitration any dispute not satisfactorily resolved under § 42-3505.03 . (b) A request for arbitration shall be in writing. (c) The Rent Administrator shall designate 3 members of the Division’s staff, other than those who heard the dispute under § 42-3505.03 , to serve as a panel of arbitrators. (d) The arbitration panel shall issue a written recommendation to resolve the dispute within 10 days of the request. (e) Agreements entered into between the housing provider and tenant under the panel’s recommendation shall be approved by the Rent Administrator and shall be binding upon the parties.
D.C. Code § 42-3505.04 establishes a voluntary arbitration process that housing providers and tenants in the District of Columbia may use together to resolve disputes that were not resolved through the prior conciliation step under § 42-3505.03. Both parties must agree to participate, and the request must be submitted in writing. A three-member panel drawn from the Division's staff—distinct from anyone who handled the earlier conciliation—issues a written recommendation within 10 days, and any resulting agreement becomes binding once the Rent Administrator approves it.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under D.C. Code § 42-3505.04, housing providers who have been unable to resolve a dispute through the § 42-3505.03 process have the option—if the tenant also agrees—to pursue arbitration as a next step. Operators who use this path typically submit a written request and engage constructively with the three-member arbitration panel. Any agreement reached under the panel's recommendation carries the weight of a binding obligation once the Rent Administrator signs off, so housing providers generally treat the panel's written recommendation with the same seriousness as a formal order.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
D.C. Code § 42-3505.04 gives tenants a voluntary avenue to seek resolution of an unresolved dispute through a neutral arbitration panel, but only if both the tenant and the housing provider mutually consent to the process. Tenants who wish to explore this option would generally submit a written request and participate in the panel's review, knowing that a recommendation must be issued within 10 days. Because any agreement approved by the Rent Administrator becomes binding on both parties, tenants may wish to consult a tenant-rights organization or legal aid resource before agreeing to arbitration under § 42-3505.04.
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