D.C. Code tit. 42 § 42-3651.06

Powers and duties of a receiver.

In Force
Verified 10/26/2026 · Next check 11/2/2026
effective 10/12/2026District of ColumbiaHabitability & Repair

Operative Text

D.C. Code tit. 42 § 42-3651.06
(a) A receiver shall:

(1) Take charge of the operation and management of the rental housing accommodation and assume all rights to possess and use the building, fixtures, furnishings, records, and other related property and goods that the owner or property manager would have if the receiver had not been appointed; and

(2) Give notice of the receivership, in accordance with subsection (b) of this section, to the rental housing accommodation’s tenants and employees, all public utility providers whom the owner was responsible for paying before the appointment of the receiver, any mortgage company holding a lien against the property, and any other person whom the Court orders should receive notice;

(3) Have the power to collect all rents and payments for use and occupancy;

(4) (A) Provide the Court, within 30 days following the issuance of the order of appointment, with a plan for the rehabilitation of the rental housing accommodation, including the projected dates when all causes giving rise to the appointment will be abated and a financial forecast indicating how the rehabilitation will be paid for;

(B) Serve a copy of the plan upon the owner of record, the Attorney General for the District of Columbia, and the tenants of the rental housing accommodation, or their representative;

(5) (A) Report to the Court every 6 months after the filing of the report required under paragraph (4) of this subsection, describing the progress made in abating the conditions giving rise to the appointment, updating the financial forecast for the rehabilitation, and describing any changes in the condition of the rental housing accommodation that may change the proposed completion dates submitted under paragraph (4) of this subsection;

(B) Serve a copy of the report upon the owner of record, the Attorney General for the District of Columbia, and the tenants of the rental housing accommodation, or their representative;

(6) Preserve all property and records with which the receiver has been entrusted;

(7) Assume all rights of the owner to enforce or avoid terms of a lease, mortgage, secured transactions, and other contracts related to the rental housing accommodation and its operation; and

(8) Carry out any other duties established by the Court.

(b) The notice required by subsection (a)(2) of this section shall include, at a minimum, the following information in not less than 12-point type in both English and Spanish:

(1) The reasons for the receivership;

(2) The identity of the receiver, his or her address and telephone number;

(3) The receiver’s responsibilities and duties;

(4) The anticipated duration of the receivership; and

(5) That no tenant is required to move as a result of the receivership.

(c) The receiver shall, under the plan described in subsection (a)(4) of this section, make payments in accordance with the following priorities:

(1) As a first priority, using monthly rental income, to abate housing code violations if abatement is required within 7 days of service of notice, and, after abatement of the conditions, to abate housing code violations if abatement is required within 30 days of service of notice; and

(2) As a second priority, for other purposes reasonably necessary in the ordinary course of business of the property, including maintenance and upkeep of the rental housing accommodation, payment of utility bills, mortgages and other debts, and payment of the receiver’s fee.

(d) The receiver shall not make capital improvements to the property except those necessary to abate housing code violations.

(e) The receiver shall not enter into contracts which affect the ownership of the property.

(f) The receiver shall be personally liable only for his or her acts of gross negligence or intentional wrongdoing in carrying out the receivership.

(g) A receiver shall be entitled to a reasonable fee established by the Court and payable from the revenues of the rental housing accommodation.

(h) The receiver may apply for grants and subsidies for the relief of distressed properties to the same extent as the owner of the rental housing accommodation.

(i) The owner, agent, manager, or lessor shall be enjoined from collecting rents and payments for use and occupancy for the duration of the receivership.

(j) (1) In a case in which the court has appointed a receiver in response to a petition made pursuant to § 42-3651.03 , if the court finds, after notice and hearing, that the owner of the rental property currently lacks sufficient funds to pay for rehabilitation of the rental housing accommodation and that such funds cannot be feasibly and timely obtained through grants or subsidies:

(A) The court may issue an order authorizing the Attorney General to supply funding to the receiver, for initial and emergency repairs, from any funds available in the Tenant Receivership Abatement Fund, established by § 1-301.86e ; or

(B) The Court may extend the receivership in place under this chapter based on a showing of demonstrated need and authorize the receiver to do either of the following:

(i) Sell the property for a fair-market price to an owner capable of maintaining the property; or

(ii) If the owner is a District of Columbia corporation or other entity, file a petition in the appropriate federal bankruptcy court to place the corporate owner into bankruptcy proceedings pursuant to, and in a manner consistent with, the federal Bankruptcy Code.

(2) (A) If a court issues an order pursuant to paragraph (1)(A) of this subsection, the owner shall be required to repay the funding supplied by the Attorney General no later than 30 days after the receiver receives those funds. Any funds unpaid as of that 30-day deadline shall incur interest at the rate of 6% per annum until repaid. The Attorney General may petition the court to convert the order into a final judgment, and once the order is so converted, the Attorney General may take actions to collect any unpaid balance, using all available collection methods authorized under District or other applicable law.

(B) An owner's obligation to repay funding pursuant to subparagraph (A) of this paragraph shall automatically become a lien on the owner's real property as of the date the Attorney General supplies funds to the receiver pursuant to paragraph (1)(A) of this section.

(C) A lien established pursuant to subparagraph (B) of this paragraph shall be a prior and preferred lien over all other liens or encumbrances on the real property.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

D.C. Code § 42-3651.06 establishes the full scope of authority and responsibility for a court-appointed receiver who takes over a troubled rental housing accommodation in the District of Columbia. The receiver steps into the owner's shoes to manage the property, collect rents, fix housing code violations, and report regularly to the court — while the owner is simultaneously barred from collecting rent during the receivership. In cases where the owner cannot fund repairs, the court may authorize emergency funding from the Tenant Receivership Abatement Fund, which becomes a lien on the property, or may even authorize a sale or bankruptcy filing to resolve the situation.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on October 14, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under D.C. Code § 42-3651.06, once a receiver is appointed, the property owner loses the right to collect rents and payments for use and occupancy for the entire duration of the receivership. Compliant operators generally stay current on housing code requirements and maintain adequate financial reserves precisely to avoid the conditions that trigger receivership in the first place. Owners should also be aware that if court-authorized emergency funds are supplied to the receiver, repayment is due within 30 days and any unpaid balance accrues interest at 6% per annum, with that obligation automatically becoming a prior lien on the property.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

D.C. Code § 42-3651.06 explicitly states that no tenant is required to move as a result of a receivership, and tenants must receive written notice — in both English and Spanish — explaining the reasons for the receivership, the receiver's identity and contact information, and the anticipated duration. Tenants or their representatives are entitled to receive copies of the receiver's rehabilitation plan and every subsequent six-month progress report filed with the court. Tenants who have questions about their rights during a receivership may consider reaching out to a local tenant-rights organization or the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia, which is a named party in the receivership process under this provision.

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

Current
Oct 12, 2026
Click on timeline segments to view historical versions.

References Out

Rules and statutes cited by this regulation

D.C. Code § 1-301.86e
Not yet ingested

References In

Rules and statutes that cite this regulation

D.C. Code § 42-3651.02
D.C. Code § 42-3651.02
D.C. Code § 42-3651.03
D.C. Code § 42-3651.03
D.C. Code § 42-3651.03
D.C. Code § 42-3651.03
D.C. Code § 42-3651.04
D.C. Code § 42-3651.02

Related Rules

§ 244.260
Compliance required
§ 14.567
ADOPTED BY REFERENCE
§ 244.340
Sewer and water connections

Source Information

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