14 DCMR § 14-1201
NON-RESIDENT LICENSEES
Operative Text
1201.1 No license to operate an apartment house business shall be issued to a person not a resident of the District of Columbia, unless that non-resident, as a condition of receiving and maintaining the license, does one of the following: (a) Maintains an office in the District of Columbia; or (b) Appoints or employs and maintains an attorney-in-fact, general agent or manager who is a resident of the District or who maintains an office in the District, and notifies the Director of that appointment or employment. 1201.2 A non-resident licensee shall notify the Director of any change in the appointment or employment of his or her attorney-in-fact, general agent, or manager within five (5) business days of the change. 1201.3 In all cases of a non-resident licensee, notice of any action to be taken with respect to the license issued to the licensee may be served upon the attorney-in-fact, general agent, or manager appointed or employed by that non-resident licensee. 1201.4 Upon certification to the Director by an officer of the District required to serve notices in connection with the operation of an apartment house business that a licensee (or the attorney-in-fact, general agent, or manager of that licensee) cannot be found after reasonable search, proceedings against the licensee may be instituted by serving notice, in the manner prescribed in § 105.4 of this title, upon either the licensee or any person who has been designated by the licensee as attorney-in-fact, general agent, or manager, and whose designation has not been rescinded by the licensee in a written notice of rescission sent to the Director.
D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 14 § 14-1201 establishes that apartment house business licenses in the District of Columbia may not be issued to non-resident applicants unless they either maintain a D.C. office or designate a local attorney-in-fact, general agent, or manager and notify the Director of that designation. Non-resident licensees must also report any change in that designated representative to the Director within five business days. The rule further provides that official notices related to the license can be legally served on the designated representative, and that if neither the licensee nor the representative can be located after a reasonable search, proceedings may still be initiated through the notice procedures outlined in § 105.4 of the same title.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners or management companies based outside the District of Columbia who hold or seek an apartment house business license under D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 14 § 14-1201 generally maintain either a D.C. office or a formally designated local representative—such as an attorney-in-fact, general agent, or manager—and keep the Director informed of that designation. Compliant operators also promptly update the Director within five business days whenever the designated representative changes, ensuring there is always a reachable local contact on file. Keeping this information current is significant because official licensing notices, including those related to enforcement actions, may be legally served on the designated representative.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 14 § 14-1201 means that tenants renting from a non-resident landlord have a right to expect that a locally reachable representative—an attorney-in-fact, general agent, or manager—has been designated and reported to the Director, making it possible for regulatory authorities to serve notices and pursue licensing actions even if the landlord is difficult to locate. If a tenant believes their non-resident landlord is operating without meeting these requirements, they may consider filing a complaint with the relevant District licensing authority or consulting a tenant-rights organization familiar with D.C. housing regulations. Understanding who the designated local representative is can also be relevant when tenants need to identify a proper point of contact for housing-related concerns.
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.
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