14 DCMR § 14-2215
CERTIFYING ENTITY
Operative Text
2215.1 A Household shall obtain, and an Owner shall accept, a Certification of Income, Affordability, and Housing Size only from a Certifying Entity. 2215.2 DHCD may approve a Certifying Entity pursuant to a request for proposals process or through an application process. 2215.3 DHCD shall approve a Certifying Entity based on the entity’s experience in successfully implementing activities similar to those described in § 2215.4, the capacity and experience of the entity’s staff and management, and any other factors DHCD deems relevant. 2215.4 A Certifying Entity shall be responsible for: (a) Verifying a Household’s Annual Income; (b) Verifying a Household’s size; (c) Verifying that the rent or purchase price of an Inclusionary Unit is affordable to the Household, as indicated in § 2214.3(e) or (f); (d) Reporting data to DHCD; (e) Compliance with relevant regulations; and (f) Any other activities required by DHCD. 2215.5 Community based organizations under contract with DCHD shall be Certifying Entities and in addition to the responsibilities in § 2215.4, shall also counsel and train Households on the Inclusionary Zoning program.
Under D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 14 § 14-2215, the District's Inclusionary Zoning program requires that income, affordability, and household-size certifications be issued exclusively by a DHCD-approved Certifying Entity. These entities are selected through a formal proposal or application process and must demonstrate relevant experience and organizational capacity. Certifying Entities carry out a defined set of duties, including verifying household income and size, confirming that a unit's rent or purchase price is affordable, and reporting data back to DHCD. Community-based organizations under contract with DHCD also hold Certifying Entity status and are additionally responsible for counseling and training households on the program.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 14-2215, owners of Inclusionary Zoning units are required to accept certifications only from a DHCD-approved Certifying Entity — documentation from any other source does not satisfy the regulatory requirement. Compliant operators generally maintain familiarity with which entities hold current Certifying Entity status so that the leasing or sales process is not delayed. Because the Certifying Entity independently verifies income, household size, and affordability, owners are not expected to conduct their own parallel verification of those factors.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 14-2215 establishes that households seeking an Inclusionary Zoning unit have the right to obtain their certification from a DHCD-approved Certifying Entity, and that an owner must accept such a certification once issued. Community-based organizations under contract with DHCD are also Certifying Entities and are specifically tasked with counseling and training households on the program, making them a practical starting point for understanding the process. Households who encounter difficulties — such as an owner refusing a valid certification or uncertainty about which entities are currently approved — may contact DHCD directly or reach out to a tenant-rights organization for general guidance.
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 Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation