14 DCMR § 14-3903
RIGHT TO HEARING AND DISPOSITION WITHOUT HEARING
Operative Text
3903.1 If a petition or other application requires an evidentiary hearing pursuant to the Act or Chapters 41-44 of this title, including those listed in § 3900.2, the Rent Administrator, after making any initial determinations or issuing any necessary or appropriate preliminary orders, shall transmit the petition or application, along with the official record in accordance with § 3919, to the Office of Administrative Hearings. A hearing before the Office of Administrative Hearings shall be conducted in accordance with the District of Columbia Administrative Procedures Act (D.C. Official Code § 2-509), the Office of Administrative Hearings Establishment Act of 2001 (D.C. Official Code §§ 2-1831.01 et seq.), and the rules of the Office of Administrative Hearings (1 DCMR §§ 2800 et seq. and § 2920 et seq.). 3903.2 The Rent Administrator on his or her motion may dismiss any petition without a hearing if the petition does not state a claim for which relief can be granted under the Act. 3903.3 The Rent Administrator shall dismiss a petition for an adjustment of lawful rent without a hearing if a ruling on the same issue has been made by the Rent Administrator, the Office of Administrative Hearings, or the Commission for the same housing accommodation or rental unit within six (6) months prior to the filing of the petition, unless that previous ruling dismissed a former petition without prejudice to refiling.
Under D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 14 et seq. § 14-3903, petitions or applications that require an evidentiary hearing are forwarded by the Rent Administrator to the Office of Administrative Hearings, where proceedings follow the District of Columbia Administrative Procedures Act and related rules. The Rent Administrator retains authority to dismiss a petition outright—without a hearing—if it fails to state a claim for which relief is available under the Act. Additionally, a petition seeking a rent adjustment must be dismissed without a hearing if the same issue was already ruled upon for the same unit or accommodation within the preceding six months, unless that earlier ruling was a dismissal without prejudice.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers involved in rent-related proceedings under D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 14 et seq. § 14-3903 should be aware that petitions meeting the threshold for an evidentiary hearing are transferred to the Office of Administrative Hearings, which operates under its own procedural rules. Compliant operators generally track prior rulings affecting their units, since a ruling on the same issue within the past six months can result in automatic dismissal of a new petition without a hearing. Maintaining organized records of past Rent Administrator and Office of Administrative Hearings decisions for each rental unit helps operators respond accurately if a new petition is filed.
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 et seq. § 14-3903 establishes that tenants whose petitions require an evidentiary hearing have those matters referred to the Office of Administrative Hearings, an independent body that conducts proceedings under established procedural rules. Tenants should be aware that a petition for a rent adjustment may be dismissed without a hearing if the same issue was decided for the same unit within the past six months—unless the prior dismissal was without prejudice, which would allow refiling. Tenants who believe a dismissal was improper or who have questions about their petition's status may consider consulting a tenant-rights organization or reviewing the Office of Administrative Hearings' own procedural rules for available options.
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 13, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
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