14 DCMR § 14-3920
MOTIONS
Operative Text
3920.1 A request for the Rent Administrator to take a particular action shall be made by filing a written motion. 3920.2 Motions shall be filed with the Rent Administrator in accordance with § 3901 and served on other parties in accordance with § 3911. 3920.3 A written motion may be filed at any time unless the time for filing a specific type of motion is prescribed by the rules in this chapter or the provisions of the Act. 3920.4 The party making a motion shall have the burden of proving that the requested action is warranted. A written motion shall state the legal and factual reasons why the Rent Administrator should take the requested action, and a separate memorandum of points and authorities does not need to be filed. 3920.5 When a motion is based on information not in the record, a party may support or oppose the motion by attaching affidavits, declarations, or other papers. The Rent Administrator may order a party to file supporting affidavits, declarations, or other papers. 3920.6 Before filing any motion, except a motion to dispose of a petition or application or for reconsideration of a final decision and order, a party must make a good faith effort to ask all parties if they agree to the motion. The motion shall state what effort was made and whether all other parties agreed to the motion. (a) A “good faith effort” means a reasonable attempt, considering all the circumstances, to contact a party or representative in person, by telephone, by fax, by email, or by other means. (b) Contact by U.S. mail is a good faith effort only if no other means is reasonably available (for example, not having another party’s telephone number or email address). (c) By itself, serving a party with the motion is not a good faith effort to ask if the party agrees to the motion. (d) If a party fails to make a good faith effort to seek agreement, the Rent Administrator may deny the motion without prejudice. 3920.7 Any party may file a response to a motion within ten (10) days after service of the motion. No further filings related to the motion are permitted unless ordered by the Rent Administrator. 3920.8 A motion for expedited hearing or other form of expedited relief shall be acted upon promptly. 3920.9 The Rent Administrator shall grant or deny each motion by issuing a written order that shall be served on all parties, or a party’s representative of record, by U.S. mail in accordance with § 3911.3.
Under D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 14 et seq. § 14-3920, any request for the Rent Administrator to take a specific action in a proceeding must be submitted as a written motion that explains both the legal and factual basis for the request. Motions must generally be preceded by a good-faith attempt to contact all other parties to see whether they agree, and most motions can be filed at any time unless a deadline is set by the rules or the Rent Stabilization Act. The Rent Administrator responds to each motion with a written order served on all parties, and any party has ten days after receiving a motion to file a response.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers participating in proceedings before the Rent Administrator should be familiar with the motion procedures established in D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 14 et seq. § 14-3920, which govern how formal requests are made and resolved. Compliant operators typically reach out to all other parties in good faith before filing most motions—using phone, email, fax, or in-person contact—and document that outreach in the motion itself, since failure to do so can result in denial. When a motion relies on facts not already in the record, operators generally attach supporting affidavits or declarations to substantiate their position.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Tenants involved in Rent Administrator proceedings can use the motion process established under D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 14 et seq. § 14-3920 to formally request specific actions, such as expedited hearings or other relief, by submitting a written motion that explains the legal and factual grounds for the request. Tenants also have the right to respond to any motion filed against them within ten days of service, and may attach affidavits or other supporting documents when the relevant facts are not already part of the record. Those seeking guidance on how to navigate these procedures may find assistance through tenant-rights organizations or the D.C. Office of the Tenant Advocate.
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.
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