14 DCMR § 14-3924
RECONSIDERATION OR MODIFICATION OF FINAL ORDERS
Operative Text
3924.1 Any party adversely affected by a final order of the Rent Administrator in a proceeding may file a motion for reconsideration or modification with the Rent Administrator within ten (10) business days of service of the order; provided, that an order issued on reconsideration is not subject to reconsideration. 3924.2 If any party files a motion for reconsideration or modification within the time provided in § 3924.1, the effect of the final order shall be stayed and the time for seeking review of the order by the Commission shall not start to run until either the Rent Administrator rules on the motion or the motion is denied automatically by the expiration of the time provided in §§ 3924.4 and 3924.5. 3924.3 A motion for reconsideration shall contain a short and plain statement of the specific grounds on which the moving party considers a final order to be erroneous or unlawful. Grounds for reconsideration shall be as follows: (a) The moving party failed to respond to a motion of another party or to respond to an order of the Rent Administrator, which resulted in a dismissal or denial of the party’s position, and the party has good reason not doing so and would have presented an adequate claim or defense; (b) The decision or order contains a clear mistake in the application of law; (c) The decision or order contains a clerical mistake or clear mistake of the factual record; (d) New evidence has been discovered that previously was not reasonably available to the moving party; or (e) There has been a change in circumstances since the initiation of the petition or application that makes any relief provided by the decision impossible or inequitable. 3924.4 Within thirty (30) days of the filing of a motion for reconsideration, the Rent Administrator shall grant the motion, deny the motion, or issue an order enlarging the time for later disposition of the motion. 3924.5 Failure of the Rent Administrator to act in the time prescribed by § 3924.4 shall constitute a denial of the motion for reconsideration. 3924.6 A motion for modification shall contain a short and plain statement of a specific error that is typographical, numerical, or technical in nature. 3924.7 The thirty (30) day time limit in which an appeal to the Commission shall be filed, as prescribed in § 216(h) of the Act (D.C. Official Code § 42-3502.16(h)) and § 3802.2 of this title, shall begin to run when a motion for reconsideration or modification is granted or denied.
Under D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 14 et seq. § 14-3924, any party that receives an unfavorable final order from the Rent Administrator has ten business days to file a motion asking the Administrator to reconsider or modify that order. Filing such a motion automatically pauses the order's effect and delays the clock for appealing to the Rental Housing Commission until the motion is resolved. The Rent Administrator must act on the motion within thirty days, and silence beyond that deadline counts as a denial; orders issued on reconsideration cannot themselves be reconsidered.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers who receive an adverse Rent Administrator ruling should be aware that D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 14 et seq. § 14-3924 provides a structured post-order process with strict deadlines. A compliant operator tracks the ten-business-day window for filing a reconsideration or modification motion and ensures any such motion clearly identifies one of the enumerated grounds—such as a legal error, factual mistake, or newly discovered evidence. Operators also note that the thirty-day appeal window to the Rental Housing Commission does not begin until the reconsideration motion is granted or denied.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Tenants who receive an unfavorable final order from the Rent Administrator may have the right under D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 14 et seq. § 14-3924 to seek reconsideration or modification within ten business days of being served with that order. Filing a timely motion puts the order on hold and preserves the ability to later appeal to the Rental Housing Commission, with that appeal window starting only after the motion is resolved. Tenants navigating this process may wish to consult a tenant-rights organization or legal aid provider familiar with District of Columbia rent regulations to understand which grounds for reconsideration may apply to their circumstances.
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
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation