14 DCMR § 14-9903
ISSUANCE AND RENEWAL OF LICENSE
Operative Text
9903.1 A short-term rental license endorsement shall not be issued to any person or entity other than to a host. 9903.2 The presence of more than one short-term rental at the host’s primary residence shall not require separate license endorsements. 9903.3 A host shall not be issued more than one “Short-Term Rental” endorsement or “Short-Term Rental: Vacation Rental” endorsement. However, a host may hold both a “Short-Term Rental” endorsement and a “Short-Term Rental: Vacation Rental” endorsement simultaneously. 9903.4 A host may offer multiple short-term rentals at the host’s primary residence, such as a bedroom and an in-law suite, subject to all applicable occupancy limits contained in Title 11, Title 12, and Title 14 of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations. 9903.5 A host shall not be issued a short-term rental license endorsement if prohibited by Title 11 of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations. 9903.6 An inspection of the premises by the Department shall not be a prerequisite for issuance of a short-term rental license endorsement. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to limit the right of the Department to inspect any licensed premises for compliance as authorized by law. 9903.7 A short-term rental license endorsement shall be valid for a period of two (2) years from the date of issuance. Upon expiration of the two (2) year period, a short-term rental license endorsement shall be automatically renewed upon payment of the license fee established in 17 DCMR § 518 and 17 DCMR § 519, unless the Department determines that the host is not in compliance with the requirements set forth in this Chapter. A host must update any information required under § 9902.2 that has changed in his or her application. 9903.8 A short-term rental license endorsement is issued for transient guest bookings of thirty (30) or fewer continuous nights. Transient guest bookings of more than thirty (30) continuous nights are not covered by a short-term rental license endorsement; however, another license endorsement will be required under D.C. Official Code § 47-2851 et seq.
Under D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 14 et seq. § 14-9903, short-term rental license endorsements in the District of Columbia may only be issued to a host operating out of their primary residence, and no single host may hold more than one endorsement of each type—though holding both a standard and a vacation rental endorsement simultaneously is permitted. A single endorsement covers all short-term rentals at that primary residence, so multiple rentable spaces (such as a bedroom and an in-law suite) do not require separate endorsements. Endorsements are valid for two years and renew automatically upon fee payment, provided the host remains in compliance; they cover only bookings of 30 or fewer consecutive nights, with longer stays requiring a different license category.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers operating short-term rentals in the District should be aware that § 14-9903 of D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 14 et seq. restricts endorsements to hosts using their primary residence, meaning investors or entities that do not occupy the property as a primary home are not eligible. Compliant operators generally hold no more than one endorsement of each type, keep their application information current whenever circumstances change, and pay the renewal fee before the two-year endorsement period expires to trigger automatic renewal. Operators also ensure that any bookings exceeding 30 consecutive nights are covered under a separate, appropriate license endorsement as required by D.C. Official Code § 47-2851 et seq.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Guests and neighbors should know that D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 14 et seq. § 14-9903 establishes clear eligibility rules for who may legally operate a short-term rental in the District—only a host at their primary residence may hold an endorsement, and that endorsement only covers stays of 30 or fewer consecutive nights. If a rental appears to be operated by someone other than a primary resident, or if a host seems to be holding endorsements beyond what the rule allows, these concerns can generally be raised with the District's licensing authority or a local tenant-rights organization. Tenants in longer-term arrangements should also be aware that stays exceeding 30 consecutive nights fall outside the scope of a short-term rental endorsement and may implicate different licensing and tenant-protection frameworks.
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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