Metro file
Rent control covers most units built before 1976 that are not exempt. Small landlords (a natural person with four or fewer District units), subsidized units, and post-1975 buildings are the big exemptions. Challenges go to the Rent Administrator (RAD) by tenant petition.
DC rent control covers most rental units built before 1976 that are not exempt — the big exemptions are federally or District-subsidized units, post-1975 buildings, and homes owned by a natural person with four or fewer District units. For Rent Control Year 2026 (increases taking effect May 1, 2026 – April 30, 2027) the Rental Housing Commission’s allowances are 4.1% for most controlled units and 2.1% for tenants registered as elderly or having a disability — the lower cap is the lesser of the Social Security COLA, the CPI-W, or 5%.
One increase per 12 months, 30 days’ notice, and a real enforcement door: the tenant petition to the Rent Administrator (RAD). Registration is the landlord’s homework — if the unit was never registered, that is their problem to explain, not yours.
Rules checked October 2026