This emergency act amends the District of Columbia Rental Housing Act of 1985 to continue temporary limits on rent increases for rent-stabilized units. For a two-year period, it caps annual rent adjustments for most rent-stabilized units at the lesser of 6% or the general rent-adjustment formula plus 2%, with a two-year cumulative cap of 12%. It also creates a lower cap for units leased or co-leased by home and community-based services waiver providers, limiting increases to the lesser of 4% or the general adjustment, with an 8% two-year cumulative cap.
The bill adds special protections for elderly tenants and tenants with disabilities. For those units, rent increases during the covered period are limited to the lesser of 4%, the general adjustment, or the most recent Social Security cost-of-living adjustment, with an 8% cumulative cap over two years. It also allows certain rent increase notices to be reissued with less than 30 days’ notice if the revised increase is lower, and requires repayment of any rent overcharged under earlier notices.
Impact
The act temporarily amends D.C. rent stabilization law by overriding the standard annual rent-adjustment rules in Section 208 and adding a new protection in Section 224 for elderly tenants and tenants with disabilities. It affects landlords of rent-stabilized units, tenants in those units, and providers that lease or co-lease housing for home and community-based services waiver programs. The law also requires repayment of overpayments made under prior notices and applies retroactively as of January 12, 2025, while remaining in effect only for 90 days as an emergency measure.
Sentiment
The available voting record shows unanimous support, with final reading passing 13-0. That suggests broad agreement in the Council around the need to extend inflation-related rent protections and prevent larger rent hikes during the covered period. No committee transcript is available, but the structure of the bill indicates a policy emphasis on affordability and tenant protection.
Contention
The main policy tension is between rent stabilization and landlord flexibility. The bill restricts how much rents can rise, including lower caps for vulnerable tenants and for units tied to waiver providers, which may be viewed as burdensome by property owners or housing providers. Another point of practical contention is the retroactive application and repayment requirement, which could require landlords to revise notices and refund overcharges. The unanimous vote suggests these concerns did not generate significant opposition in the Council at final reading.