Is my apartment rent controlled in Washington, DC?
In Washington, DC, rent control is formally rent stabilization under the Rental Housing Act of 1985. As a rule it covers rental units in buildings built before 1976. But the rule that matters most to tenants is the registration rule: every rental unit in the District must be registered with the Rental Accommodations Division, and a unit that is not registered with an approved exemption is treated as covered.
1. Check when the building was built
Buildings first built in 1976 or later are generally exempt as new construction. Older buildings are the standard case for coverage, subject to the exemptions below.
2. Check the exemptions
The common ones are:
- New construction — built 1976 or later.
- Small landlords — units owned by a natural person (not a company) who owns four or fewer rental units in the District. Note the two halves: it must be a person, and the count is across the whole District, not just your building.
- Subsidized housing — units under federal or District rent-subsidy programs, which have their own rent rules.
- Vacant and substantially rehabilitated buildings, where the owner obtained approval.
3. The registration rule works in tenants' favour
An exemption is not automatic. The owner has to claim it on a registration filing with the Rental Accommodations Division (RAD) and have it approved. So if your landlord never registered your unit, that is not evidence you are unregulated — it points the other way. Ask RAD for the registration or exemption record for your address; that filing, not your landlord's description of it, is what governs.
4. Ask RAD or the Office of the Tenant Advocate
RAD holds the registration and exemption filings for every rental housing accommodation in the District. The Office of the Tenant Advocate gives DC tenants free advice and can help you read what you get back.
5. Look up the building on the map
Find A Crib maps Washington DC from the District's own registration records, so — unlike our Los Angeles layer, which is derived from assessor criteria — the DC layer reflects an official registry. It still shows the building rather than the current status of your individual unit, and registrations change, so confirm with RAD before you act on it.
🔎 Open the Washington DC rent-control map →If you are covered
Annual increases for rent-stabilized units are limited by a CPI-linked figure, with a lower cap for elderly tenants and tenants with disabilities. The figure is republished as the CPI changes, so take the current one from DHCD rather than from any secondary source, including this page.
Official sources
- DC DHCD — Rent control (rent stabilization)
- DC Rent Registry
- D.C. Code § 42-3502.05 — registration and coverage
- DC Office of the Tenant Advocate — free tenant advice
Find A Crib is an informational tool, not a law firm. This guide is general information about the DC Rental Housing Act, not legal advice. For your specific situation, contact the Rental Accommodations Division, the Office of the Tenant Advocate, or a tenant attorney/legal-aid group.