On October 2, 2018, the D.C. Council voted unanimously to support legislation that provides clarity for participants in homesharing, protects the District’s housing stock, and preserves the integrity of neighborhoods for residents across the District.

A guide to the new D.C. Short-Term Rental legislation B22-0092

Councilmember McDuffie’s goals with this legislation were to create a clear regulatory framework for District residents to participate in homesharing and address a glaring gap in the law that led to increased pressure on our housing market, abuse by commercial operators, and significant health and safety concerns raised by members of the community.

About the Short-term Rental Regulation Act of 2018:

It updates District law to create a new ‘short-term rental’ business license which permits residents to host short-term rentals at their primary residence including English basements, carriage houses, or any other unit located on the property.
- While D.C. law currently states that hosts are required to have a basic business license and an additional license (depending on the zoning for their residence), this legislation would make it easier to comply with the law by creating a new category of permit for short-term rental housing.
It preserves the character of our neighborhoods by preventing commercial interests from turning your street into a defacto hotel.
It allows homeowners to offer short-term rentals 365 days a year when they are present on the property, and for up to 90 days if the host is away from their home.
It also adds an additional layer of safety and accountability by requiring each host to have information on file for a point of contact who is accessible 24 hours a day.

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