United States
Short-term rental rules in Washington DC
Legal regime
Regulated: two license types under the Short-Term Rental Regulation Act of 2018 (Title 14 DCMR Chapter 99, Notice of Final Rulemaking December 2021). (1) Short-Term Rental (STR): operator remains present on premises during guest stay; limited to 30 consecutive nights per rental period; no annual night cap. (2) Vacation Rental (VR): operator is absent, guests have exclusive property access; capped at 90 nights per calendar year (30 consecutive nights maximum per stay). Both types require the property to be the operator's primary residence qualifying for the DC Homestead Tax Deduction; only individual owners are eligible — LLCs, corporations, and investment properties are not permitted. Guest occupancy capped at 8 persons or 2 per bedroom, whichever is greater. Applicable transient lodging taxes are collected and remitted directly to the District by booking services on behalf of hosts.
Key parameters
- License required
- Yes
- Max nights/year
- No cap specified
License process
Create an Access DC single sign-on account, then apply via the DC Short-Term Rental Licensing Platform (shorttermrentals.dc.gov). Required documentation: (1) Certificate of Clean Hands issued within the last 30 days in the property owner's name (from the DC Office of Tax and Revenue); (2) proof of liability insurance with a minimum of $250,000 coverage; (3) if the property is in an HOA, condo, or co-op, an attestation confirming bylaws permit short-term rentals or written permission from the governing board. License fee: $99 for a two-year term (covers both STR and VR license types); automatic renewal available. License must be posted conspicuously inside the property. Operating requirements: unobstructed egress, working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, portable fire extinguisher on premises, 24-hour accessible emergency phone number provided to guests. Hosts must maintain booking records for two years and comply with the DC Housing Code and Property Maintenance Code. Vacation Rental 90-night annual cap may be waived by affidavit if employer requires work outside DC for 90+ days annually or if medical treatment or family care requires a 90+ day absence (apply via the STR Licensing Portal dashboard). License verification: SCOUT database at scout.dcra.dc.gov. Complaints and unlicensed operation reports: DC Short-Term Rental Hotline (202) 221-8550.
Applicable taxes
Recent changes
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2022-11-15
DC Short-Term Rental Licensing Platform migrated to a new system. Property owners with pre-existing approved licenses were required to link their accounts through the renewal portal to maintain active license status.