City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Washington, DC
How Washington regulates short-term rentals: the rules that apply, their sources, and pending changes.
Rules here limit which homes may operate as short-term rentals, how many, where, or for how many nights a year.
- Primary-residence-only citywide — non-resident investor whole-home STR foreclosed (D.C. Code § 30-201.02(d))
- No non-owner-occupied whole-home path exists in the Act (natural-person, homestead-eligible hosts only)
- Hard 90-night annual cap on host-absent whole-home (vacation-rental) operation (§ 30-201.06(e))
- STR license/endorsement required through DLCP with primary-residence proof; transient-lodging tax collected
Based on: Short-Term Rental Regulation Act of 2018, D.C. Law 22-307 (D.C. Code §§ 30-201.01 et seq.); implementing rules 14 DCMR
Summary of the rule
D.C. Code § 30-201.02(d) (Short-Term Rental Regulation Act of 2018, D.C. Law 22-307): 'The property at which the short-term rental is located shall be the host's primary residence.' 'Primary residence' is defined (§ 30-201.01) as a property eligible for the homestead deduction under § 47-850, i.e. an owner-occupied dwelling; a non-resident / out-of-District investor is categorically ineligible and there is no non-owner-occupied whole-home STR license class in the Act. This forecloses the absentee/investor whole-home STR supply device citywide — Restrictive.
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Last reviewed Sep 22, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Washington · system last checked Oct 25, 2026
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City Watch provides good-faith summaries of publicly available information as of the review date shown. Rules, enforcement, and permit availability can change, and summaries may contain errors or omissions. Ratings describe the general regulatory environment; they do not establish whether a particular property or stay is permitted. This is general information, not legal advice. Before buying, listing, or hosting, verify applicable requirements with the responsible authorities and review any HOA, condominium, deed, or lease restrictions.