STRWATCH.AI 50/50 MARKETS · UPDATED 2026-07-18 · ALL CITIES
STRWATCH.AI / DC / Washington

Is a short-term rental legal in Washington, DC?

HEAVILY REGULATED

Short-term rentals are legal in Washington, DC but only in the host's PRIMARY RESIDENCE (property eligible for the homestead deduction under DC Code § 47-850), per the Short-Term Rental Regulation Act of 2018 (DC Law 22-307, codified at DC Code § 30-201.01 et seq., enforced since 2022).

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Sources checked2026-07-175 open items listed below

Unhosted whole-home rentals are permitted only under the 'Short-Term Rental: Vacation Rental' endorsement, capped at 90 nights cumulatively per calendar year (DC Code § 30-201.06(e)) unless an exemption is granted under § 30-201.06(f) (host's employer requires work outside DC >90 days, or host leaves DC for serious-health-condition treatment/family care >90 days). Property must be the host's primary residence, i.e. eligible for the homestead deduction under § 47-850 (§ 30-201.02(d); § 30-201.01). Accessory dwelling units / English basements qualify if homestead-eligible (DLCP). Hosted rentals (host present) have no annual night cap. Occupancy limited to 8 guests OR 2 per bedroom, whichever is greater (DLCP); statute also cross-references occupancy limits in DCMR Titles 11, 12, 14 (§ 30-201.02(e)). Individual stays limited to a maximum of 30 consecutive nights (DLCP); stays longer than 30 nights fall outside the STR regime (min_stay_exempt_days=31 reflects this, per DLCP; exact statutory 'transient guest' night threshold not independently confirmed).

What you need to operate

Basic Business License with 'Short-Term Rental' endorsement (hosted) $99.00 per 2-year license
DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP)
Renewal: Every 2 years; automatic renewal option upon fee payment
Required for hosted STRs (host present). No annual night cap. Statutory basis: DC Code § 30-201.02(a), § 30-201.03. A separate discovery source (theoffersheet) cited $104.50; DLCP's own page states $99.00 for two years — see needs_review.
official source
Basic Business License with 'Short-Term Rental: Vacation Rental' endorsement (unhosted) $99.00 per 2-year license
DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP)
Renewal: Every 2 years; automatic renewal option upon fee payment
Required for unhosted whole-home rentals (host absent). Capped at 90 nights cumulatively per calendar year (§ 30-201.06(e)) absent an exemption (§ 30-201.06(f)). Statutory basis: DC Code § 30-201.02(a).
official source
Liability insurance At least $500,000 in coverage (may be provided by the booking service)
DC Code § 30-201.02(b)
Renewal: Must be maintained current while operating
Statute § 30-201.02(b) requires liability insurance of at least $500,000. DLCP's application guidance references proof of a $250,000 minimum — discrepancy noted in needs_review. Coverage may be furnished by the booking/hosting platform.
official source
Certificate of Clean Hands Cost not verified
DC Office of Tax and Revenue (via DLCP application)
Renewal: Must be dated within 30 days of application
Certificate of Clean Hands issued within the last 30 days in the property owner's name, confirming no outstanding DC tax/fee debts.
official source
HOA/condo/co-op consent attestation Cost not verified
DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP)
Where the property is part of an association, owner must attest that governing documents allow short-term/vacation rentals or provide written permission from the association. Statutory basis: § 30-201.03.
official source
Safety self-certification (smoke/CO detectors, fire extinguisher, egress) Cost not verified
DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP)
Renewal: At each license period
Applicant self-certifies compliance with the Housing Code and Property Maintenance Code: unobstructed egress, working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and a portable fire extinguisher. No pre-license physical inspection; self-certification.
official source

The full picture

Short-term rentals are legal in Washington, DC but only in the host's PRIMARY RESIDENCE (property eligible for the homestead deduction under DC Code § 47-850), per the Short-Term Rental Regulation Act of 2018 (DC Law 22-307, codified at DC Code § 30-201.01 et seq., enforced since 2022). A basic business license with a 'Short-Term Rental' endorsement allows HOSTED rentals (host present) with no annual night cap; a 'Short-Term Rental: Vacation Rental' endorsement allows UNHOSTED whole-home rentals but is capped at 90 nights cumulatively per calendar year (§ 30-201.06(e)) unless the host obtains a work- or medical-hardship exemption (§ 30-201.06(f)). The license costs $99.00 for two years and requires liability insurance of at least $500,000 (statute § 30-201.02(b); may be provided by the booking service), a Certificate of Clean Hands, and HOA/condo consent where applicable. Occupancy is capped at 8 guests or 2 per bedroom, whichever is greater, and individual stays are limited to 30 consecutive nights (DLCP). DC levies a 15.95% transient accommodations sales tax (temporarily raised from 14.95%, effective Apr 1, 2023 through Mar 30, 2027; OTR Tax Notice 2023-01), which booking services must collect and remit (§ 30-201.08). Unlicensed operation draws civil penalties of $500 / $2,000 / $6,000 for first/second/third violations (§ 30-201.10). A pending Short-Term Rental Regulation Amendment Act of 2026 (introduced Mar 13, 2026) would let renters host, allow a licensed second property, and consolidate the two endorsement types.

Taxes on guests & hosts

TaxRateApplies toPlatform collectsOfficial source
Sales and use tax on transient accommodations 15.95% (temporarily increased from 14.95%, effective Apr 1, 2023 through Mar 30, 2027; reverts to 14.95% thereafter) Gross receipts from rooms, lodgings, or accommodations furnished to transients, including short-term rentals Yes source

Enforcement

PenaltiesCivil penalties for hosts operating without a valid license/endorsement: $500 for the first violation, $2,000 for the second, and $6,000 for the third plus revocation of the STR license endorsement (DC Code § 30-201.10). The Mayor may adjust these penalties by rulemaking.
Platform liabilityBooking services are liable for a civil penalty of $1,000 for each booking transaction made in violation of the subchapter (§ 30-201.10 / § 30-201.08). Platforms must let hosts display the license endorsement number, must stop booking a listing within 5 business days of notice that a license was suspended/revoked, must submit monthly transaction reports to DLCP (host name, address, endorsement number, dates, rates), must retain records for 2 years, and must collect/remit transient occupancy taxes (§ 30-201.08).
NotesDLCP monitors booking-service listings and, on discovering a violation, immediately notifies the booking service and host (§ 30-201.09). The Department may refer violations to the Office of the Attorney General; the Office of the Chief Financial Officer handles tax-related violations. Enforced under DC Law 22-307, active enforcement since 2022.

Pending changes

  • Short-Term Rental Regulation Amendment Act of 2026 — would allow renters (not just owners) to host at their primary residence (except rent-stabilized units or where the lease prohibits), permit a licensed second property in DC (subject to a 90-night cap when unoccupied), create a new 'special event' license category for Mayor-designated events, consolidate the 'Short-Term Rental' and 'Vacation Rental' endorsements into a single category, and refine key definitions. — proposed, 2026-03-13 [official]

What we could not verify (5)

  • License fee discrepancy: DLCP's official 'Operating a Short-Term Rental' page states $99.00 for a two-year license; a discovery-only vendor source cited $104.50. Used the DLCP figure ($99.00). Recommend re-confirming the exact current fee on the DLCP application/fee schedule.
  • Insurance amount discrepancy: DC Code § 30-201.02(b) requires liability insurance of at least $500,000, but DLCP application guidance references a $250,000 minimum. Used the statutory $500,000 as the requirement; the $250,000 may be an application-intake threshold. Confirm which controls.
  • 30-consecutive-night per-stay limit and the 8-guest / 2-per-bedroom occupancy cap are sourced to the DLCP page (official). The precise statutory definition of 'transient guest' / night threshold (used for min_stay_exempt_days=31) was not independently confirmed in § 30-201.01 during fetch — verify against the full definitions section.
  • OTR Tax Notice 2023-01 confirms the 15.95% transient-accommodations rate applies to 'any place in which rooms/lodgings/accommodations are regularly furnished'; it does not name short-term rentals explicitly. Applicability to STRs is corroborated by § 30-201.08's requirement that booking services collect transient occupancy taxes. Confirm no separate STR-specific rate.
  • max_guests set to null deliberately (CEO review 2026-07-17): the DLCP occupancy rule is 8 guests OR 2 per bedroom whichever is GREATER, so no single integer cap exists; see legality.notes.

Sources

A markdown mirror of this page lives at /washington-dc.md for AI tools and researchers.

STRWatch publishes educational information about short-term rental regulation, checked against the official sources linked above as of the date shown. It is not legal advice, and rules change — a city can move between the times we check it. For decisions with money at stake, confirm with the authority linked above or a local attorney.