Washington D.C. · Rent Control Tracker

Rent-Controlled Apartments in Washington D.C.

Real-time alerts when rent-controlled units hit the market. We watch every D.C. rental source and check coverage against the D.C. Rental Accommodations registry — so you're first in line.

  • 80,000+ rent-controlled units in D.C.
  • Pre-1976 buildings · 5+ units
  • Annual cap: CPI + 2%, max 10%

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80,000+
Rent-controlled units
1976
Eligibility cutoff
5+
Minimum unit count
CPI + 2%
Annual increase cap

What is D.C.'s rent control?

D.C.'s Rental Housing Act of 1985 covers most rental buildings with 5 or more units constructed before December 31, 1975. The Department of Housing and Community Development's Rental Accommodations Division administers the program. The current annual increase cap is CPI + 2%, with a hard 10% ceiling — for 2024, the cap is 6% (4% for elderly or disabled tenants).

Roughly 80,000 D.C. rental units fall under rent control. The program is officially called rent control but is sometimes referred to as rent stabilization. Coverage is among the strongest in the country: small landlords are covered, just-cause eviction is required, and tenants have right-of-first-refusal under TOPA when a building is sold.

Exemptions: buildings of 4 or fewer units owned by individuals (not corporations), single-family homes when owner-occupied, federally subsidized housing, and new construction post-1975.

TOPA and just-cause eviction

D.C.'s Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) gives tenants the right of first refusal when a building is sold — one of the strongest tenant protections in the United States. Combined with rent control and just-cause eviction, the regulatory stack makes D.C. one of the most tenant-friendly major U.S. cities.

Eviction from a rent-controlled unit requires one of 10 'just cause' reasons: nonpayment, lease violation, illegal activity, owner occupancy, substantial rehabilitation, demolition, conversion, or related causes. No-fault evictions require proper notice and relocation payments.

RentReboot watches every D.C. rental site, flags rent-controlled buildings against public registry data, and sends email + text alerts the moment a unit hits the market.

Where to look in Washington D.C.

The Washington D.C. neighborhoods with the deepest rent-controlled inventory — sorted by where renters actually find listings.

Adams Morgan
Pre-war rent-control density
Columbia Heights
Walk-ups along the Green Line
Capitol Hill
Historic small buildings
Dupont Circle
Classic D.C. mid-rises
Logan Circle / Shaw
Pre-1976 row conversions
Mount Pleasant
Affordable rent-controlled stock
Petworth
Quieter rent-control pockets
U Street
Transit-rich pre-war buildings
Georgetown
Limited but historic inventory
Woodley Park
Family-sized rent-controlled units
Cleveland Park
Pre-war elegance, Red Line
Eckington
NoMa-adjacent value
Common questions

Everything you need to know about rent-controlled apartments in D.C.

Buildings of 5+ units constructed before December 31, 1975 are generally covered, unless specifically exempted. The D.C. Rental Accommodations Division maintains a public database of registered rental units. RentReboot cross-checks every listing.
The annual cap is CPI + 2%, with a hard 10% ceiling. For 2024, the cap is 6% (or 4% for elderly and disabled tenants). Increases are limited to once per 12 months and require proper notice.
The Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act gives tenants the right of first refusal to purchase their building when the landlord sells it. TOPA applies to rent-controlled buildings and most other rental properties — it's one of the strongest tenant protections in the U.S.
Only for one of 10 'just cause' reasons: nonpayment, lease violation, illegal activity, owner occupancy, substantial rehabilitation, demolition, conversion to condo or co-op, or related causes. No-fault evictions require relocation payments and proper notice.
Generally no — single-family homes owned by individuals and owner-occupied properties are exempt. Some single-family rentals owned by corporations may still be covered. Smaller buildings (4 or fewer units) owned by individual landlords are also exempt.
Virginia state law preempts local rent control, so Arlington, Alexandria, and the rest of Northern Virginia have NO rent control. Bethesda and most of Maryland are also without rent control, though Montgomery County passed a limited rent stabilization program in 2023.

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