DC Is Finally Launching A Database Of Rent-Controlled Apartments

• May 19th

by UrbanTurf Staff

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Following years of delays, a database listing all rent controlled housing units in DC is scheduled to launch next month. 

DC's Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) is launching RentRegistry, an online portal for the city's housing providers to register their rental properties, in early June. 

The system will have dedicated portals for tenants, housing providers, the general public, and the DHCD administration. At the outset, housing providers will need to re-register their rental properties and input relevant accommodation information. After this initial data entry phase, the RentRegistry will become available for public access on June 2. Once live, the system will largely replace paper filings, requiring all parties—housing providers, property managers, agents, and tenants—to use the RentRegistry for most interactions.

"DHCD is confident that the RentRegistry will streamline operations, provide vital data about the District’s rental housing market, improve access and convenience of submitting filings, allow easier access to information, and provide data to drive policy and legislative decision-making," the DHCD site said. 

The site has been a long time in the making. In 2015, the DC Council required that the database needed to be created, but years and years of delays followed. 

DC's rent control law, under the Rental Housing Act of 1985, limits rent increases on certain older buildings, typically built before 1976. It restricts annual increases to 2% plus the rate of inflation, with added limits for elderly or disabled tenants. Exemptions exist for newer buildings and small landlords.

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/dc_is_finally_launching_a_database_of_rent-controlled_apartments/23514.