District of Columbia legislation · 26th Council
District of Columbia B126: Fair Housing Practices Amendment Act of 2025
Status: Signed into law, August 28, 2026
As introduced, Bill 26-126 would prohibit housing providers from separately charging tenants for the utility charges accrued by the housing accommodation for its common areas. It would require that housing providers give notification to a tenant of any unpaid amounts owed to the housing provider within 45 days after vacating a rental unit. The provider must also obtain evidence that the tenant was served with the notification at least 60 days prior to sending the unpaid amount to a debt collector.
What the bill says
To amend theRental Housing Actof 1985 to prohibithousing providersfrom separately charging tenants forthe utility charges accrued by thehousing accommodation forits common spaces orvacant units, to require that housing providers givenotification to a tenant ofany unpaid amounts owed to thehousing providerwithin 45 days after vacating arental unit and to obtain evidence that the tenant was served with the notification at least 60 days priorto sendingtheunpaid amount to a debt collector, and to clarify that housing providers cannot charge tenants for servicesrequiredunderthe implied warranty ofh.
From the enrolled text, July 2, 2026:
To amend theRental Housing Actof 1985 to prohibithousing providersfrom separately charging tenants forthe utility charges accrued by thehousing accommodation forits common spaces orvacant units, to require that housing providers givenotification to a tenant ofany unpaid amounts owed to thehousing providerwithin 45 days after vacating arental unit and to obtain evidence that the tenant was served with the notification at least 60 days priorto sendingtheunpaid amount to a debt collector, and to clarify that housing providers cannot charge tenants for servicesrequiredunderthe implied warranty ofhabitability. act may be cited as the "FairHousing Practices Amendment Actof2026". Sec. 2. The Rental HousingAct of 1985, effective July 17, 1985 (D.C. Law 6-10; D.C. Official Code § 42-3501.01 etseq.), is amended as follows: (a) Section 217 (D.C. Official Code § 42-3502.17) is amendedby adding a new subsection(e) toread as follows: "(@)(1) Upon terminationof a tenancy, thehousing provider shall requesta forwarding mailing address oremail address from thetenant forpurposesofprovidingany notices required pursuant to this section. "(2)(A) Within 45 days afterterminationofthetenancy, thehousing provider shall notify thetenant in writing, eitherpersonally, by email, orby certified mail at thetenant's forwardingaddress, ofany alleged unpaid amounts due to thehousing providerpursuant to the termsofthe leaseagreement which may "(i) Damageto the rental unit beyond thestandards ofordinary wear and tear as defined in subsection (c)(3) ofthis section; or "(iii) Chargestothehousing provider forremoving furnishings and itemsleft by the …