ENROLLED ORIGINAL
1
A RESOLUTION
25-705
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
November 12, 2024
To declare the existence of an emergency with respect to the need to amend the Rental Housing
Act of 1985 to enact a moratorium on applications for, and the Mayor’s issuance of,
certificates of assurance associated with District rent stabilization laws .
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this resolution
may be cited as the “Certificate of Assurance Moratorium Emergency Declaration
Resolution of 2024”.
Sec. 2. (a) Section 221 of the Rental Housing Act of 1985, effective July 17, 2985 ( D.C.
Law 6-10; D.C. Official Code § 42- 3502.21), allows owners of housing accommodations to
apply for certificates of assurance from the Mayor, which provide that in the event the owner’s
properties become subject to rent stabilization , the owners would recover , in the form of a
District real estate tax credit, the difference between the annual fair market rent s and the annual
amount of stabilized rent s the owners receive from the tenants in the housing accommodations
(“program”).
(b) Because the certificate of assurance entitlement lasts for as long as the properties
remain housing accommodations , the entitlement may create a potentially prohibitive fiscal
impact on future reform legislation .
(c) Implementation barriers and concerns kept the program from ever being fully
operational.
(d) On September 22, 2020, the Council passed the Certificate of Assurance Moratorium
Emergency Amendment Act of 2020 ( D.C. Act 23- 454; 67 DCR 13216), which placed an
emergency moratorium on applications for, and the Mayor’s issuance of, c ertificates of assurance
to owners of housing accommodations.
(e) The Council has extended the moratorium through subsequent emergency and
temporary acts.
(f) The Certificate of Assurance Moratorium Emergency Amendment Act of 2024 is
necessary to maintain the status quo while permanent legislation is considered.
Sec. 3. The Council determines that the circumstances enumerated in section 2 constitute
emergency circumstances making it necessary that the Certificate of Assurance Moratorium
Emergency Amendment Act of 2024 be adopted after a single reading.
Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.