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Councilmember Robert C. White, Jr. 2
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A BILL 7
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 10
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To amend, on an emergency basis, the Rental Housing Act of 1985 to limit, for 2 years, the 13
annual adjustment of general applicability of the rent charged in rent stabilized units to 14
the lesser of 6% or the Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area Consumer Price Index for 15
Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) plus 2% with a 2-year cumulative 16
limit of 12% , to limit for 2 years the annual adjustment of the rent charged in rent 17
stabilized units leased or co-leased by a home and community- based services waiver 18
provider the lesser of 4% or the adjustment of general applicability with a 2- year 19
cumulative limit of 8%, and to limit for 2 years the annual adjustment in the amount of 20
rent charged while a unit is occupied by an elderly tenant or tenant with a disability to 21
the lesser of 4%, the adjustment of general applicability, or the most recent annual cost-22
of-living adjustment of benefits for social security recipients with a 2-year cumulative 23
limit of 8%. 24
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this act may be 26
cited as the “Rent Stabilized Housing Inflation Protection Continuation Emergency Amendment 27
Act of 2025”. 28
Sec. 2. Title II of the Rental Housing Act of 1985, effective July 17, 1985 (D.C. Law 6- 10; 29
D.C. Official Code § 42- 3502.01 et seq. ), is amended as follows: 30
(a) Section 208 (D.C. Official Code § 42- 3502.08) is am ended as follows: 31
(1) Subsection (h)(2) is amended as follows: 32
(A) Subparagraph (A) is amended as follows: 33
(i) The existing text is designated as sub- subparagraph (i). 34
(ii) A new sub-subparagraph (ii) is added to read as follows: 35
“(ii) Notwithstanding the provisions of sub- subparagraph (i) of this 36
subparagraph, adjustments that take effect from July 1, 2023, to April 30, 2025, s hall not exceed 37 the current allowable amount of rent charged for the unit, plus the adjustment of general 38
applicability plus 2%, taken as a percentage of the current allowable amount of rent charged; 39
provided, the total adjustment shall not exceed 6 %;”. 40
(B) Subparagraph (C) is amended as follows: 41
(i) The existing text is designated as sub- subparagraph (i). 42
(ii) A new sub-subparagraph (ii) is added to read as follows: 43
“(ii) Notwithstanding sub- subparagraph (i) of this subparagraph, 44
adjustments that take effect from July 1, 2023, to April 30, 2025, shall not exceed the current 45
allowable amount of rent charged for the unit plus the lesser of 4% or the adjustment of general 46
applicability if the unit is leased or co-leased by a home and community- based services waiver 47
provider.”. 48
(2) New subsections (i) and (j) are added to read as follows: 49
“(i)(1) Notwithstanding section 904(b) (D.C. Official Code § 42- 3509.04(b)), any notices of 50
rent increases issued pursuant to subsection (h)(2) of this section for which the rent increase shall 51
be effective on or after July 1, 2023, may be re-noticed with less than 30 days’ notice if the rent 52
increase is lower than the rent increase in the original notice.”. 53
“(2) Any payment of rent in excess of the legal allowable rent charged that was 54
made in accordance with notices of rent increases issued prior to the effective date of this act shall 55
be repaid to the payer within 30 days after overpayment or by August 1, 2023, whichever is later. 56
“(j) Notwithstanding subsection (h)(2) of this section, the total amount of adjustments from 57
May 1, 2023, to April 30, 2025, shall not exceed the legal rent charged on April 30, 2023, for the 58
unit plus: 59
“(1) 8%, if the unit is occupied by an elderly tenant or tenant with a disability, or if 60
the unit is leased or co-leased by a home and community- based services waiver provider; or 61
“(2) 12%, if the unit is occupied by any other tenant.”. 62
(b) Section 224 (D.C. Official Code § 42- 3502.24) is amended to add a new subsection (a -63 1) to read as follows: 64
"(a-1) Notwithstanding section 208(h) or subsection (a) of this section, an adjustment that 65
takes effect from July 1, 2023, to April 30, 2025, in the amount of rent charged while a unit is 66
occupied by an elderly tenant or tenant with a disability, without regard to income, shall not exceed 67
the rent charged for the unit, plus the least of: 68
“(1) The adjustment of general applicability; 69
“(2) The most recent annual cost-of-living adjustment of benefits for social security 70
recipients established pursuant to section 415(i) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. § 415(i)); or 71
“(3) 4% of the rent charged.”. 72
Sec. 3. Applicability. 73
This act shall apply as of January 12, 2025. 74
Sec. 4. Fiscal impact statement. 75
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement of the Budget Director as the fiscal impact 76
statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, approved 77
October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1- 301.47a). 78
Sec. 5. Effective date. 79
This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 80
Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), and shall remain in effect for no longer than 81
90 days, as provided for emergency acts of the Council of the District of Columbia in section 82
412(a) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 788; 83
D.C. Official Code § 1- 204.12(a)). 84