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| 2 | 2 | | 1 |
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| 3 | 3 | | ________________________________ ________________________________ 1 |
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| 4 | 4 | | Councilmember Anita Bonds Councilmember Charles Allen 2 |
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| 5 | 5 | | 3 |
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| 6 | 6 | | 4 |
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| 7 | 7 | | ________________________________ ________________________________ 5 |
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| 8 | 8 | | Councilmember M atthew Frumin Councilmember C hristina Henderson 6 |
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| 9 | 9 | | 7 |
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| 10 | 10 | | 8 |
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| 11 | 11 | | ________________________________ ________________________________ 9 |
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| 12 | 12 | | Councilmember J aneese Lewis George Councilmember B rianne K. Nadeau 10 |
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| 13 | 13 | | 11 |
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| 14 | 14 | | 12 |
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| 15 | 15 | | ________________________________ ________________________________ 13 |
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| 16 | 16 | | Councilmember Z achary Parker Councilmember B rooke Pinto 14 |
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| 17 | 17 | | 15 |
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| 18 | 18 | | 16 |
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| 19 | 19 | | A BILL 17 |
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| 20 | 20 | | 18 |
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| 21 | 21 | | ________ 19 |
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| 22 | 22 | | 20 |
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| 23 | 23 | | 21 |
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| 24 | 24 | | IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 22 |
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| 25 | 25 | | 23 |
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| 26 | 26 | | _________________ 24 |
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| 27 | 27 | | 25 |
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| 28 | 28 | | 26 |
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| 29 | 29 | | To amend the Rental Housing Act of 1985 to prohibit housing providers from separately 27 |
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| 30 | 30 | | charging tenants for the utility charges accrued by the housing accommodation for its 28 |
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| 31 | 31 | | common areas, and to require that housing providers give notification to a tenant of any 29 |
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| 32 | 32 | | unpaid amounts owed to the housing provider within 45 days after vacating a rental unit 30 |
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| 33 | 33 | | and to obtain evidence that the tenant was served with the notification at least 60 days 31 |
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| 34 | 34 | | prior to sending the unpaid amount to a debt collector. 32 |
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| 35 | 35 | | 33 |
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| 36 | 36 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 34 |
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| 37 | 37 | | act may be cited as the “ Fair Housing Practices Amendment Act of 2025”. 35 |
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| 38 | 38 | | Sec. 2. The Rental Housing Act of 1985, effective July 17, 1985 (D.C. Law 6- 10; D.C. 36 |
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| 39 | 39 | | Official Code § 42- 3501.01 et seq.), is amended by adding new sections 511 and 512 to read as 37 |
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| 40 | 40 | | follows: 38 |
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| 41 | 41 | | “§ 511. Prohibition on separately b illing a housing accommodation’s utility charges to 39 |
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| 42 | 42 | | tenants. 40 |
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| 43 | 43 | | 2 |
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| 44 | 44 | | “(a) A housing provider shall not separately charge tenants, other than through monthly 41 |
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| 45 | 45 | | base rent, for the utility charges accrued by the housing accommodation for its common areas. 42 |
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| 46 | 46 | | “(b) For the purposes of this section, the term “ utility” means: 43 |
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| 47 | 47 | | “(1) Electricity usage; 44 |
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| 48 | 48 | | “(2) Gas usage; 45 |
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| 49 | 49 | | “(3) Wastewater and sewage disposal service usage; and 46 |
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| 50 | 50 | | “(4) Water consumption or usage.” 47 |
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| 51 | 51 | | Ҥ 512. Notification to tenant of unpaid amounts upon vacating rental unit. 48 |
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| 52 | 52 | | “(a) Within 45 days after termination of the tenancy, the housing provider shall notify the 49 |
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| 53 | 53 | | tenant in writing, either personally or by certified mail at the tenant's last known address, of any 50 |
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| 54 | 54 | | unpaid amounts due to the housing provider pursuant to the terms of the lease agreement, which 51 |
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| 55 | 55 | | may include : 52 |
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| 56 | 56 | | “(1) Unpaid rent arrearages; 53 |
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| 57 | 57 | | “(2) Damage to the rental unit; 54 |
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| 58 | 58 | | “(3) A cleaning fee imposed at moveout; or 55 |
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| 59 | 59 | | “(4) Charges to the housing provider for removing furnishings and items left by 56 |
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| 60 | 60 | | the tenant at moveout. 57 |
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| 61 | 61 | | “(b) For paragraphs (a)(2) or (4) of this section, the housing provider shall accompany the 58 |
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| 62 | 62 | | notification with photographs or other evidence sufficiently supporting the housing provider’s 59 |
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| 63 | 63 | | claim for unpaid amounts. 60 |
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| 64 | 64 | | “(c) The housing provider shall obtain evidence that the tenant was served with such 61 |
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| 65 | 65 | | notice required by subsection (a) of this section at least 60 days prior to sending the unpaid 62 |
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| 66 | 66 | | amount to a debt collector, as defined in D.C. Official Code § 28- 3814(b)(5).”. 63 |
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| 67 | 67 | | 3 |
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| 68 | 68 | | Sec. 3. Fiscal impact statement. 64 |
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| 69 | 69 | | The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal 65 |
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| 70 | 70 | | impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, 66 |
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| 71 | 71 | | approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1- 301.47a). 67 |
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| 72 | 72 | | Sec. 4. Effective date. 68 |
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| 73 | 73 | | This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 69 |
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| 74 | 74 | | Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30- day period of congressional review as 70 |
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| 75 | 75 | | provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 71 |
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| 76 | 76 | | 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1- 206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of 72 |
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| 77 | 77 | | Columbia Register. 73 |
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