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Washington, DC short-term rental rules: the 90-night cap, and the 2026 bill that has not become law

Sergej Sitki · founder of ReceptionGO and host
Published November 4, 2026 · 5 min read

General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change often and vary by state, county and city — confirm your situation with the local agency or a CPA.

Today a DC short-term rental has to be your primary residence, and unhosted nights are capped at 90 a year. You need a basic business license with the right endorsement, and the number goes on the listing. A 2026 mayoral bill would let renters host, add a second owned home (still capped at 90 unoccupied nights), and create a special-event license. As of October 2026 that bill is in committee. It is not law.

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Washington’s short-term rental law is still the 2018 act: your primary residence, a license, and a hard cap on the nights you are not home. In March 2026 the Mayor proposed a real loosening — renters, a second property, a special-event category. Hosts are already listing as if it had passed. It has not.

The rules you can rely on

• The rental is your primary residence. One, not a rotation of pied-à-terres.
• Nights when you are not there sit under a 90-night cap for the year. Hosted nights, when you are home, are the more open category.
• You hold a basic business license with the endorsement DLCP issues for this use, and the number is on the listing.
• A condo association or co-op can forbid what the District allows. The license application is not a waiver of house rules. See HOA and condo rules.

The tax is separate. DC taxes transient lodging, and a platform may or may not be the one remitting it on your listing. Direct bookings are yours. The mechanics that repeat in every city are in the occupancy tax guide.

What the 2026 bill would change, if it passes

The Short-Term Rental Regulation Amendment Act of 2026, B26-0647, was introduced March 13, 2026 and sent to committee on March 31. The Mayor’s summary, which matches the bill text DLCP posted, would:

• let a renter host at their primary residence, unless the unit is under rent stabilization or the lease says no;
• drop the split between “short-term rental” and “vacation rental” endorsements;
• add a special-event license so a resident can rent during events the Mayor designates, without being present;
• allow a DC resident to license one other property they own in the District. If nobody lives there, it is still capped at 90 nights, and a special-event license could add nights on top;
• require booking services to hold a basic business license and to put the host’s license number on the listing.

Counting the 90

The cap is where licensed hosts actually get hurt. A weekend you forgot was “unhosted” because you were at your parents’ still counts. Keep the nights in the same list as the reservations, and decide in October if November and December are hosted or dark. An empty calendar is a choice you can explain. A hundred unhosted nights is not.

Across the river, Arlington and the Maryland suburbs are different licenses and different taxes. A metro guest does not care. A inspector does. The city-by-city view, including DC’s row on the 2026 table, is short-term rental laws by city. New York’s version of “you have to live there” is harsher and is written up in the Local Law 18 guide.