14 DCMR § 14-1931
SUSPENSION OF TENANT ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS
Operative Text
1931.1 During the term of a Tenant Assistance Contract, DCHA may suspend assistance payments to a housing provider on behalf of a tenant for the following reasons: (a) Violation of program housing quality standards other than occupancy standards; or (b) Other violations of the Contract. 1931.2 If a unit fails to meet housing quality standards as determined by an annual DCHA inspection or because of other DCHA staff or tenant action, or the housing provider is in violation of other Contract provisions, DCHA shall take the following actions: (a) Notify the housing provider in writing of the violation and give a deadline for corrective action. Assistance payments shall continue until this deadline; (b) Suspend assistance payments, if the violation is not corrected within the established time period, and issue a new Certificate of Eligibility to the tenant as provided in § 1927.2; and (c) Terminate the Contract, if the violation is not corrected in the following manner: (1) On the renewal date of the Contract; (2) On the date the tenant terminates the lease; or (3) On the expiration date of the new Certificate of Eligibility, whichever occurs first. 1931.3 Payments suspended in accordance with § 1931.2(b) may resume if the housing provider takes required action and the tenant has not terminated the lease. Any suspended payments are permanently lost to the housing provider. 1931.4 The Contract shall remain in effect during the period of suspension; the housing provider may not terminate the tenant’s lease nor charge the tenant for the suspended assistance payments.
Under D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 14 § 14-1931, the District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) has the authority to suspend housing assistance payments to a landlord when a rental unit fails to meet program housing quality standards or when the landlord otherwise violates the terms of a Tenant Assistance Contract. Before suspending payments, DCHA must notify the housing provider in writing and set a deadline for corrective action; payments continue until that deadline passes. If violations remain uncorrected, DCHA suspends payments and issues the tenant a new Certificate of Eligibility, and may ultimately terminate the Contract entirely. Critically, any payments suspended during this period are permanently forfeited by the housing provider and cannot be recovered even if the violation is later corrected.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Housing providers participating in the Tenant Assistance Program under D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 14 § 14-1931 are generally expected to maintain units in compliance with DCHA housing quality standards and all Contract terms at all times. When DCHA issues a written notice of violation with a corrective deadline, compliant operators address the identified deficiencies before that deadline expires to avoid suspension of assistance payments. Operators should be aware that § 14-1931.4 prohibits terminating a tenant's lease or passing the cost of suspended payments on to the tenant during any suspension period, and that § 14-1931.3 makes any suspended payments permanently unrecoverable even if compliance is later achieved.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 14 § 14-1931, tenants in the Tenant Assistance Program have important protections when their housing provider falls out of compliance with program standards. If DCHA suspends assistance payments due to a landlord's violations, the Contract remains in effect and the landlord is prohibited from terminating the tenant's lease or charging the tenant for the suspended amounts. Tenants whose units are found to have quality standard violations may also receive a new Certificate of Eligibility under § 1927.2, and those who believe their rights under this provision are being violated may consider contacting DCHA directly or reaching out to a local tenant-rights organization for general information about available options.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 14, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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