14 DCMR § 14-3816
CALCULATION OF DEADLINES
Operative Text
3816.1 Where this chapter or any order of the Commission specifies a time period, any reference to “days” shall mean all calendar days, unless specifically designated as “business days.” 3816.2 “Business days,” where expressly used in this chapter or by order of the Commission, shall be all days other than Saturdays, Sundays, legal holidays codified at D.C. Official Code § 1-612.02, furlough days, and other closed days as designated by the District of Columbia Government. 3816.3 In calculating any time period specified by this chapter or by order of the Commission, the day of the act, event, or default from which the time period begins to run shall not be included. 3816.4 In calculating any time period specified by this chapter or by order of the Commission, the last day of the period shall be included, unless it is not a business day, in which case the period shall end on the next business day. 3816.5 In accordance with § 3803.5, a party’s obligation to serve any pleading, motion, or other document on another person, if done by U.S. mail, shall be deemed complete on the date of mailing. 3816.6 If a party is permitted or required to act within a specified time period after an event, such as the issuance of any order or the service of a motion by another party, if the party has been served with the order, pleading, motion, or other document by U.S. mail, five (5) days shall be added to the time period for the party to act. 3816.7 In accordance with § 3801.2, a party’s obligation to file any pleading, motion, or other document with the Commission shall be deemed complete only upon actual receipt by the Commission during its regular business hours, regardless of how the filing is made. 3816.8 The Commission may enlarge the time period specified, either on motion by a party or on its own initiative in accordance with § 3815; provided, that the Commission shall not enlarge the time for filing a notice of appeal except as provided by § 3815.3.
D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 14 et seq. § 14-3816 establishes how deadlines are counted in proceedings before the District of Columbia Rental Housing Commission. Under this provision, references to 'days' mean calendar days unless the text specifically says 'business days,' and the day that triggers a deadline is not counted, while the final day generally is. When documents are served by U.S. mail, five additional days are added to any response period, and filings are not considered complete until the Commission actually receives them during regular business hours.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers involved in Commission proceedings should be familiar with the deadline-calculation rules set out in D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 14 et seq. § 14-3816, because miscounting a deadline can affect the validity of a filing. Compliant operators typically track whether a deadline is expressed in calendar days or business days, exclude the triggering day from their count, and add five days when they receive documents by U.S. mail. Because filings are deemed complete only upon actual receipt by the Commission, operators generally confirm delivery rather than relying solely on a postmark or transmission record.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Tenants participating in District of Columbia Rental Housing Commission proceedings have their response windows governed by D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 14 et seq. § 14-3816, which means the day a document is served on a tenant does not count toward the deadline, and receiving documents by U.S. mail adds five extra days to act. If a deadline falls on a weekend, legal holiday, or other day the District government is closed, the period extends to the next business day. Tenants who have questions about whether a deadline applies to their situation may wish to consult a tenant-rights organization or review the Commission's procedural rules directly.
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 13, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References Out
Rules and statutes cited by this regulation
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation