14 DCMR § 14-3912
CALCULATION OF DEADLINES
Operative Text
3912.1 Where this chapter or any order of the Rent Administrator specifies a time period, any reference to “days” shall mean all calendar days, unless specifically designated as “business days.” 3912.2 “Business days,” where expressly used in this chapter or by order of the Rent Administrator, 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. 3912.3 In calculating any period of time prescribed or allowed by this chapter or by order of the Rent Administrator, the day of the act, event, or default from which the time period begins to run shall not be included. 3912.4 In calculating any time period specified by this chapter or by order of the Rent Administrator, 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. 3912.5 In accordance with § 3911.5, a party’s obligation to serve any petition or other document on another person, if done by U.S. mail, shall be deemed complete on the date of mailing. 3912.6 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 petition or other document by U.S. mail, five (5) days shall be added to the time period for the party to act. 3912.7 In accordance with § 3901.8, a party’s obligation to file any petition or other document with the Rent Administrator shall be deemed complete only upon actual receipt by the Rental Accommodations Division during its business hours, as provided by § 3900.7, regardless of how the filing is made. 3912.8 The Rent Administrator may enlarge any time period specified in the course of a proceeding, either on motion by a party or on its own initiative in accordance with § 3925.
D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 14 et seq. § 14-3912 establishes how deadlines are counted in proceedings before the Rent Administrator. Unless a rule or order specifically says 'business days,' all references to 'days' mean calendar days, and the day that triggers a deadline is not counted, but the final day is—unless it falls on a weekend, holiday, or other non-business day, in which case the deadline extends to the next business day. When documents are served by U.S. mail, the serving party's obligation is complete on the mailing date, but the receiving party gets five extra calendar days to respond; filings with the Rental Accommodations Division, however, are only complete upon actual receipt during business hours.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers involved in rent proceedings governed by D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 14 et seq. § 14-3912 generally track deadlines carefully, distinguishing between 'calendar days' and 'business days' as specified in each rule or order. Compliant operators account for the five-day mail extension when calculating how long an opposing party has to respond to a mailed document, and they ensure that any filing submitted to the Rental Accommodations Division is actually received—not merely postmarked—within the applicable deadline. Operators who need additional time in a proceeding may seek an enlargement of a deadline from the Rent Administrator, either by filing a motion or by the Administrator acting on its own initiative under § 3912.8.
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 et seq. § 14-3912, tenants participating in Rent Administrator proceedings have the benefit of clear deadline-counting rules that protect against losing rights due to technical timing errors. If you receive a petition or other document by U.S. mail, the five-day mail addition under § 3912.6 extends the time you have to respond, which is an important protection to be aware of when reviewing any deadline stated in an order. Tenants who believe a deadline is unworkable may explore requesting an enlargement of time from the Rent Administrator under § 3912.8, and tenant-rights organizations in the District of Columbia can help explain how these procedural rules apply in specific types of proceedings.
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