14 DCMR § 14-4201
BASE RENT AND INITIAL LAWFUL RENT
Operative Text
4201.1 Pursuant to § 103(4) of the Act (D.C. Official Code § 42-3501.03(4)), the “base rent” for each rental unit covered by the Rent Stabilization Program on July 17, 1985, the effective date of the Act, was the rent ceiling for the unit as of April 30, 1985. 4201.2 Pursuant to the Rent Control Reform Amendment Act of 2006 (D.C. Law 16-145; 53 DCR 4889 (June 23, 2006)), the lawful rent for a rental unit covered by the Rent Stabilization Program on August 5, 2006, when rent ceilings were abolished, shall be the amount of rent charged that was lawfully calculated and on file with the Rental Accommodations Division on August 4, 2006. 4201.3 The initial, lawful rent that shall be the basis for future rent adjustments for a newly established rental unit that is not exempt from the Rent Stabilization Program shall be the amount of rent charged by the housing provider for the initial leasing period or the first year of tenancy, whichever is shorter. 4201.4 The initial, lawful rent for an existing rental unit that becomes covered by the Rent Stabilization Program by termination of an exclusion or exemption shall be established as follows: (a) Upon the termination of the rental unit’s exclusion from the coverage of the Act by § 205(e) and § 4105 of this title, as provided by § 4202; or (b) Upon the termination of the rental unit’s exemption from the Rent Stabilization Program pursuant to § 205(a) of the Act and § 4106 of this title, including by reason of the housing provider’s failure to file a valid Registration/Claim of Exemption Form, as provided by § 4203. 4201.5 If a housing provider has reduced the number of rental units in a housing accommodation containing more than three (3) and fewer than eleven (11) rental units and claims any exempted unit when calculating the applicable unit reduction fee under § 910(a) of the Act (D.C. Official Code § 42-3509.10(a)), the initial, lawful rent for the fee-exempted unit shall be determined in accordance with § 210(b)(3)(A) of the Act ((D.C. Official Code § 42-3509.10(b)(3)(A)), and the unit shall be registered as covered by the Rent Stabilization Program for the duration of the tenancy or five (5) years, whichever is longer.
D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 14 § 14-4201 establishes how the starting 'lawful rent' is determined for units covered by the District's Rent Stabilization Program. For units already in the program when key legislative milestones occurred—July 17, 1985, and August 5, 2006—the lawful rent is anchored to specific historical figures on file with the Rental Accommodations Division. For units entering the program later, whether newly built, newly covered after losing an exemption, or subject to special fee rules, the regulation sets out distinct methods for calculating that initial rent baseline, which then governs all future allowable rent adjustments.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Housing providers operating under the District's Rent Stabilization Program should understand that § 14-4201 fixes the starting point from which all future rent adjustments are calculated, making accurate historical records essential. For units that were covered as of August 5, 2006, the lawful rent is the amount that was lawfully calculated and on file with the Rental Accommodations Division on August 4, 2006, so maintaining documentation of that figure is a core compliance practice. For newly established or newly covered units, § 14-4201.3 and § 14-4201.4 specify which rent amount becomes the initial lawful rent, and housing providers generally ensure that the correct amount is registered with the Rental Accommodations Division at the outset of coverage.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under § 14-4201, tenants in rent-stabilized units in the District of Columbia have a right to a lawfully established base rent that serves as the ceiling from which any future increases must be calculated. If a tenant believes their current rent exceeds what is permitted under the program—for example, because a unit recently lost an exemption or was newly registered—the lawful rent provisions of § 14-4201 may be relevant to that question. Tenants can look into filing a complaint with the Rental Accommodations Division, raising a violation as a defense in a housing proceeding, or reaching out to a local tenant-rights organization for general information about how these baseline rent rules apply.
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.
Effective Timeline
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