14 DCMR § 14-900
OCCUPANCY OF RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
Operative Text
900.1 Allowable occupancy in residential buildings as provided in the this subtitle shall not be construed as superseding or contravening any limitations imposed on occupancy by applicable requirements of fire safety and egress. 900.2 Unoccupied buildings and buildings left uncompleted shall be protected by barricading, or other means, as to afford protection against accident to persons in or about the premises. AUTHORITY: Unless otherwise noted, the authority for this chapter is contained at paragraphs 28 and 46 of section 7 of An Act Making appropriations to provide for the expenses of the government of the District of Columbia for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, nineteen hundred and three, and for other purposes (“Act of 1902”), Public, No.218, 32 Stat. 590, approved July 1, 1902, as amended by: An Act approved July 1, 1932 to amend section 7 [of the Act of 1902], Public, No. 237, 47 Stat. 550; and by An Act approved July 22, 1947, Public Law 215, 61 Stat. 402.
Under D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 14 et seq. § 14-900, occupancy rules for residential buildings in the District of Columbia do not override or conflict with fire safety and egress requirements that may impose stricter limits. Additionally, any building that is unoccupied or left unfinished must be secured—through barricading or comparable measures—to protect people who may be in or around the property. These two provisions work together to ensure that both habitability standards and safety obligations remain in force simultaneously.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers operating under D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 14 et seq. § 14-900 should be aware that allowable occupancy figures set by the subtitle do not relieve them of obligations under fire safety and egress codes, which may impose lower occupancy ceilings. Compliant operators typically ensure that vacant or unfinished buildings are barricaded or otherwise secured against unauthorized entry and accidental injury. Maintaining documentation of these protective measures is a practice commonly associated with ongoing regulatory compliance in the District.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 14 et seq. § 14-900 makes clear that tenants retain the protections of fire safety and egress rules even when a building's general occupancy limits might otherwise suggest higher capacity is permissible. If a tenant believes a building is being occupied beyond what fire safety codes allow, or that a vacant or unfinished neighboring structure poses a hazard due to lack of barricading, there are general enforcement paths available—such as filing a complaint with the District's housing or building inspection authorities or reaching out to a local tenant-rights organization. Understanding how this provision interacts with fire and safety codes can be a useful starting point when evaluating conditions in or around a residential property.
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
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation