Airbnb & Short-Term Rental Rules in Washington DC, DC (2026)

Washington DC, DC allows short-term rentals — commonly listed on platforms like Airbnb and VRBO — subject to local regulations that have evolved significantly since 2015. Hosts must register with the city (Short-Term Rental License from DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP)) before listing their property. Washington DC regulates STRs to balance tourism revenue with neighborhood quality of life. Key rules cover primary residence requirements, nightly limits, occupancy caps, and tax collection obligations. Hosts who operate without required registration or in violation of city rules face substantial fines. Below are the current registration requirements, rules, platform-specific notes, and penalties for Washington DC.

Registration Requirements

Registration Required: Short-Term Rental License from DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP). Registration fee: $104. Annual renewal: $104 annually. Register through the DC Department of Buildings (DOB) or DC Office of Planning (OP). Your registration number must be displayed on all platform listings. Failure to register before hosting is a violation subject to fines.

Operational Rules

Short-Term Rental Rules in Washington DC: 1. Primary residence requirement: property must be operator's primary domicile — cannot be investment property 2. Basic Business License plus Short-Term Rental endorsement required 3. Hosted rentals (owner present): no cap on number of nights per year 4. Unhosted rentals (owner absent): maximum 90 nights per year — hard cap enforced 5. Maximum 8 guests for hosted rentals; smaller limits for unhosted 6. DC Hotel and Transient Accommodations Tax (14.95% combined) applies to all qualifying rentals 7. STR platforms required to verify license and collect/remit taxes 8. Annual safety inspection required for properties with frequent unhosted rentals

• •Primary residence requirement: property must be operator's primary domicile — cannot be investment property
• •Basic Business License plus Short-Term Rental endorsement required
• •Hosted rentals (owner present): no cap on number of nights per year
• •Unhosted rentals (owner absent): maximum 90 nights per year — hard cap enforced
• •Maximum 8 guests for hosted rentals; smaller limits for unhosted
• •DC Hotel and Transient Accommodations Tax (14.95% combined) applies to all qualifying rentals
• •STR platforms required to verify license and collect/remit taxes
• •Annual safety inspection required for properties with frequent unhosted rentals

Platform-Specific Rules

Platform-Specific Rules in Washington DC: Airbnb: Airbnb collects DC Hotel and Transient Accommodations Tax (14.95%) on qualifying rentals. DC DLCP license number required on listing. VRBO: VRBO collects applicable DC transient accommodations taxes. Same primary residence and licensing requirements apply. Always verify current platform tax collection and remittance policies directly with your platform — these can change without advance notice to hosts.

Penalties for Violations

Penalties for STR Violations in Washington DC: $500 fine for operating without Basic Business License; $2,000 fine per day for exceeding 90-night unhosted cap; $1,000 fine per violation for license conditions; License revocation for repeat violations; DC Office of Attorney General enforcement for tax non-remittance. Washington DC has enforcement mechanisms to identify unlicensed short-term rental listings on platforms. Hosts should ensure all registrations are current and listings display valid registration numbers.

• ⚠$500 fine for operating without Basic Business License
• ⚠$2,000 fine per day for exceeding 90-night unhosted cap
• ⚠$1,000 fine per violation for license conditions
• ⚠License revocation for repeat violations
• ⚠DC Office of Attorney General enforcement for tax non-remittance

Frequently Asked Questions