Updated February 19, 2024
A Washington D.C. rental application may be used by a landlord to screen a tenant before authorizing a lease agreement. Under D.C. law, the landlord cannot request the applicant to disclose criminal acts that they have done in the past. In addition, the landlord must provide, before a rental application can be accepted, their criteria for approval.
Maximum Fee ($)
In Washington D.C., there is no maximum to how much the landlord may charge a prospective tenant for a rental application.
Landlord’s Disclosure (§ 42–3541.02(c)(1)(A))
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The landlord must make the following disclosures prior to accepting a prospective tenant’s rental application of their criteria for approval, which includes:
- Financial (credit report and income);
- Employment history
- Criminal history;
- and rental history criteria.
Criminal Acts Excepted
A landlord may ONLY deny a prospective tenant for a criminal act if:
- The landlord lives on the property and it contains three (3) or fewer units; or
- The tenant committed one (1) of the following offenses in the last seven (7) years (§ 42–3541.02(d)):
- Arson under § 22-301;
- Burning one’s own property with the intent to defraud or injure another under § 22-302;
- Malicious burning, destruction, or injury of another’s property under § 22-303;
- Burglary under § 22-801;
- Assault with intent to kill, rob, or poison, or to commit first-degree sexual abuse, second-degree sexual abuse, or child sexual abuse under § 22-401;
- Assault with intent to commit mayhem or with a dangerous weapon under § 22-402;
- Aggravated assault under § 22-404.01;
- Mayhem or maliciously disfiguring under § 22-406;
- Making, drawing, or uttering check, draft, or order with intent to defraud under § 22-1510;
- Attempt to commit a crime under § 22-1803, if the attempt is to commit a crime listed in this subsection;
- Conspiracy to commit a crime under § 22-1805a, if the conspiracy is to commit a crime listed in this subsection;
- Trafficking in labor or commercial sex acts under § 22-1833;
- Sex trafficking of children under § 22-1834;
- Kidnapping under § 22-2001;
- Murder in the first degree under § 22-2101;
- Murder in the first degree under § 22-2102;
- Murder in the second degree under § 22-2103;
- Manslaughter as penalized under § 22-2105;
- Murder of law enforcement officer under § 22-2106;
- Solicitation of murder or other crime of violence as penalized under § 22-2107;
- Abducting, enticing, or harboring a child for the purpose of prostitution; harboring such child under § 22-2704;
- Robbery under § 22-2801;
(23) Attempt to commit robbery under § 22-2802; - First-degree sexual abuse under § 22-3002;
- Second-degree sexual abuse under § 22-3003;
- First-degree child sexual abuse under § 22-3008;
- Second-degree child sexual abuse under § 22-3009;
- First-degree sexual abuse of a minor under § 22-3009.01;
- Second-degree sexual abuse of a minor under § 22-3009.02;
- First-degree sexual abuse of a ward, patient, client, or prisoner under § 22-3013;
- Second-degree sexual abuse of a ward, patient, client, or prisoner under § 22-3014;
- First-degree sexual abuse of a patient or client under § 22-3015;
- Second-degree sexual abuse of a patient or client under § 22-3016;
- Acts of terrorism under § 22-3153;
- Manufacture or possession of a weapon of mass destruction under § 22-3154;
- Use, dissemination, or detonation of a weapon of mass destruction under § 22-3155;
- Fraud under § 22-3221;
- Credit card fraud under § 22-3223;
- Insurance fraud in the first degree under § 22-3225.02;
- Insurance fraud in the second degree under § 22-3225.03;
- Forgery under § 22-3241;
- Prohibited acts A under § 48-904.01, excluding subsection (d)(1) of this section;
- Prohibited acts B under § 48-904.02;
- Prohibited acts C under § 48-904.03;
- Prohibited acts D under § 48-904.03a;
- Distribution to minors under § 48-904.06;
- Enlistment of minors to distribute under § 48-904.07; and
- Attempt or conspiracy to commit a crime under § 48-904.09, if the attempt or conspiracy is to commit a crime listed in this subsection.