DC rent-controlled increase calculator RHA Rent Control Year 2026: 4.1% standard or 2.1% elderly/disability.
Enter a rent-controlled unit's current rent and your tenant's tier. We'll surface the RHA-capped new rent under the Rental Housing Commission's RY 2026 notice, the 60-day RAD Form 8 effective-date math, and the 12-month one-increase-per-unit rule before you serve the notice.
Scope: DC rent-controlled units only — buildings built on or before Dec 31, 1975, where the landlord owns 5+ rental units in DC, and which are not federally or DC subsidized. Natural-person landlords with 4 or fewer rental units are exempt. New construction after 1975 is exempt.
Statute summary
What the RHA and the RY 2026 notice actually say.
In plain English:
- Standard cap = CPI-W + 2%, never more than 10%. The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria CPI-W for calendar 2025 was 2.1%, so RY 2026 resolves to 4.1% for standard tenants.
- Elderly/disability cap = CPI-W only, never more than 5%. For RY 2026 that's 2.1%. The tenant must register with RAD to qualify.
- Rent Control Year runs May 1 through April 30. RY 2026 starts May 1, 2026 and runs through April 30, 2027. If your increase effective date falls on or before April 30, 2026, the RY 2025 caps (4.8% standard / 2.5% elderly) still control — but given the 60-day notice rule, most notices served after early March 2026 will land under RY 2026.
- Scope: rent control applies only to buildings built on or before Dec 31, 1975 where the landlord owns 5+ rental units in DC. Natural-person landlords with ≤4 rental units are exempt. Federally- and DC-subsidized rentals have their own rent-setting rules and are excluded.
- Notice period: RAD Form 8 (Notice to Tenant of Rent Adjustment) must be served, and the increase cannot take effect until the first day rent is normally paid more than 60 days after the tenant receives the notice (2024 amendment — was 30 days for notices served before Jan 1, 2024).
- Post-increase filing: within 30 days after the increase takes effect, file RAD Form 9 (Certificate of Rent Adjustment) with the Rental Accommodations Division. Failing to file voids the increase.
- 12-month rule: a unit's rent may not be increased more than once in any 12-month window, regardless of tenant turnover.
- Vacancy adjustment: §42-3502.13 lets you add the lesser of 10% or the comparable-unit gap, once per 12 months per unit.
Full statute: D.C. Code §42-3502.08 and §42-3502.13.
Draft your RAD Form 8 pre-filing worksheet.
Free preview — no card. Pick the tenant tier, enter the current rent, and get a printable worksheet with the RY-capped new rent, the 60-day service-window check, and the Form 9 filing deadline pre-computed. The worksheet maps each value to the RAD Form 8 section it goes in. Then you copy the figures onto the official RAD Form 8 (which DHCD requires — this worksheet is not a substitute). The paid $9 flow archives the worksheet to your unit's compliance log keyed to your account — that flow isn't live yet; the worksheet is.
Frequently asked
DC rent-control FAQ
What is the DC Rental Housing Act and who enforces it?
The Rental Housing Act of 1985 (D.C. Official Code §42-3501.01 et seq.) is DC's rent-control statute. The Rental Accommodations Division (RAD) of DHCD administers day-to-day compliance, the Rental Housing Commission (RHC) publishes the annual allowable-rent-adjustment notice each February and hears appeals, and the Office of the Tenant Advocate (OTA) represents tenants in disputes.
How is the annual cap calculated?
For the standard tier, the cap is CPI-W (Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, 12 months ending December) plus 2 percentage points, never more than 10%. For elderly 62+ or disability-registered tenants, the cap is CPI-W only, never more than 5%. RHC publishes the calculated figures each February for the Rent Control Year starting May 1. For RY 2026 those figures are 4.1% and 2.1%.
Is my building covered by DC rent control?
If the building was built (or issued a certificate of occupancy) on or before December 31, 1975, and you own 5 or more rental units in DC, the building is almost certainly covered unless it's federally or DC subsidized. If you own 4 or fewer rental units and you're a natural person (not an LLC or corporation), your units are exempt. Verify at the DC Rent Registry: rentregistry.dc.gov.
What notice do I give and on which form?
RAD Form 8, "Notice to Tenant of Rent Adjustment." Under the 2024 amendment to the Rental Housing Act, the increase cannot take effect until the first day rent is normally paid that occurs more than 60 calendar days after the tenant receives the notice (it was 30 days for notices served before Jan 1, 2024). After the increase takes effect, you have 30 days to file RAD Form 9 (Certificate of Rent Adjustment) with the Rental Accommodations Division. Missing the 60-day window or failing to file Form 9 voids the increase.
Can I raise rent more than once in a year?
No. §42-3502.08(g) bars more than one rent increase in any 12-month period for the same unit, regardless of tenant turnover or lease renewal. If you raised in November 2025, the next increase is no earlier than November 2026.
How do I qualify my tenant for the elderly/disability lower cap?
The tenant must be at least 62 years old OR disability-registered with the Rental Administrator, AND the unit must be their primary residence, AND their household income must fall below the DC Median Family Income threshold set annually by DHCD. The tenant files a registration form with RAD; once registered, the lower CPI-only cap applies to that unit while the tenant occupies it.
What happens on vacancy?
§42-3502.13 lets you adjust the ceiling by the lesser of (a) 10% of the current ceiling, or (b) an amount bringing the rent up to the ceiling of a substantially-identical unit in the same housing accommodation. You can only take the 10% vacancy adjustment once per unit per 12 months. For above-10% comparables-based jumps, RAD may require documentation of the comparable unit's ceiling rent.
What happens if I overshoot the cap?
Willful overcharges expose the landlord to treble damages, restitution of the overcharge, and attorney's fees. The tenant can petition RAD for a refund or sue in DC Superior Court. Overcharges also jeopardize the landlord's rent registration status and can trigger broader RAD audits of the entire registration file.