Rental application & screening fee law in District of Columbia
Dollar cap indexed to inflation
The District of Columbia caps rental application fees and adjusts the maximum for inflation each year, with the current figure published by the Rental Housing Commission.
What the law says
D.C. Code § 42-3505.10 caps the application fee a housing provider may charge. The cap is adjusted annually for inflation (CPI-U), and the current-year maximum is published by the District rather than written into the statute, so the exact limit changes every year.
The law also includes timing protections: if no screening is performed, the fee must be refunded within 14 days, and a provider may only collect one fee from the same applicant per 30-day period.
Beyond the fee limit
The price rule is only part of the law. District of Columbia also imposes these obligations:
- The cap adjusts each year for inflation, with the current maximum published by the District.
- The fee must be refunded within 14 days if no screening is performed.
- Only one fee may be collected per applicant per 30 days by the same provider.
Read the law
What's the actual limit in District of Columbia?
Fee limits change with inflation adjustments, local ordinances, and new legislation. Use our free calculator to look up the current limit for your rental's ZIP code.
Calculate your fee limitsThis page is provided for general information only and is not legal advice. Fee rules change — caps re-index to inflation, new legislation takes effect, and cities adopt their own ordinances — so always confirm against the official statutory text linked above before relying on it. The federal Fair Housing Act applies everywhere, regardless of state or local fee rules.