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Coronavirus (COVID-19) Relief Center

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Relief Center

District of Columbia

These resources – like the public health crisis itself – are constantly evolving and are only current as to the date of publication. This page was last updated on September 3, 2020.

For more up-to-date information on the relief programs available in the District of Columbia, we recommend that you visit D.C.'s COVID-19 Recovery Resources or Food Resources.

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Description of Program and Relief

Eviction Prohibition and Rental Payments for Tenants

As part of the COVID-19 Response Emergency Amendment Act of 2020, D.C. has prohibited housing providers from evicting commercial or residential tenants during a public health emergency and for 60 days thereafter, and further prohibited the imposition of any late fees on tenants during any month for which the public health emergency is in effect, and for 30 days thereafter. Click here for the Order from the Superior Court of the District of Columbia staying all eviction proceedings. Click here for the signed Act (see Title III, Sections 308 and 312), click here for more information about the bill, and here for additional updates on eviction prohibition.

Please note that the eviction moratorium does not relieve a renter of its obligations to pay rent or otherwise comply with the terms of its lease; however, the inability to pay rent during the health crisis shall not be a basis for eviction.

On April 7, 2020, the COVID-19 Response Supplemental Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2020 was approved. In relevant part, it freezes rent increases during the period of the public health emergency. Also on April 7, 2020 the COVID-19 Response Supplemental Emergency Amendment Act of 2020 was approved. This Amendment allows residential tenants to request rent deferrals from landlords receiving mortgage deferrals. The signed Act incorporating both of these changes can be found here.

On May 5, 2020 the Council passed additional emergency legislation (the Coronavirus Omnibus Emergency Amendment Act of 2020) that expands on the above protections by prohibiting landlords from not only being able to evict tenants but from even filing eviction paperwork, and by requiring landlords to negotiate rent payment plans with their residential and commercial tenants during a period of time for which the Mayor has declared a public health emergency, and for the lesser of one year thereafter or the cessation of the tenancy, whichever occurs first. Additionally, a provider shall not report to a credit bureau as delinquent the rent that is subject to the payment plan.

For a summary of D.C. tenants’ rights and some of the available services during the during the state of emergency please click here.

Government or Lead Agency

Office of the Tenant Advocate

Dates Available

N/A

Eligibility Requirements/Restrictions

The stay of all eviction and foreclosure proceedings through October 9, 2020 applies to all District tenants: click here for more information.

Application Deadlines (If Applicable)

N/A

Contact for More Information

Please call (202) 719-6560 to reach the Office of the Tenant Advocate.

List of Additional Information

The Office of the Tenant Advocate has put together a document to help tenants understand their rights and available services during the COVID-19 State of Emergency, which can be found here.

Additional information can be found https://ota.dc.gov/release/ota-legislative-update-covid-19-emergency-measures here.

https://ota.dc.gov/release/ota-legislative-update-covid-19-emergency-measures here


© 2021 Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. This does not constitute legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. In some jurisdictions, this publication may be considered attorney advertising. Past representations are no guarantee of future outcomes.

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