B 26-0126 Legislature · 26th Council Period (2025-2026)

Fair Housing Practices Amendment Act of 2025

This bill prohibits landlords in Washington, D.C. from separately charging tenants for utilities (electricity, gas, water, or sewage) used in building common areas like hallways, gyms, or conference rooms - fees tenants previously paid on top of base rent regardless of usage. It also requires landlords to provide written notice within 45 days of a tenant moving out about any unpaid fees (e.g., for damages or cleaning), including photographic evidence for damage claims. Landlords must prove they notified tenants at least 60 days before sending unpaid amounts to debt collectors. The law directly affects D.C. tenants in multi-unit buildings who faced unexpected utility charges and unclear move-out billing practices.

Issues: ✓ Housing

Bill status signed all 3 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Mar 2026

Signed into Law

Aug 2026

Introduced Feb 13, 2025 Signed Aug 28, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Engrossment → Enrollment · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill moved from Engrossment to Enrollment with several substantive amendments: the citation year was updated from 2025 to 2026, the post-tenancy notification process was expanded to include email as a delivery method and changed from 'last known address' to 'forwarding address,' the Ratio Utility Billing System definition was made exhaustive rather than illustrative, and the effective date provision removed the requirement for publication in the District of Columbia Register.

TIMELINE

The act's citation name changed from 'Fair Housing Practices Amendment Act of 2025' to 'Fair Housing Practices Amendment Act of 2026,' reflecting a one-year shift in the legislative session.

The effective date provision removed the requirement for publication in the District of Columbia Register, meaning the act takes effect after mayoral approval and the 30-day congressional review period without an additional publication step.

REQUIREMENT

The post-tenancy notification requirement now allows housing providers to notify tenants by email in addition to personal delivery or certified mail, and references the tenant's 'forwarding address' rather than 'last known address,' making it easier for providers to reach former tenants who have already moved.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'Ratio Utility Billing System' changed from 'includes a program' (non-exhaustive) to 'means a program' (exhaustive), narrowing the scope of what qualifies as a RUBS under the law.

TECHNICAL

Cross-references to the ordinary wear and tear standard were made more specific, changing 'subsection (c) of this section' to 'subsection (c)(3) of this section.'

The dispute process provisions (30-day tenant dispute window and 10-day provider response requirement) were restructured from being embedded in the notification content subsection into their own separate subsection, improving clarity.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Jun 2, 2026

Introduced

Amendment (RWhite)

legislature

Mar 30, 2026

Legislature · Passed

Committee Mark-up of B26-0126 by the Housing Committee

legislature

Feb 18, 2025

Committee

Referred to Committee on Housing

legislature

Feb 13, 2025

Introduced

B26-0126 Introduced by Councilmember Allen at Office of the Secretary

legislature

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors