By Chris Kain
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Mayor Muriel Bowser is proposing legislation to alter the District’s short-term rental law, including allowing tenants to rent out their units and creating a new type of license to apply during designated special events.

Bowser and the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection described the bill as an effort to make the District’s laws clearer and more closely aligned with rules that govern short-term rentals elsewhere in the region — and to expand economic opportunities to more DC residents.

“Washington, DC is a city of homeowners, renters, and entrepreneurs — and this legislation works for all of them,” Bowser said in a statement. “The Short-Term Rental Regulation Amendment Act of 2026 opens new doors for District residents to build economic opportunity right from their own homes, whether they rent or own. We’re cutting through the confusion, strengthening consumer protections, and making sure DC residents benefit from the tourism that makes this city great.”

The District’s current law — crafted in large part by DC Council Chair Phil Mendelson — was approved in late 2018 after lengthy, contentious debate and enacted without the mayor’s signature. It wasn’t until January 2022 that DC regulators began enforcing the law.

Now, Bowser — who had cited concerns that the law was too restrictive and might not survive a court challenge — is pushing for changes.

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