What we checked
- Washington, DC's short-term-rental registration requirement
- Washington, DC's lodging-tax requirement
What we found
- →A licence is required — $99.00 for a two-year license (either license type)
- →Lodging tax applies — 15.95% (increased rate in effect Apr 1, 2023 – Mar 30, 2027)
Read this before you list — these are rules you must confirm, not a verdict.
This page is informational, not legal advice, and not a guarantee. Only the
base zoning above is checked live, and even that is just the zone designation — not a ruling
that short-term rental is allowed at this address. Short-term-rental legality is mostly
decided by layers we do not verify here: city registration,
primary-residence requirements, night caps,
RSO / rent-stabilized & ADU restrictions, and your HOA or condo rules
(an HOA can ban STR even where the city allows it). Confirm every rule with the issuing
authority before you advertise or accept a booking.
Washington, DC · free check
Short-term rental rules (preview)
What you get free: the city's core registration + lodging tax to confirm.
Full packet, fine exposure, and stage checklist are in the $49 report below.
Registration / license
Short-Term Rental OR Vacation Rental License (primary residence ONLY · must qualify for Homestead Deduction · STR = host PRESENT, no annual cap; Vacation Rental = whole-home/host ABSENT, ≤90 nights/yr · each stay ≤30 consecutive nights · license # required on every listing · $250K liability insurance · Certificate of Clean Hands (within 30 days))
Cost$99.00 for a two-year license (either license type)
Issued byDC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) · Short-Term Rental Program
Lodging / occupancy tax
Sales and Use Tax on Transient Accommodations (booking platforms collect/remit on the host's behalf; host must still register)
Rate15.95% (increased rate in effect Apr 1, 2023 – Mar 30, 2027)
Paid toDC Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR)
🔒 In the $49 report (not free)