The Rental Housing Commission has determined that the maximum rental housing application fee is $54 for Calendar Year 2026. (per the 8.9% increase in the CPI-U between 2022 and 2025). The publication can be found at District of Columbia Municipal Regulations and District of Columbia Register. (Click “view text” to view the notice.)

Under Law 24-115, the “Eviction Record Sealing Authority and Fairness in Renting Amendment Act of 2023,” rental housing application fees are capped at $50 as of 2022, adjusted annually by the change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) as published by the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Please note that this fee cap applies to applications for rent-controlled and non-rent-controlled units alike.