WASHINGTON, D.C. — D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser endorsed the Housing Investment Protection Act and the Illegal Occupancy Enforcement Amendment Act on July 10, 2026. The legislation aims to strengthen tenant protections while clarifying enforcement procedures for short-term rental violations in the District of Columbia.

The Housing Investment Protection Act would provide additional support for tenants during repairs or rehabilitation projects and expand the Local Rental Supplement Program. It would also clarify when housing providers can enter units to make repairs, establish a 60-day timeline for eviction hearings, and modernize how eviction notices are delivered and received.

Concurrently, the Illegal Occupancy Enforcement Amendment Act would update short-term rental laws to clarify that guests have no legal right to remain in a vacation rental beyond the terms of their stay. The measure would also authorize D.C. police to remove guests who refuse to leave after their stay has ended.

"By adding tens of thousands of new homes over the past decade, we’ve been able to blunt the rise in housing costs and get more Washingtonians into affordable housing," Bowser said. "But to keep making housing more affordable, we have to make sure DC is a place where people want to keep building," she added.

Why It Matters

The proposed legislation addresses longstanding tensions between housing development incentives and tenant rights in a city where affordability remains a critical concern. Bowser, who has served as mayor of the District of Columbia since 2015, framed the bills as necessary to sustain progress in expanding housing supply while ensuring orderly enforcement and protections.