Draft. This page was compiled from official sources but has not completed editorial verification. Confirm every figure with the official links below before acting.
Washington, DC Short-Term Rental Rules: What Hosts Need to Know in 2026
The District licenses short-term rentals only at the host’s primary residence. The license is a basic business license with a short-term rental or vacation rental endorsement, and the host must be a natural person who owns the property.
A hosted stay has no annual night limit, but an unhosted vacation rental is capped at 90 nights per calendar year. No single stay may exceed 30 consecutive nights, and the license number must appear on every listing.
The BEST Act cut the two-year license fee to $99
The Business and Entrepreneurship Support to Thrive Act took effect on October 1, 2025. It reduced the District’s license and endorsement categories and lowered the basic business license fee to $99 for two years.
For short-term rental hosts, the practical change is price and paperwork, not eligibility. The primary-residence requirement, the 90-night cap on unhosted stays, and the advertising rules remain in place.
- 2025-10-01: the two-year basic business license fee dropped to $99 under the BEST Act.
- The primary-residence test and the 90-night unhosted cap were not changed by the fee reform.
The two DC endorsements
The District issues one basic business license with an endorsement that matches how the property is used. Both endorsements require the property to be the host’s primary residence. Fee note: the DLCP short-term rental page still shows $104.50 for a two-year license; a December 2025 DLCP bulletin implementing the BEST Act lists $99. The amount collected at payment controls.
Short-Term Rental endorsement
For stays of 30 consecutive nights or less while the host is present. Hosted nights are not capped annually.
Vacation Rental endorsement
For unhosted stays at the same primary residence. Unhosted nights are capped at 90 per calendar year, and every stay is limited to 30 consecutive nights or less.
Who cannot be licensed
The current license is limited to an individual owner’s primary residence. Renters are not eligible, and a property that is not the host’s primary residence cannot receive either endorsement.
License fees
| Label | Fee |
|---|---|
| New license | $99 |
License conditions and operating requirements
- On October 1, 2025, the two-year basic business license fee dropped to $99 and license categories were simplified.
- The property must be the host’s primary residence, and the host must be a natural person who owns it.
- Hosted stays have no annual night limit; unhosted stays under a vacation rental endorsement are capped at 90 nights per calendar year.
- No single stay may exceed 30 consecutive nights.
- The license number must appear on every advertisement, and guests must receive a 24-hour contact number.
- A $250,000 liability insurance policy and a Certificate of Clean Hands issued within the last 30 days are required with the application.
Enforcement is paperwork-driven
DLCP checks that the licensed address matches the host’s primary residence and that the listing displays a valid license number. Missing licenses and address mismatches are the issues most likely to surface in a complaint or audit.
Civil penalties escalate quickly: $500 for a first violation, $2,000 for a second, and $6,000 for a third, which also revokes the license.
- First violation: $500.
- Second violation: $2,000.
- Third violation: $6,000 plus revocation of the short-term rental license.
| Item | Penalty |
|---|---|
| First violation | $500 for a first violation. |
| Repeat violations | $2,000 for a second violation and $6,000 for a third violation. |
| Revocation | A third violation also revokes the related short-term rental license. |
Transient accommodations tax: 15.95%
Combined hotel occupancy tax ~15.95%
The District taxes transient accommodations at 15.95% under a temporary rate. The rate is higher than the general sales tax and applies to lodging rented for less than 30 consecutive nights.
Booking services must collect and remit the tax on platform bookings. Hosts remain responsible for direct bookings and should confirm the current rate and expiration date with the Office of Tax and Revenue.
- Collection
- Booking services must collect and remit the transient accommodations tax on platform bookings; hosts remit direct bookings.
Ranges vary — verify. The 15.95% transient-accommodation rate is temporary; confirm the current rate and expiration date with the DC Office of Tax and Revenue.
Permit notes
- Liability insurance
- $250,000 minimum liability coverage; coverage provided by a booking platform can satisfy the requirement.
- Renewal
- The license runs two years and must be renewed through DLCP before it expires.
Compare Washington, DC with other STR markets
Some cities allow investor-owned short-term rentals under caps or rely on state preemption; others limit the license to a primary residence. DC is in the second group, but it pairs the primary-residence test with a separate annual ceiling on unhosted nights.
Phoenix
Arizona
Allowed citywide with permit (state law bars city bans — host-friendly)
Low–moderate enforcement
New license $250
Last verified
View Phoenix rules →Scottsdale
Arizona
Licensed; Arizona law preempts local bans and occupancy caps
Moderate enforcement
New license $250
Last verified
View Scottsdale rules →Sedona
Arizona
Permit required; Arizona law sets the regulatory floor
Moderate enforcement
New license $210
Last verified
View Sedona rules →Los Angeles
California
Allowed in the host’s primary residence with registration; 120-night annual cap unless extended
High enforcement
New license $441
Last verified
View Los Angeles rules →Palm Springs
California
Allowed in single-family homes with an annual certificate; new certificates capped at 20% per organized neighborhood
High enforcement
New license — Vacation Rental $1,046
Last verified
View Palm Springs rules →San Diego
California
Licensed by tier; whole-home licenses are capped by ordinance
High enforcement
New license — Tier 1 — Part-Time $193
Last verified
View San Diego rules →San Francisco
California
Allowed only in the host’s permanent residence with registration; un-hosted stays capped at 90 nights per year
High enforcement
New license $925
Last verified
View San Francisco rules →Santa Monica
California
Home-sharing only in the host’s primary residence; un-hosted vacation rentals are unlawful
High enforcement
New license $582.25
Last verified
View Santa Monica rules →Denver
Colorado
Licensed, primary residence only
High enforcement
New license $150
Last verified
View Denver rules →Fort Lauderdale
Florida
Licensed and inspected; annual Certificate of Compliance required
High enforcement
New license — Certificate of Compliance $880
Last verified
View Fort Lauderdale rules →Miami
Florida
Licensed and enforced; city and county requirements run in parallel
High enforcement
Last verified
View Miami rules →Orlando
Florida
Owner-occupied home sharing; whole-home rentals are limited by zoning
Moderate enforcement
New license — Home Sharing Registration $275
Last verified
View Orlando rules →Tampa
Florida
State-licensed; city rental registration repealed in 2023
Low–moderate enforcement
New license $230
Last verified
View Tampa rules →Atlanta
Georgia
Licensed, primary residence plus one additional dwelling unit
High enforcement
New license $150
Last verified
View Atlanta rules →Savannah
Georgia
Certified STVR, overlay district only, per-ward cap
High enforcement
New license $400
Last verified
View Savannah rules →Chicago
Illinois
Registered shared housing unit (31 days or fewer)
High enforcement
New license $250
Last verified
View Chicago rules →New Orleans
Louisiana
Licensed, capped, and lottery-based
High enforcement
New license — NSTR owner permit $500
Last verified
View New Orleans rules →Boston
Massachusetts
Registered, owner-occupied primary residence only
High enforcement
New license — Limited Share $25
Last verified
View Boston rules →Las Vegas
Nevada
Licensed; owner-occupied homes only (city limits)
High enforcement
New license $500
Last verified
View Las Vegas rules →New York
New York
Legal only in a registered primary residence (hosted stays)
High enforcement
New license $145
Last verified
View New York rules →Portland
Oregon
Permitted as an accessory use (primary residence required)
Moderate enforcement
Last verified
View Portland rules →Charleston
South Carolina
Licensed, primary residence only (commercial STRs only in the overlay district)
High enforcement
New license $345
Last verified
View Charleston rules →Nashville
Tennessee
Allowed with permit; heavy zoning restrictions on investor units
High enforcement
New license $313
Last verified
View Nashville rules →Austin
Texas
Licensed & enforced
High enforcement
New license $736.60
Last verified
View Austin rules →Seattle
Washington
Licensed; up to two units per operator
High enforcement
New license $75
Last verified
View Seattle rules →Frequently asked questions
Can I short-term rent a second home in Washington, DC?
Current law limits the license to the host's primary residence. A vacation rental endorsement covers unhosted stays at that residence for no more than 90 nights per calendar year.
How much is the DC short-term rental license?
The two-year basic business license with a short-term rental endorsement costs $99 under the BEST Act fee schedule.
How much liability insurance do I need?
DLCP requires at least $250,000 in liability coverage. Coverage supplied by a booking platform can satisfy the requirement.
Official sources and cross-checks
Sources with links
- DC DLCP — Short-Term Rental Licensing Portal dlcp.dc.gov
- DC DLCP — December 2025 newsletter (BEST Act fees) content.govdelivery.com
- DC Office of Tax and Revenue — Tax Notice 2023-01 mytaxdc.wordpress.com
- Airbnb Help Center — Washington, DC (cross-check) airbnb.com