The DC Council approved legislation Tuesday that extends protection to renters from eviction.
The eviction ban is tied to the pandemic-related health emergency in the capital, and the Council voted unanimously to extend the latter through the end of this year, subject to the mayor’s signature.
The emergency was set to expire on October 9, and the ban expires 60 days after the emergency ends.
Additional Measures for Tenant Protection
A bill was also co-introduced by council members Anita Bonds (D-At Large) and Elissa Silverman (I-At Large), banning the landlords from sending eviction notices to the tenants until the eviction ban has expired.
The Council, in a statement, acknowledged that the notices act as an “alarm” to the tenants, who often confuse them with the need to vacate the property immediately.
Silverman reportedly said that despite being legally unenforceable during the eviction ban, landlords are still sending eviction notices to intimidate the tenants, particularly those who are out-of-work and behind rent-payment.
Additionally, the Council also passed another measure placing a one-year moratorium on a provision that calls for compensation to the landlords for financial losses they incur if the Council expands the city’s rent control-law to other properties.
Under the law, around 45 percent of the city’s multifamily rental houses are reportedly subject to a limit in rent hikes equal to the rate of inflation plus 2 percent.
Apart from that, the Council also amended a bill that prevents a landlord from evicting a tenant by creating adverse circumstances like utility shutoffs, withholding lease renewals, or harassment.