Washington, D.C. Extends Rent Control for 10 Years

In its final 2010 meeting, Washington, D.C.'s Council voted to extend the city's local rent control for another ten years. The Washington Post summarized the development:

RENT CONTROL. Extended for 10 years the District’s rent-control laws that limit annual rent increases to about 2 percent plus inflation, or no more than 10 percent a year. The 35-year-old program was meant to protect tenants from rising costs. Increases for the elderly and disabled are limited to 5 percent a year; increases on vacant units may rise no more than 30 percent.

California readers will note that, unlike California, D.C. law permits vacancy control -- i.e. the amount that a landlord can increase rent after a vacancy.

Congratulations to the D.C. city council and local tenant activists. Particularly in these difficult economic times, the security provided by rent control laws is essential.