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B26-0196 • 2025

Tenant Payment Plan Phasing Emergency Act of 2025

Tenant Payment Plan Phasing Emergency Act of 2025

Housing
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
R. White
Last action
2025-04-25
Official status
Enacted
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official text states the act remains effective for no longer than 90 days after approval, but does not specify a start date beyond 'following approval by the Mayor.'

Tenant Payment Plan Phasing Emergency Act of 2025

This emergency law requires landlords in Washington, D.C., to offer and keep rent payment plans for eligible tenants who faced financial hardship due to the COVID-19 public health emergency between March 11, 2020, and July 25, 2022.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires providers of rental property to offer a payment plan program with no fees, interest, or penalties for eligible tenants during the specified time period.
  • Mandates that approved plans last at least one year unless the tenant asks for a shorter term and uses equal monthly payments.
  • Prohibits landlords from reporting rent under these plans as late on credit reports while tenants follow plan terms.
  • Allows eligible tenants to apply online or by phone if they show proof of financial hardship caused directly or indirectly by the COVID-19 public health emergency.
  • Requires providers to keep all payment plan applications for at least three years and share them with specific government offices upon request.
  • Prohibits landlords from filing eviction lawsuits or collection suits for nonpayment during the program period if they have offered a plan, unless the tenant defaults on the agreed terms.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Landlords, owners, and agents who rent out residential units in Washington, D.C.
  • Owners of commercial retail spaces or small office buildings under 6,500 square feet in the District.
  • Tenants living in these properties who notified their landlord they could not pay full rent due to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Terms To Know

Eligible tenant
A person renting a home, commercial retail space, or small office building under 6,500 square feet who told their landlord they could not pay all or part of the rent because of the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Provider
Any person or entity that owns, manages, or collects rent for residential units or qualifying small commercial spaces in Washington, D.C.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This law is an emergency act and remains effective for no longer than 90 days after the Mayor approves it.
  • The rules only apply to payment plans agreed upon between March 11, 2020, and July 25, 2022.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-25 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Act A26-0054 Published in DC Register Vol 72 and Page 004912, Expires on Jul 22, 2025

  2. 2025-04-23 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Enacted without Mayor's Signature with Act Number A26-0054, Expires on Jul 22, 2025

  3. 2025-04-22 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Returned from Mayor

  4. 2025-04-07 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Apr 22, 2025

  5. 2025-04-01 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Retained by the Council

  6. 2025-04-01 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  7. 2025-03-27 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    B26-0196 Introduced by Councilmember R. White at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Tenant Payment Plan Phasing Emergency Act of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
AN ACT
D.C. ACT 26-54
INTHE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICTOF COLUMBIA
‘API 23, 2025
Torequire,onanemergencybasis,thatprovidersofcommercialorresidentialrentalpropertyofferandmaintainanyrentpaymentplanagreeduponbetweenMarch11,2020,andJuly25,2022,witheligibletenants,andtomaintaintheminimumrequirementsforsuchaplan.
BEITENACTEDBYTHECOUNCILDISTRICTOFCOLUMBIA,Thatthisactmaybecitedasthe“TenantPaymentPlanPhasingEmergencyActof2025”.
Sec.2Tenantpaymentplans.
(a)FromMarch11,2020,throughJuly25,2022(“programperiod”),aprovidershallofferarent-payment-planprogram(“program”)foreligibletenants.Underitsprogram,aprovidershall:
(1)Makeapaymentplanavailabletoaneligibletenantforthepaymentofgrossrent,contractualincreasesagreedtoinacommerciallease’srentescalationtables,andanyotheramountsthatcomedueundertheleaseduringtheprogramperiodandpriortothecessationoftenancy(“coveredtimeperiod”),withaminimumtermlengthofoneyearunlessashorterpaymentplantermlengthisrequestedbytheeligibletenant;
(2)Waiveanyfee,interest,orpenaltythatarisesoutofan eligibletenantenteringinto@paymentplan;(3)Notreporttoacreditreportingagencyasdelinquenttherentsubjecttothepaymentplan;
(4)Providethataneligibletenantdoesnotloseanyrightsundertheleasebyenteringintothepaymentplan;and(5)Notifyalltenantsoftheavailability,terms,andapplicationprocessforits

program.(b)())Tenantsenteringintoapaymentplanshallberequiredtomakepaymentsinequalmonthlyinstallmentsforthedurationofthepaymentplanunlessadifferentpaymentscheduleisrequestedbythetenant.
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
(2)A providershallpermitatenantthathasenteredintoapaymentplantopayan
amountgreaterthanthemonthlyamountprovidedforinthepaymentplan.
(3)A providershallnotrequireorrequestatenanttoprovidealump-sum
payment undera payment plan.
(4)A providershallagreeinwritingtothetermsofa paymentplan.
(c)A providershallutilizeexistingproceduresor,ifnecessary,establishnewprocedures
toprovideaprocessbywhichaneligibletenantmayapplyforapaymentplan,whichmay
includerequiringthetenanttosubmitsupportingdocumentation.A providershallpermitan
applicationforapaymentplantooccuronlineorbytelephone.
(d)A providershallapproveeachapplicationforapaymentplansubmittedduringa
coveredtimeperiodinwhichan eligibletenant:
(1)Demonstratestotheproviderevidenceofa financialhardshipresulting
directlyorindirectlyfromtheCOVID-19publichealthemergency,regardlessofan existing
delinquencyor a futureinabilityto make rentalpayments establishedpriortothestartof the
COVID-19publichealthemergency;and
(2)Agreesinwritingtomakepaymentsinaccordancewiththepaymentplan.
(©)(1)A providerwhoreceivesanapplicationforapaymentplanshallretainthe
application,whetherapprovedordenied,foratleast3years.
(2)Uponrequestofthetenant,aprovidershallmakeanapplicationforapayment
planavailableto:

(A) For residentialtenants,theRent Administratorand theOfficeof the
Tenant Advocate;and
(B)Forcommercialtenants,theDepartmentofLicensingandConsumer
Protection.
(D(1)A residentialtenantwhoseapplicationforapaymentplanisdeniedmayfilea
‘writtencomplaintwiththeRent Administrator.The Rent Administratorshallforwardthe
complainttotheOfficeofAdministrativeHearingsforadjudication.
(2)A commercialtenantwhoseapplicationforapaymentplanisdeniedmayfile
awrittencomplaintwiththeDepartmentofLicensingandConsumerProtection.
(g)Tenant payment plansmay notcontainany waiverofthe tenant’srightsunderthe
tenant’sleaseorDistrictofColumbialaw.A tenantenteringintoatenantpaymentplanretains
therighttocontesttheamountofrentdueunlessthisisagreedtoinwritingbybothparties.
(h)Dutingtheprogramperiod,unlesstheproviderhasofferedarentpaymentplan
pursuanttothissectionandapprovedarentpaymentplanpursuanttosubsection(d)ofthis
section,thatprovidershallbeprohibitedfromfilinganycollectionlawsuitorevictionfor
nonpaymentofrent;provided,thatthetenantdoesnotdefaultonthetermsofthepaymentplan.
(i)Forthepurposesofthisact,theterm:
(1)“COVID-19publichealthemergency”meanstheemergenciesdeclaredinthe
Declarationof PublicEmergency(Mayor'sOrder2020-045)togetherwiththeDeclarationof
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
PublicHealthEmergency(Mayor'sOrder2020-046),bothdeclaredonMarch11,2020,
includinganyextensionofthosedeclaredemergencies.
(2)“Eligibletenant”meansatenantthat:
(A)Hasnotifiedaproviderofan inabilitytopayalloraportionoftherent
dueasaresultoftheCOVID-19publichealthemergency;
(B) Isnota franchiseeunlessthefranchiseisowned by aDistrictresident;
and
(C)Hasleasedfromaprovider:
(i)A residentialproperty;
(ii)Commercialretailspace;or
(iii)Commercialspacethatislessthan6,500squarefeetinsize
andthatcomprisesallorpartofacommercialbuilding,
(3)“Housing provider”means a personor entitywho isa residentiallandlord,
residentialowner, residentiallessor,residentialsublessor,residentialassignee,or theagentof
anyofthe foregoingoranyotherpersonreceivingorentitledtoreceivetherentsorbenefitsfor
theuseoroccupancyofanyresidentialrentalunitwithinahousingaccommodationwithinthe
District.

(4)“Non-housingprovider”meansapersonorentitywhoisanon-residentiallandlord,non-residentialowner,non-residentiallessor,non-residentialsublessor,non-residentialassignee,anon-residentialagentofa landlord,owner,lessor,sublessor,orassignee,oranyotherpersonreceivingorentitledtoreceiverentsorbenefitsfortheuseoroccupancyofacommercial
unit, (9)“Provider”meansahousingprovideroranon-housingprovider.
Sec.3,Fiscalimpactstatement.The Council adopts the fiscalimpact statement of the Budget Directoras the fiscalimpact
statementrequiredby section4aof the General LegislativeProcedures Act of 1975, approved
October 16,2006 (120 Stat.2038; D.C. OfficialCode § 1-301.47a).
Sec.4.Effectivedate.ThisactshalltakeeffectfollowingapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobytheMayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto)andshallremainineffectfornolongerthan90days.asprovidedforemergencyactsoftheCounciloftheDistrictofColumbiainsection
ENROLLED ORIGINAL.
412(a)oftheDistrictofColumbiaHomeRuleAct,approvedDecember24,1973(87Stat.788;
D.C.OfficialCode§1-204.12(a)).
LeCouncilof the Districtof Columbia
UNSIGNED
MayorDistrictofColumbia
APRIL 22, 2025

[]ITEMONCONSENTCALENDAR
[XTACTION
DqVOTEDATE
[X1VOICEVOTE
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
ABSENT
[JROLLCALLVOTE-Resuit
COUNCILOFTHEDISTRICTOF COLUMBIA.
WASHINGTON,DC,20004
FinalReading
April1,2025
Approved
Felder

SE ee cara
[CouncilMember_| Aye|Nay|NV_|AB_|Rec|CounciiMember|Aye|Nay|NV|AB|Rec|CouncilMember|Aye|Nay|NV|AB|Rec
ChairmanMendelson]X Henderson x Pinto
Allen x LewisGeorge_| X R.White
Bonds x McDuffie x
Felder x Nadeau x
Frumin x Parker x
X-IndicateVote AB ~Absent NV-Present,NotVoting Rec-Recused
CERTIFICATIONRECORD