Transparent Rates and Utility Expenses Amendment Act of 2026

COMMITTEE ON HOUSING
ROBERT C. WHITE, JR., CHAIR
COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Statement of Introduction
Transparent Rates and Utility Expenses (TRUE) Amendment Act of 2026
February 13, 2026
Today, alongside Councilmembers Bonds, Nadeau, Frumin, Parker, and T. White, Sr., I am
introducing the Transparent Rates and Utility Expenses (TRUE) Amendment Act of 2026.
Across the District, tenants are being hit with hidden or confusing utility charges on top of their
rent.1,2 These unexpected costs can push tenants into financial distress, not because they chose an
unaffordable unit or lost their income but because their total housing costs have suddenly
climbed out of their financial means.
The TRUE Act would address this problem by requiring housing providers to clearly explain and
itemize all charges for which a tenant will be responsible, both at the application stage and
throughout their tenancy. Tenants would see recent utility bills, get a clear explanation of how
charges are calculated, and receive contact information for third-party billing companies. If
disclosures are not provided, utility charges would be unenforceable. The bill also extends the
right to redeem (catch up on) utility debts before eviction, mirroring the protections that already
exist for nonpayment of rent.
Utility costs are rising nationwide, but tenants should not be left to shoulder that burden,
especially without transparency or accountability. The TRUE Act ensures that tenants know
exactly what they’ll be charged for so they can make a responsible decision about what unit they
can afford. These disclosures and protections benefit everyone: tenants gain the security of
knowing their true housing costs up front, and landlords gain stronger, more stable tenancies. By
making housing costs clear and fair, this legislation helps prevent both eviction and unaffordable
units, which ultimately benefits tenants and landlords alike.
1 Washington City Paper, Corporate Landlords Nickel and Dime D.C. Tenants with Deceptive and Hidden Utility Fees. Aug 28,
2024. https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/747728/corporate-landlords-nickel-and-dime-d-c-tenants-with-deceptive-and-
hidden-utility-fees/
2 The Office of the Attorney General. Attorney General Schwalb Issues Alert to Help Tenants Understand How Utilities Are
Billed & Make Sure They Are Not Overpaying. May 16, 2025. https://oag.dc.gov/release/attorney-general-schwalb-issues-alert-
help-tenants

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Councilmember Anita Bonds Councilmember Robert C. White, Jr. 4
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Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau Councilmember Matthew Frumin 9
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Councilmember Zachary Parker Councilmember Trayon White, Sr. 15
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A BILL 19
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IN THE COUNCIL OF DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 24
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To amend the Rental Housing Act of 1985 to require housing providers to provide prospective 28
tenants with a list of all applicable charges for renting the rental unit, a description of the 29
method that the housing provider will use to allocate charges for the utility to a tenant; to 30
allow tenants to periodically request a copy of the utility provider's bill to the housing 31
provider; to require that housing providers include in a lease a description of the method 32
that the housing provider will use to allocate charges for a utility to the tenant, contact 33
information for third-party billers, and statements of a tenant's right to certain disclosures 34
and to inspect water submetering equipment or usage records; to require housing 35
providers to permit a tenant to inspect water submetering equipment; to make utility 36
charges unenforceable in the event that housing providers violate disclosure 37
requirements; and to provide the right to redeem to tenants for the nonpayment or late 38
payment of utilities, damages, or related charges or fees. 39
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 41
act may be cited as the “Transparent Rates and Utility Expenses Amendment Act of 2026”. 42

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Sec. 2. The Rental Housing Act of 1985, effective July 17, 1985 (D.C. Law 6-10; D.C. 43
Official Code § 42-3501.01 et seq.)) is amended as follows: 44
(a) Section 103 (D.C. Official Code § 42–3501.03) is amended by: 45
(1) A new paragraph (25B) is added to read as follows: 46
"(25B) "Ratio Utility Billing System" means a program that utilizes a 47
mathematical formula for allocating, among the tenants and property ownership in a residential 48
building, their share of the actual or anticipated water, sewer, electrical, oil, or natural gas 49
charges billed to the housing provider from a direct or third-party provider of any such utility 50
service. Permitted allocation methods may include formulas based on square footage, occupancy, 51
or number of bedrooms. A housing provider shall designate one allocation method per building, 52
and that method shall be applied uniformly to all tenants in the building, and disclosed to the 53
tenant prior to the time of application, and in the lease documents.". 54
(2) A new paragraph (37A) is added to read as follows: 55
"(37A) “Utility” includes: 56
“(A) Electricity usage; 57
“(B) Gas usage; 58
“(C) Wastewater and sewage disposal service usage; and 59
“(D) Water consumption or usage.”. 60
(b) Section 222 (D.C. Official Code § 42-3502.22) is amended as follows: 61
(1) Subsection (b) is amended as follows: 62
(A) Paragraph (1) is amended as follows: 63
(i) The lead-in language is amended by striking the phrase "At the 64
time a prospective tenant files an application to lease any rental unit" and inserting the phrase 65

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"Before requesting the application fee from a prospective tenant as part of tenant screening 66
pursuant to section 510(b)" in its place. 67
(ii) Subparagraph (A) is amended to read as follows: 68
“(A) An itemized list of all applicable charges for renting the rental unit, 69
and residing at the property, whether or not included in the rent, including a description of the 70
reason for each charge, whether the charge is optional or mandatory, and the applicable amount 71
at the outset of the tenancy, including: 72
“(i) The applicable rent for the rental unit; 73
“(ii) Any surcharge pursuant to sub-paragraph (C) of this 74
paragraph; 75
“(iii) Any pet fee; 76
“(iv) Any utility charge or fee pursuant to section 911(a); provided 77
that, if the charge may vary, the housing provider shall provide the method of calculation 78
pursuant to section 911(a)(1) and an itemized list of all utility charges or fees charged for the 79
rental unit during the previous 12 months. 80
"(v) Any other mandatory fee or charge above the rent that is the 81
responsibility of the tenant. 82
(iii) Subparagraph (K) is amended by striking the phrase “; and” 83
and inserting a semicolon in its place. 84
(iv) Subparagraph (L) is amended by striking the period and 85
inserting the phrase “; and” in its place. 86
(v) New subparagraphs (O) and (P) are added to read as follows: 87

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“(O) For any utility for which the costs are billed to the tenant by the 88
housing provider: 89
“(i) A copy of the two most recent bills for the utility charged to 90
the housing provider by the utility provider; 91
“(ii) A complete description, presented in plain language, of the 92
method that the housing provider will use to allocate the charges for the utility to a tenant, 93
whether under a Ratio Utility Billing System formula or any other method of calculation. The 94
description shall include all inputs, rates, factors, denominators, or multipliers used in any 95
formula to calculate a tenant's individual monthly utility charge(s), along with a demonstrative 96
example that reflects realistic costs and inputs for the applicable unit or property. 97
"(P) A statement detailing the number of service disconnections by any 98
utility company or provider to the property in the previous 12 months.". 99
(B) Paragraph (2) is amended as follows: 100
(i) Subparagraph (D) is amended by striking the phrase “; and” and 101
inserting a semicolon in its place. 102
(ii) Subparagraph (E) is amended by striking the period and 103
inserting the phrase “; and” in its place. 104
(iii) A new subparagraph (F) is added to read as follows: 105
“(F) For any utility for which the costs are billed to the tenant by the 106
housing provider, within 10 business days after written request by any tenant once every two 107
months, provide to the tenant without charge: 108
"(i) A copy of the utility provider’s bills to the housing provider 109
for the preceding 6 months; and 110

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"(ii) An itemized list of all utility charges or fees charged for the 111
rental unit during the previous 12 months, including whether the charge is mandatory or optional. 112
(2) Subsection (c) is amended to read as follows: 113
"(c) If the housing provider willfully violates any provision of this section or fails to 114
comply within 10 business days of written notice of any violation: 115
"(1) The rent for any rental unit shall not be increased; and 116
"(2) The utility charges or fees shall be unenforceable.". 117
(c) A new section 911 is added to read as follows: 118
“Sec. 911. Utility Billing Fairness. 119
“(a) Where the costs of any utility are billed to the tenant by the housing provider, the 120
lease shall include: 121
“(1) A complete description, presented in plain language, of the method that the 122
housing provider will use to allocate the charges for the utility to a tenant, whether under a Ratio 123
Utility Billing System formula or any other method of calculation. The description shall include 124
all inputs, rates, factors, denominators, or multipliers used in any formula to calculate a tenant's 125
individual monthly utility charge, along with a demonstrative example that reflects realistic costs 126
and inputs for the applicable unit or property; 127
“(2) The amount and purpose of any additional fees, service charges, or other 128
costs that the tenant must pay in connection with the utility or the operation of any billing system 129
for the utility; subject to the limitations of § 42-3505.10(b-2)(1). 130
“(3) An itemized list of all utility charges or fees charged for the rental unit during 131
the previous 12 months; 132

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“(4) Where the housing provider employs a third-party billing company, its name 133
and contact information; 134
"(5) Where the housing provider employs a third-party billing company, a 135
statement that any disputes relating to the computation of the tenant's bill are between the tenant 136
and the landlord; 137
“(6) A statement of the tenant’s right to disclosure of utility billing information 138
under section 222(b)(1)(O) and section 222(b)(2)(F); 139
“(7) A statement that the tenant may inspect any water submetering equipment or 140
submeter usage records for the tenant’s unit, as provided in subsection (b) of this section. 141
“(b) Where a housing provider submeters a housing accommodation for the purpose of 142
billing tenants for water service, the housing provider shall permit a tenant to: 143
“(1) Inspect the submetering equipment for the tenant’s unit once per month. The 144
housing provider shall allow a tenant to use a third-party inspector for this inspection; and 145
“(2) Inspect the usage readings of the submetering equipment for that tenant’s 146
unit, for the entire time period that the tenant has occupied that unit. 147
“(c) Where a housing provider intends to newly impose a utility charge or change the 148
method of calculation for a utility charge during the tenancy, the housing provider shall not do so 149
unless and until the tenant has agreed to the new charge in writing.”. 150
(d) Section 501 is amended by adding an additional subparagraph (u) to read as follows: 151
"(u) No tenant shall be evicted for the nonpayment or the late payment of utilities, utility-152
related charges, damages, or other fees if the tenant pays the full amount they owe or a court 153
finds they owe in utilities, utility-related charges, or other fees at any time before the United 154
States Marshals Service carries out an eviction. A housing provider may not file a claim under 155

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this paragraph unless the amount owed in utilities, utility related charges, damages, or other fees 156
is at least $600, and may do so only after providing the tenant with a 10-day notice that includes 157
an itemized ledger and otherwise complies with the notice, service, and translation requirements 158
applicable to claims under this subsection and section (a) of this subchapter.". 159
Sec. 4. Fiscal impact statement. 160
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal 161
impact statement required by 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, approved 162
October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 163
Sec. 5. Effective date. 164
This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 165
Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of Congressional review as 166
provided in sections 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 167
24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of 168
Columbia Register. 169