Buying a Rental in DC? Read This Before You Do Anything
From zoning quirks to rental rules, here’s what most new investors get wrong.
💰 Investor Intel
Smart strategies for new and experienced investors navigating District of Columbia investment options, permits, STR policies, and profit potential.
So you’re thinking about buying a rental property in DC?
Smart move—maybe.
Because while DC can be an excellent long-term investment market, it’s also one of the trickiest. If you don’t know the local rules, you can end up with:
A unit you can’t legally rent
Tenants you can’t easily remove
Renovation plans that get shut down mid-project
Or an exit strategy that costs more in taxes than you gained in equity
🧨 Most Common Mistakes New DC Investors Make
Assuming you can rent a basement “because it has a bathroom.”
No checklist compliance? No Certificate of Occupancy? No rental license? No legal income.Buying a multi-unit without understanding DC rent control laws.
If the building is older than 1975, you may have much more limited rent flexibility—even if you renovate.Skipping zoning research before offering.
Thinking of building an addition? AirBnB-ing a rear unit? Converting that garage? You’d better know if your lot is R-2, RF-1, or MU. MLO, GAR, and HPRB are just some of the acronyms and initialisms you’ll need to learn, along with rules for heritage trees, contractor licensing, and the District’s STR laws.
🛠 What Smart Investors Do Instead
Review the Rent Control Exemption Matrix before writing an offer
Pull the Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) and Basic Business License (BBL), and permit + inspection records
Look at zoning, historic overlays, flood plain maps, and historic preservation guidelines by neighborhood
Familiarize yourself with laws on short term rentals and ADUs
Talk to a DC-friendly real estate strategist (👋) before trusting Zillow or a national spreadsheet
Zuzu’s Truth:
DC isn’t landlord-friendly—it’s landlord-survivable.
But only if you buy with a blueprint, not a dream.
💬 Need a game plan?
Reply here or visit Invest at realestateinthedistrict.com and I’ll help you buy smarter.