No, it does not so long as your unit(s) qualify and are approved for exemption by the Rent Administrator of DC.
The rent control provisions of the Rental Housing Act of 1985 (D.C. Law 6-10), as amended, does not apply to units that qualify for exemptions.
Common Rent Control Exemptions:
- Rental units owned or subsidized by the Federal or DC Government.
- Rental units constructed after 1975 or to the units that were newly created in or added to an existing housing accommodation and are covered by a Certificate of Occupancy issued after January 1, 1980. (There are exceptions to this if a property was demolished to create the housing accommodation and the the prior housing accommodation was subject to rent control and the number of units in the new housing accommodation is equal to or less than the demolished one).
- Rental units (including condominiums or cooperative units) owned—directly or indirectly—by four or fewer natural persons who, collectively, own no more than four rental units within the District of Columbia.
- If the property is part of a Building Improvement Plan under the Apartment Improvement Program, which is administered with grant funds under the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. §§ 5301 et seq.)
- The housing accommodation receives rehabilitation assistance under a multi-family assistance program of the Department of Housing and Community Development.
- Operated by a foreign government as diplomatic housing;
- Part of a non-profit services program approved by the Rent Administrator.