If you own separate rental units such as condos, coops, and single-family homes, then the answer is no. In this case, a basic business license is required for each rental property that you own in the District of Columbia.
If you own an entire structure that has multiple units that, have not been converted to condominium or cooperative units, then you would license all of the units under one license.
However, if the property has only two residential units, then you would apply for a 2-unit license; if the property has 3 or more residential units, you would apply for a DC Apartment License.
Important Notes:
Basic Business Licenses are issued specifically to one property. The property is identified by its Tax ID, which is known as its “Square and Lot Numbers.” You can think of this as the legal address for any parcel of real estate in D.C., meaning - each lot in D.C. has its own legal address.
If you own a multi-use building with commercial and residential units, you are required to obtain two different licenses: one license specifically for the residential units, and another license specifically for the commercial units.
If the structure you own has multiple residential units that were converted to condos or coops, you must license each unit separately because each unit has its own Tax ID.
Be advised that if your property has two or more units (condos and coops excluded), you will also need a Certificate of Occupancy specific to the use case (such as Two Family for two-unit properties, or Apartment House for 3 or more units) in addition to the Basic Business License.