D.C. temporarily required rental aid applicants to document emergencies

Rental aid applicants had to document the nature of their emergency. An unexpected or unusual event had to hurt the applicant’s ability to pay rent and make immediate aid necessary to avoid eviction or homelessness, regain a rental home, or prevent displacement. If the emergency prevented documentation, a statement made under penalty of perjury could count if it explained the emergency and why the applicant lacked records. The act took effect following mayoral approval and lasted no longer than 90 days.

A judge could pause an unpaid-rent eviction case when the tenant showed a pending rental aid application. This applied to a landlord’s court case to evict a tenant for unpaid rent. The tenant had to give the court proof of the pending application. The judge could grant one pause under this rule during the case and could extend it. The act took effect following mayoral approval and lasted no longer than 90 days.

Landlords had to cancel qualifying evictions and set any new eviction date at least three weeks after the original. This applied only to court-approved evictions based solely on unpaid rent. The approved aid had to cover the full amount needed to keep the tenancy. The tenant had to notify the landlord at least 48 hours before the scheduled eviction. Notice had to arrive at least 48 hours before the scheduled eviction. The act lasted no longer than 90 days after mayoral approval.

A judge could order a landlord to provide payment details requested by a rental aid processor. This applied to unpaid-rent eviction cases. The details had to be needed to complete an aid application and could not include payment plan information. At or before the first hearing, the tenant had to allege that the landlord was withholding details requested by a rental aid processor. The processor’s request had to remain pending. The tenant had to raise the issue at or before the first hearing. The act lasted no longer than 90 days after mayoral approval.

A judge could waive rent that a successful rental aid application would have paid. This applied to unpaid-rent eviction cases when a rental aid processor requested payment details from the landlord. At trial or in a ruling ending the case, the judge had to find that the landlord failed to provide requested payment details for more than 45 days after receiving the request. The judge could not waive rent if a third party beyond the landlord’s control caused the delay, the landlord had another good reason, or rental aid had paid the landlord since the request. The 45 days began when the landlord received the request. Waived rent could not be sought in later eviction or money cases. The act lasted no longer than 90 days after mayoral approval.