T
he nation's capital is poised to offer relief to struggling landlords. The Washington D.C. Council has unanimously passed an emergency bill to roll back certain tenant protections and rental-assistance policies, reported the Washington Post. The move aims to aid affordable housing landlords, but will benefit all housing providers.

    Under the new law, the district is repealing a policy that allowed tenants to self-certify eligibility for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP). While most will need to provide evidence of their emergency going forward, an exception allows self-attestation for those who can't provide evidence due to legitimate reasons like domestic violence.

    The bill also eliminates a policy requiring judges to delay eviction proceedings if a tenant has a pending ERAP application. Judges can still delay evictions once, but landlords will no longer face perpetual postponements of payments that may never materialize if the application is denied.

    Mayor Muriel Bowser supports the legislation, citing its potential to provide relief to affordable housing landlords awaiting millions in back rent. Unpaid rent for these providers has skyrocketed from $11 million in 2020 to a projected $147 million next year. If multifamily properties fall into foreclosure, affordability covenants would be lost, exacerbating D.C.'s housing crisis.

    Tenant advocates fear the bill will lead to an increase in evictions, but they'll have time to regroup for the next battle as the emergency law is only effective for 90 days.