The Short-Term Rental Attestation Form is the statement that a property owner signs for the DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) when applying for a Short-Term Rental (STR) and/or Vacation Rental (VR) license in the District of Columbia. If you came looking for a DC business license for a rental property, this attestation is one piece of the DLCP Short-Term Rental License application: it records whether your homeowner, condo or cooperative association allows rentals. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the official PDF is published by DLCP.
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What is Short-Term Rental Attestation Form – Washington, DC?
The Short-Term Rental Attestation Form, printed on the PDF as the Short-Term/Vacation Rental Attestation Form, is a sworn statement in which the owner and applicant for a Short-Term Rental (STR) and/or Vacation Rental (VR) license says what the property's association rules allow.
The form belongs to the District of Columbia Short-Term Rental Licensing Program run by the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP). The "Association" is the homeowner, condo or cooperative governing board or association for the property. The owner checks the statement that applies:
- the Association's bylaws, house rules or other governing documents expressly allow STR/VR at the property;
- they do not prohibit owners from operating STR/VR at the property;
- they allow STR/VR under conditions, which the owner writes in and attests to be in compliance with; or
- the owner has received written permission from the Association and will keep it in the owner's records.
The form also lists what the owner understands, including that tenants must follow District of Columbia law and the Association's bylaws, that the owner is responsible for Association fees, upkeep, damage and neighbor disturbances caused by tenants, and that the agreement holds the District of Columbia harmless. The owner certifies the statements under penalty of perjury. The form is an attestation, not a license: it is submitted as part of the license application.
Who needs to file Short-Term Rental Attestation Form – Washington, DC?
The main group is the property owner who is applying for a Short-Term Rental (STR) and/or Vacation Rental (VR) license in the District of Columbia. The form opens with "I, property owner and applicant for a Short-Term Rental (STR) and/or Vacation Rental (VR) license(s) at the below location," so the owner of the property signs it.
Which statement you check depends on your Association's governing documents:
- Governing documents expressly allow rentals or do not prohibit them: check the matching statement.
- Rentals allowed only under conditions: check the conditions statement, write the conditions and attest that you comply with them.
- Written permission from the Association: check the permission statement. You must keep that permission in your records for as long as you hold an STR/VR license and for three years after any rental license expires.
The form provides one owner signature line and asks for the property address, including the unit number if applicable, and for contact details of a person at the Association. It does not describe anyone else signing for the owner, and it names no exclusions.
When to file Short-Term Rental Attestation Form – Washington, DC
Submit the attestation at the time you file your Short-Term Rental License application: the form says to submit it to DLCP through the District of Columbia Short-Term Rental Licensure platform as part of that application. No separate due date is printed on it.
Timing also matters after you file. DLCP may ask you at any time for supporting evidence or documentation for the statement you checked. If you do not provide it within 5 business days, the form says your license(s) may be automatically suspended or revoked. If you rely on written permission from the Association, keep it for as long as you hold an STR/VR license and for three years after any rental license expires.
Documents you need
- Written permission from the Association: only if you check the statement that you received written permission. Keep it in your records while you hold an STR/VR license and for three years after any rental license expires.
- Supporting evidence or documentation for the statement you checked: provide it only if DLCP requests it, within 5 business days of the request.
How to fill out Short-Term Rental Attestation Form – Washington, DC
Confirm you are the owner and applicant
The form is written in the first person for the property owner who is applying for a Short-Term Rental (STR) and/or Vacation Rental (VR) license at the location listed below the statements.
Check the Association statement that applies
Mark the box showing that the Association's bylaws, house rules or governing documents expressly allow STR/VR, do not prohibit owners from operating them, or allow them under conditions. The form lists these as alternatives.
Write any conditions
If you checked the conditions statement, enter the conditions the Association sets. By checking it you attest that you are in compliance with them.
Or check the written permission statement
If the Association gave you written permission, check the last box instead. You then agree to keep that permission for as long as you hold an STR/VR license and for three years after any rental license expires.
Read the acknowledgments
Review the "I understand that" list: tenant compliance, responsibility for code violations, holding the District of Columbia harmless, Association fees and upkeep, the 5-business-day evidence request, and the penalty of perjury certification.
Enter the property address
Fill in the Property Address, including the unit number if applicable.
Print your name and sign
Enter the Owner First and Last name, typed or printed legibly, then add your Owner Signature and the Date.
Add the Association contact
Enter the Full Name of Association Contact, the Title (for example, Board President or Management Company), the Phone Number and the Email Address.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check that the box you ticked is true and that the name, address and contact details are correct. Download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and submit it with your license application as described under How to submit.
How to submit Short-Term Rental Attestation Form – Washington, DC
There is one channel printed on the form: the District of Columbia Short-Term Rental Licensure platform, used when you apply for your Short-Term Rental License.
- Online, through the licensure platform: the form repeats on each page that you should submit it to the Department of Licensing & Consumer Protection (DLCP) using the platform as part of your Short-Term Rental License application.
- Package contents: the completed, signed and dated attestation, with the property address, your printed or typed name and the Association contact details filled in.
- Records: do not send supporting evidence unless asked, but keep it. DLCP may request it at any time, and the form gives you 5 business days to provide it.
The form prints no mailing address, street address or portal URL. For the platform itself, use DLCP's own materials for the Short-Term Rental License application. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the DLCP channel above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Sending the attestation on its own instead of submitting it through the District of Columbia Short-Term Rental Licensure platform as part of the Short-Term Rental License application.
- Checking the written-permission statement without having written permission from the Association, then being unable to produce it on request.
- Checking the conditions statement without writing the conditions, or without being in compliance with them, since you attest that you comply.
- Leaving off the unit number in the property address when the property has one.
- Not keeping the Association's written permission for as long as you hold the license and three years after expiration.
- Failing to answer a DLCP request for evidence within 5 business days, which may lead to automatic suspension or revocation of your license(s).
- Signing without reading the acknowledgments: the form makes you responsible for Association fees, upkeep, damage and neighbor disturbances caused by tenants.
- Making a false statement: you certify under penalty of perjury, and false statements may bring civil fines and/or criminal penalties.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Short-Term Rental Attestation Form?
It is the DLCP form on which a property owner attests what the homeowner, condo or cooperative Association allows for short-term or vacation rentals at the property. The owner signs it under penalty of perjury and submits it with the Short-Term Rental License application.
Is this form a DC business license?
No. The attestation is not a license. It is a statement the owner signs and submits to DLCP through the Short-Term Rental Licensure platform as part of the Short-Term Rental License application.
Who has to sign the Short-Term Rental Attestation Form?
The property owner who is applying for the STR and/or VR license signs it. The form has an Owner Signature and Date line and asks for the owner's printed or typed first and last name. It describes no other signer.
Where do I submit the Short-Term Rental Attestation Form?
Submit it to the Department of Licensing & Consumer Protection through the District of Columbia Short-Term Rental Licensure platform, as part of your Short-Term Rental License application. The form prints no mailing address.
What happens if DLCP asks for proof of my attestation?
You must provide supporting evidence or documentation for the statement you checked. The form says DLCP may ask at any time, and failing to respond within 5 business days may result in your license(s) being automatically suspended or revoked.
How long must I keep the Association's written permission?
Keep it for as long as you hold a short-term or vacation rental license and for three years after any rental license expires. This applies when you check the statement saying you received written permission from the Association.
Can I fill out the Short-Term Rental Attestation Form online?
You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is independent of DLCP and does not submit the form; you submit it through the DC Short-Term Rental Licensure platform.
What are the penalties for a false statement on this form?
You certify the form is true under penalty of perjury under District of Columbia law. The form states that false statements may subject you to civil fines and/or criminal penalties.
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