Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act
The DC Rental Act in Three Minutes: A New Series
Happy Spring to our multifamily clients and friends. A lot has transpired since our last Alert, so we wanted to provide the following updates. Click the links below to review each topic. ...more
Over the last several years, the Obama Presidential Center (OPC) has steadily risen from Jackson Park on the South Side of Chicago. The OPC, which includes nearly 20 acres as part of its campus, is expected to draw hundreds...more
In this episode of The DC Rental Act in Three Minutes, Offit Kurman attorneys Brian Dorwin and Gwen Roy Harrison break down how the Rental Act reshapes the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) for DC multifamily...more
In this kickoff episode of The DC Rental Act in Three Minutes, Offit Kurman attorneys Brian Dorwin, Gwen Roy Harrison, and Rob Donahue introduce the sweeping legislative changes that took effect in Washington, DC on January...more
Happy New Year! As we noted in our last Alert (linked here), on September 17, 2025, the Rebalancing Expectations for Neighbors, Tenants, and Landlords (RENTAL) Act passed on its second reading by the DC Council. It was...more
Happy Thanksgiving to our clients and friends. A lot has transpired since our October Alert (linked here), so we are providing this update on TOPA, rent control, and transfer and recordation taxes. TOPA Reform. On...more
On October 21, the DC Council voted 9-4 to exempt most two-to-four-unit properties owned by individual landlords who do not own more than two housing properties in DC from the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) under...more
Our most recent Alert discussed the proposed reforms to the DC Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA). This Alert provides an update on the reform legislation, as well as a summary of an important TOPA litigation victory...more
The enrolled bill will now be sent to the Mayor who has 10 days to sign or veto the RENTAL Act. If the Mayor does nothing, the RENTAL Act goes to Congress after 10 days. After that, Congress has 30 working days (i.e.,...more
The Rebalancing Expectations for Neighbors, Tenants, and Landlords (RENTAL) Act of 2025, as amended, brings sweeping reforms to District housing laws....more
The New York City Council is presently considering Intro 902, a law that would amend the New York City Administrative Code to give certain nonprofit entities and tenant groups a right of first offer to purchase multifamily...more
Our recent Alerts discussed the months-long efforts seeking to improve many aspects of DC’s Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA). ...more
The Washington, D.C., Council on Sept. 17, 2025, passed the Rebalancing Expectations for Neighbors, Tenants, and Landlords (RENTAL) Act of 2025, B26-0164, by a vote of 10-3. The RENTAL Act was introduced on March 3, 2025, by...more
We start our August Alert with some potentially very good news. The RENTAL Act, a bill to reform TOPA, passed its first vote by the DC Council on July 28, 2025. The RENTAL Act includes, among other things, a blanket exemption...more
Across the United States, empty office buildings have become a common sight. According to Moody’s Analytics, office vacancies are at their highest since the 1990s. The COVID hangover has left us with an abundance of vacant or...more
As Washington, D.C., continues to grapple with challenges to housing affordability and new development, lawmakers are weighing proposals to reform the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA), a D.C. law enacted in 1980 that...more
When District of Columbia Council Chairman Phil Mendelson introduced the Rebalancing Expectations for Neighbors, Tenants and Landlords (RENTAL) Act, there were high hopes that much needed reform to the Tenant Opportunity to...more
As spring begins to give way to summer, legislative activity shows no signs of cooling off. Our May TOPA Alert generated many questions and comments and a further update on the pending TOPA reform legislation is included...more
With very active legislative sessions in the DMV region, we're providing these updates on proposed legislation and several ongoing efforts impacting the multifamily industry. ...more
Finally, some potential good news for multifamily property owners and developers in DC. It appears that the discussions on reforming the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA), as well as the Emergency Rental Assistance...more
As summer 2024 winds down, the implementation of new rent control laws has attracted much attention. Providing some respite from the summer’s rent control heat is a recent win for the multifamily industry coming from the...more
We continue to track important legislative and regulatory proposals and changes in the region. Our most recent prior Alert discussed rent control efforts in Maryland, changes to the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program,...more
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the writing has been on the wall that downtown D.C. could use a breath of fresh air. With office vacancy rates skyrocketing, the Bowser administration has made no secret of its desire to...more
The District of Columbia’s office market, particularly Class B and C properties, is facing a calamity of epic proportions with occupancy, revenues, and valuations plummeting. Like other municipalities facing similar office...more