Landlords in Washington DC will no longer be able to refuse a tenant’s dog based on its breed, size or weight, nor can they impose special charges related to these factors.
At least, that’s what a new law that took effect on Thursday aims to achieve. Animal welfare organizations and animal shelters applauded the legislation, emphasizing the benefits of reducing barriers to pet ownership in the US capital.
Dog breeds considered “scary” used to face restrictions, especially pit bulls, rottweilers and dobermans. Property owners could ban certain breeds, regardless of their behavior. With these restrictions, landlords tried to avoid incidents with aggressive dogs that could damage property or harm other tenants or pets.
However, animal groups challenged this claim, explaining that breed bans penalize responsible dog owners and that in the vast majority of cases, aggressive behavior is linked to owner management and control, and not to the dog’s breed. Also, they warned that exorbitant pet fees and breed restrictions were putting housing out of reach for people.
What takes effect this Thursday is the last part of the pets in housing amendment act, or “Roscoe’s Law”, brought forward by councilmember Robert White in honor of his dog. The first part has been partially in effect since 2025. It included caps on pet-related fees: under that first part of the legislation, pet security deposits cannot exceed 15% of a tenant’s monthly rent, pet rent is capped at 1% of the monthly rent, and all other non-refundable fees are prohibited.
While organizations like the DC Landlord Association acknowledged that the law’s intent “to help keep families together and prevent the separation of pets from their owners due to restrictive housing policies”, they expressed concerns. In May, they worried that the security deposits and rent caps included in the law might not cover the costs associated with pet-related damages, and called for “adequate” deposits and rent.
Although breed and weight restrictions are prohibited in all residential leases beginning after 1 October 2026, immediate changes may not be evident. Real estate websites commonly include pet restrictions on their property listings.
In a quick search on Zillow on Thursday, many “pet-friendly” DC listings included a “pet essentials” section where it stated if the property allowed cats or dogs and their weight limit, and it was sometimes set at a maximum of 75lb.
