The goal of thisshouldbeillegal.com is to ensure all collegiate off-campus housing is licensed and has been inspected for safety. DCRA can help you get the information you need to be sure you are legally renting to students – or any resident – and that your property is safe.

You can dowload a business license application and view fact sheets at the DCRA Web Site. Choose your property type and all of the information is available. You can also view the housing code information page for tips and details on what we look for during an inspection if you want to walk-through your own property.

Our goal is make student housing safe and we hope you can help us in this effort by getting licensed and putting your property through the proper inspections.

If you have issues you need help with, you can call our partners at the D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development. Gilles A. E. Stucker Jr., Housing Provider Ombudsman with the Housing Regulation Administration, can walk you through any issues. You can call him at his office at 202.442.4569.