D.C. Bill 26-757 Could Let Police Remove STR Guests Who Refuse to Leave

D.C. hosts who have ever feared a guest refusing to leave now have a bill moving through the Council on their behalf. The Illegal Occupancy Enforcement Amendment Act of 2026, Bill 26-757, would make clear that once a short-term rental reservation ends, a guest who stays put is trespassing, and police could warn them to leave or make an arrest. The hearing held Wednesday, September 23, 2026 was only one step, but the direction of travel is unmistakable: D.C. is trying to close a loophole that has already cost at least one homeowner her property.

How One Homeowner's Nightmare Sparked a Bill

The legislation traces directly to the experience of D.C. homeowner Rochanne Douglas. A short-term rental guest stayed beyond the agreed-upon end of the booking and refused to go. Douglas called police repeatedly, but each time she was told the dispute was a civil matter. "The most challenging part of it was that the police could never assist me," Douglas told 7News. The ordeal dragged on long enough that Douglas said she ultimately sold the property because of the stress. Her case was not unique. Councilmember Brooke Pinto told 7News "there have been several instances in D.C. where a person reached the end of a short-term rental and declared they were not leaving," and some of those cases ended up in landlord-tenant court even though the original arrangement was a short-term stay.

What Bill 26-757 Would Actually Do

The bill, introduced in July by Council Chairman Phil Mendelson at the request of Mayor Muriel Bowser, focuses specifically on short-term rentals, vacation rentals, and hotels. Its core move is straightforward: it would clarify that a guest who unlawfully stays beyond the end of a contracted stay is trespassing. That single word matters enormously. Under the proposed framework, if a host can show the booking agreement and demonstrate that the contracted time has expired, Metropolitan Police Department officers could warn the guest to leave. Refusal to vacate could result in arrest.

MPD officials told lawmakers the bill could help remove some of the uncertainty officers face and provide clearer direction for handling short-term rental disputes. If the legislation becomes law, MPD said officers would receive information about the change through training modules, roll calls, and other internal communication.

The Catch: Documentation Is Everything

Wednesday's hearing surfaced a critical practical issue for hosts: the bill only helps you if you have paperwork. Officials said short-term rental platforms can provide a clear record showing when a reservation begins and ends, and that showing the reservation in an app could be enough for officers to act. The situation becomes far more complicated when a host and guest verbally agree to extend a stay or make a separate arrangement outside the original booking platform. Administration officials testified that verbal agreements can be difficult to evaluate when officers arrive and the two sides disagree about whether the guest still has permission to stay. The recommendation from officials was direct: if you extend a guest's stay, document that extension through the booking platform or another written agreement. A handshake deal could leave you without the evidence you need.

Is the Law Already Clear Enough?

One of the more surprising moments in Wednesday's hearing was the revelation that D.C. law already says a transient guest of a short-term rental is not considered a tenant under several of the District's tenant definitions. That prompted lawmakers to ask whether a change in the law alone would solve the problem, or whether clearer guidance and additional officer training are also needed. Pinto said she entered the hearing believing there were more gray areas in existing law. "Throughout the course of my questioning our witnesses, I think some of it is really just ensuring that everybody in the government and our officers know what the law is and are trained in how to enforce it," she told 7News. In other words, the bill may matter less than whether the officers who respond to your call actually know what the bill says.

The Scale of the Market at Stake

The D.C. Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection said it anticipates more than 5,100 short-term and vacation rentals in the District. Those hosts operate under a licensing framework that requires a $250,000 liability insurance minimum and a two-year license costing $49. Vacation rental hosts, meaning those who rent while absent, are capped at 90 nights per year. The city defines a short-term rental as lodging offered at a host's primary residence while the host is present, and investment properties are not eligible. Pinto noted that some residents, including seniors, use short-term rentals to bring in additional income by renting space in their homes, which underscores why a workable enforcement mechanism matters beyond just the headline cases.

What Hosts Should Do Right Now

• Book every stay through the platform and keep the confirmation accessible on your phone. That reservation record is your evidence if a guest refuses to leave.
• Never extend a stay verbally. If a guest asks for more time, update the booking in the app or get a written agreement before the original reservation expires.
• Know that Bill 26-757 has not become law yet. It remains in the Council's Judiciary and Public Safety Committee and must advance through the full legislative process before it takes effect.
• Confirm your license is current and your liability insurance meets the $250,000 minimum. Enforcement of licensing requirements has been active, with fines reaching up to $2,000 for operating without a license.

For Douglas, any change comes too late. "I'm thankful if my story was able to help people in the future, then it was all worth it," she told 7News. For the more than 5,100 hosts currently operating in the District, the lesson is already clear: document everything, and watch this bill closely.

For the complete Washington compliance guide including tax calculator, checklist, and daily monitoring, see Washington, DC STR Regulations.