D.C. Code § 42-3505.11: Prohibition on separately billing a housing accommodation's utility charges to tenants.

(a)

Beginning on January 1, 2027, a housing provider, or any third party contracted by the housing provider, shall not separately charge tenants, other than through monthly rent, for the utility charges accrued by the housing accommodation for its common spaces or vacant units.

(b)

Nothing in this section shall prevent a housing provider from using a Ratio Utility Billing System to allocate master-metered utility charges to tenants, subject to the limitations of this section.

(c)

For the purposes of this section, the term:

(1)

"Common space" means all portions of the premises used in common by the occupants of a building or structure not under the exclusive control of a single tenant, including:

(A)

Lobbies;

(B)

Leasing offices;

(C)

Business centers;

(D)

Pools; and

(E)

Fitness centers.

(2)

"Ratio Utility Billing System" means a program that utilizes a mathematical formula for allocating, among the tenants and property ownership in a residential building, their share of the actual or anticipated water, sewer, electrical, oil, or natural gas charges billed to the housing provider from a direct or third-party provider of any such utility service. Permitted allocation methods may include formulas based on square footage, occupancy, or number of bedrooms.

(3)

"Utility" means:

(A)

Electricity usage;

(B)

Gas usage;

(C)

Wastewater and sewage disposal service usage;

(D)

Water consumption or usage; or

(E)

Internet or telephone usage.