Reply to Steps for making your basement apartment legal in DC

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP, this is not entirely accurate information.  We were zoned as a single family unit but went through DCRA to get our zone changed (into multi-family unit) and a C of O for our basement apartment.  So, you can get a C of O, but you need to change the load of your house.  We did this a few years ago by going through the HomeOwner's office in DCRA.  We did have to get architectural drawings and a building inspection.  I'm not sure the architectural drawings were completely necessary (it was never clear if they needed them and it depended on who you talked to at DCRA on any given day), but our architect helped us spot an issue with a regress window that we were able to address pretty easily before submitting our permits.

OP, I'm still not sure what "accessory apartment" without a C of O means in DC.  Are you able to legally rent it out? [/quote]

OP again. Yes, I'm able to rent it out. And I do!

What I was told is that my house (a semi-detached house with a walk-out basement apartment) could not be zoned multi family. So the CofO route was out (and frankly, it would have been much more expensive to do it that way). What DRCA says is the following: "An accessory dwelling unit is a unit that is secondary to the principal single household dwelling unit in terms of gross floor area, intensity of use, and physical character, but which has kitchen and bath facilities separate from the principal dwelling and may have a separate entrance."

DRCA notes: Prior to renting an accessory apartment in any zone, the property owner shall obtain a Residential Rental Business License from the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs and the property shall be inspected for relevant housing code compliance.

Despite all the steps I mentioned, it is actually not that difficult once you know the steps. 
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