New Washington DC law bans landlords from imposing dog breed restrictions
A new Washington DC law effective October 1, 2026, prohibits landlords from imposing breed, size, or weight restrictions on tenant pets. This legislation, known as Roscoe’s Law, also caps pet-related fees to reduce barriers to housing for pet owners. While animal welfare groups support the measure, landlord associations have expressed concerns about potential costs associated with pet-related damages.
- ▪Landlords in Washington DC can no longer refuse tenants based on their dog's breed, size, or weight starting October 1, 2026.
- ▪The law, named after Councilmember Robert White's dog, is the final part of the pets in housing amendment act.
- ▪Previous provisions of the law capped pet security deposits at 15% of monthly rent and pet rent at 1% of monthly rent.
- ▪Animal welfare organizations argue that breed bans penalize responsible owners and that aggression is linked to owner management rather than breed.
- ▪The DC Landlord Association expressed concern that the fee caps might not adequately cover costs for pet-related property damage.
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| Publication time | Thu, 01 Oct 2026 22:34:15 GMT |
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Rooftop dog park at City Market at O Street apartments in Washington DC. Photograph: The Washington Post/Getty ImagesView image in fullscreenRooftop dog park at City Market at O Street apartments in Washington DC. Photograph: The Washington Post/Getty ImagesWashington DCNew Washington DC law bans landlords from imposing dog breed restrictionsLandlords can no longer refuse pit bulls, rottweilers, dobermans or other breeds considered ‘scary’Alba Asenjo DomínguezThu 1 Oct 2026 18.34 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleLandlords 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.
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