2023 District of Columbia Code › Title 42 - Real Property › Chapter 19 - Condominiums › Subchapter II - Establishment of Condominiums › § 42–1902.29. Condominium lease; recordation; terms; leasehold payments; increases; sale or assignation; offer to unit owners’ association; renewal

§ 42–1902.29. Condominium lease; recordation; terms; leasehold payments; increases; sale or assignation; offer to unit owners’ association; renewal.
(a) The declarant of a leasehold condominium shall record with the condominium instruments any lease pursuant to which the condominium is a leasehold condominium (“condominium lease”); provided, however, it shall be sufficient for the declarant to record a statement of the book, page and date of recordation of such lease if such lease has previously been recorded among the land records of the District of Columbia. Condominium instruments establishing a leasehold condominium containing more than 3 residential units shall not be effective unless the condominium lease(s) comply with the requirements of subsections (b), (c) and (d) of this section.
(b)(1) If a condominium is a leasehold condominium subject to the provisions of this section, any condominium lease shall be for a term of not less than 99 years with a right of renewal for consecutive additional terms of not less than 99 years. The lease shall provide for level, periodic payments which may not be increased during the first 10 years of the leasehold term. If provided in the lease, the lessor may petition the Mayor for an increase in leasehold payments to be effective beginning with the 11th year of the leasehold term, and the Mayor shall approve such increase if he finds that:
(A) Costs borne by the lessor in connection with the lease have increased; or
(B) Costs of living, as measured by a standard statistical index computed and published by the United States government and available for the period of the leasehold term, have increased; and
(C) The increase in the lease payments is in reasonable proportion to such increased costs.
(2) An increase in lease payments shall be effective for a minimum period of 10 years, after which the lessor may again petition for an increase subject to the provisions of this subsection. The lessor shall not require or accept lease payments which do not meet the requirements of this subsection.
(c) A lessor of a condominium lease may sell or assign the lease only after offering the unit owners’ association of the condominium the right to purchase the leasehold estate at a price and on terms offered to any other prospective purchaser. The lessor shall give the unit owners’ association a period of at least 60 days within which to accept or reject the offer.
(d) The lessor of a condominium lease shall give the lessee of such lease a statement not less than 5 years prior to the expiration of such lease of whether the lease is to be renewed and on what terms the lease is to be renewed. If the lessor offers to renew the lease, the lessor shall give the lessee a period of at least 180 days within which to accept or reject the offer.
(Mar. 29, 1977, D.C. Law 1-89, title II, § 229, 23 DCR 9532b.)
Prior Codifications
1981 Ed., § 45-1839.
1973 Ed., § 5-1239.