The 2026 DC rental inspection checklist: every life-safety, habitability, and systems item DLCP inspectors actually check.
The 2026 DLCP inspection covers life-safety (smoke and CO alarms, egress, electrical, GFCI), habitability (heat, hot water, no active leaks, no peeling paint pre-1978), and operating systems (windows latch, doors lock, no pest activity). Smoke alarm placement, GFCI coverage and stair handrails carry the most specific requirements, so they are worth self-checking first.
DLCP publishes the inspector field guide on its website, but it does not mail a checklist before the visit. Use our pre-inspection checklist to self-audit first.
Typical single-family: 30-45 minutes. Multi-unit: budget 20-30 minutes per unit.
Yes, and we recommend it. The inspector will often point out borderline items you can fix before re-inspection.
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