District of Columbia Homestead Exemption Requirements: 2026 Deduction, Eligibility & Savings
Washington, D.C.’s homeowner property-tax benefit is officially called the Homestead Deduction. For tax year 2026, an approved qualifying property receives a $91,950 reduction in assessed value before the annual real property tax is calculated.
At D.C.’s standard $0.85 per $100 Class 1 residential rate, the Office of Tax and Revenue calculates the 2026 base Homestead Deduction savings at $781.58 per year. Qualifying homesteads can also receive an owner-occupant assessment cap credit, making the long-term benefit potentially much larger than $781.58.
What Is the D.C. Homestead Exemption in 2026?
In District terminology, it is a Homestead Deduction, not a flat cash rebate. The deduction lowers the assessed value on which qualifying residential real property is taxed.
District of Columbia Homestead Exemption Requirements
All of the core requirements matter. Owning a D.C. house or condominium by itself is not enough—the property must be your qualifying principal residence and an approved application must be on file.
Own and occupy the property
The applicant must own qualifying residential property in whole or in part and actually occupy it as a residence.
D.C. must be your domicile
The property must be your true principal residence and the District must be your permanent home—not simply a temporary work address or second residence.
No more than five units
Qualifying residential property generally may contain no more than five dwelling units, including the unit occupied by the owner.
Application must be filed
The Homestead Deduction is not automatically created simply because a deed is recorded. An application must be filed with the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue.
Only one D.C. homestead per household
D.C. law permits only one person in a household to claim a homestead in the District, and an individual may generally claim only one lot as the homestead.
No conflicting primary-residence benefit
Claiming a homestead or primary-residential tax benefit for another residence can conflict with a claim that the D.C. property is your true permanent home.
What Evidence Helps Prove the Property Is Your Principal Residence?
OTR may verify whether the residence is genuinely your domicile. Keeping government, tax and residency records aligned with the homestead address reduces avoidable questions.
D.C. driver license or ID
Use the homestead address on your District driver license or identification card.
Vehicle registration
If you own a vehicle, registering it in D.C. at the homestead address supports domicile.
Voter registration
When eligible to vote, D.C. voter registration is another strong domicile indicator.
Tax returns
D.C. and federal income-tax returns should consistently use the claimed principal-residence address.
D.C. Homestead Requirement Self-Check
Check each statement that accurately describes the property and your situation.
When Should You File the D.C. Homestead Deduction?
D.C. allows applications on demand, but the date of an approved filing determines whether you receive the full current tax-year deduction, half-year treatment, or the benefit beginning with the next tax year.
| Approved Filing Period | Current-Year Treatment | Future Years |
|---|---|---|
| October 1 – March 31 | Full Homestead Deduction for the tax year. | Continues in full while eligibility remains intact. |
| April 1 – September 30 | One-half of the deduction reflected on the second-half tax bill. | Full deduction in subsequent qualifying tax years. |
| October 1 onward | October 1 begins the next D.C. real-property tax year. | An approved application filed by March 31 can qualify for that entire tax year. |
How to Apply for the D.C. Homestead Deduction
OTR’s current standard filing method is electronic through MyTax.DC.gov. You do not need to log in to a personal MyTax account to reach the property application.
Open MyTax.DC.gov
Go to the District’s official tax portal. You can begin from the public Real Property area without signing into an account.
Open MyTax.DC.gov ↗Search your real property
Under Real Property, search using the property address or the property’s Square, Suffix and Lot—often abbreviated SSL.
Open Applications and Actions
From the parcel record, choose the Applications and Actions section.
Select the ASD-100 Homestead application
Under Homestead Applications, select Submit an Application for Homestead Deduction (Including Senior/Disabled Tax Relief): ASD-100.
Complete ownership, occupancy and domicile information
Answer the property, ownership, principal-residence and household questions accurately. OTR can request additional information to verify eligibility.
Add senior or disability information if applicable
ASD-100 also supports applications for Senior Citizen or Disabled Property Owner Tax Relief when the ownership, age/disability and household-income requirements are met.
Submit and save the confirmation
OTR provides a submission confirmation number and an email containing an image of the submitted application. Keep both with your property-tax records.
Verify the benefit on the real property tax bill
Once approved, check your property-tax account or latest bill. It should show that the property is receiving the Homestead Deduction.
D.C. Homestead Deduction Tax Savings Calculator
Enter the property’s taxable assessment before applying the Homestead Deduction. The tool uses the 2026 deduction amount of $91,950 and a default residential tax rate of 0.85%.
This estimates the direct Homestead Deduction only. It does not calculate the owner-occupant residential tax credit, senior/disabled 50% tax relief, Disabled Veterans’ Homestead Deduction, special rates, prior-year cap calculations or other credits.
The D.C. Homestead Assessment Cap Can Create Additional Savings
A qualifying property receiving the Homestead Deduction can also receive D.C.’s owner-occupant residential tax credit. This limits how fast the taxable assessment used for the credit calculation can rise.
10% cap calculation
For ordinary qualifying homesteads, D.C. law generally uses 110% of the prior taxable assessment in the owner-occupant credit calculation.
2% cap calculation
For a property also receiving qualifying Senior Citizen or Disabled Property Owner Tax Relief, the applicable multiplier is generally 102%.
Not an absolute market-value cap
The credit limits taxable assessment under a statutory formula. It does not prevent OTR from determining a higher current assessed market value.
2026 Senior Citizen or Disabled Property Owner Tax Relief
Qualifying D.C. homeowners may receive substantially more than the basic $91,950 Homestead Deduction. Senior Citizen or Disabled Property Owner Tax Relief can reduce the qualified owner’s real property tax by 50%.
| Requirement | 2026 Senior/Disabled Rule |
|---|---|
| Age / disability | Owner is age 65 or older, or meets D.C.’s applicable disability requirements. |
| Ownership | Qualifying senior or disabled applicant generally owns at least 50% of the property or co-op interest. |
| Household income | For tax year 2026, 2024 household federal adjusted gross income must be less than $163,500. |
| Tenants | Tenants paying fair-market rent under a written lease are excluded from the household-income calculation under OTR’s stated rule. |
| Residence | The same principal-residence, domicile and qualifying property rules used for Homestead also apply. |
| Benefit | Qualified real property tax is reduced by 50%; the assessment-cap calculation is also generally limited to 2% instead of 10%. |
D.C. Disabled Veterans’ Homestead Deduction
This is a separate, much larger property-tax deduction for qualifying totally and permanently disabled veterans and certain eligible surviving spouses. It should not be confused with the standard $91,950 Homestead Deduction.
$445,000 deduction
Qualifying disabled veterans can receive a $445,000 reduction in assessed value.
50% ownership required
The qualifying veteran generally must hold at least 50% ownership as shown by the deed.
$163,500 income limit
For tax year 2026, the applicable household federal adjusted gross income limit is less than $163,500 based on 2024 income.
Trusts, Co-ops, Rentals and Other D.C. Homestead Situations
My house was transferred into a revocable trust
OTR says property transferred to a revocable trust may continue to qualify when the property was eligible before the transfer, the transfer was not for money or other consideration, and the property remains the transferor/trustor’s principal residence before and after the transfer.
My property is held in an irrevocable trust
OTR’s current guidance generally states that property held in an irrevocable trust does not qualify, with an exception recognized for certain special-needs trusts.
The deed is in an LLC or corporation
OTR guidance generally excludes property where the record owner is a corporation, LLC or another business entity. An exception is recognized for a qualifying partnership where all partners occupy the property as their principal residence.
I live in a housing cooperative
The shareholder/member must be domiciled in D.C. and occupy the cooperative unit as the principal residence. The benefit is administered through the cooperative, which supplies, collects and submits the qualifying applications. Only one unit per household can receive the individual homestead benefit.
I rent part of my house
A qualifying owner-occupied property can contain up to five dwelling units, so having rental space does not automatically eliminate Homestead eligibility. You still must genuinely occupy the property as your principal residence, and separate rental licensing and tax-registration rules may apply.
I inherited my parents’ property
OTR states that an heir generally files a new Homestead application after the ownership change is recorded and a deed is in the heir’s name. The deceased owner’s prior benefit should not simply be treated as permanently transferable to the heir.
I moved to a different home in D.C.
The Homestead Deduction does not automatically transfer. Cancel the benefit on the former property and submit a new application for the new principal residence.
When You Must Cancel the D.C. Homestead Deduction
Approval is not permanent if your facts change. Property owners receiving the benefit are responsible for notifying OTR when eligibility ends.
You move out
If the property is no longer your principal residence, the Homestead Deduction must be cancelled.
Ownership changes
A sale or other ownership change can end or alter Homestead eligibility.
You lose D.C. domicile
If another state or jurisdiction becomes your true permanent home, you no longer satisfy the District domicile requirement.
How to Appeal a D.C. Homestead Deduction Denial
If OTR denies the application, do not confuse the Homestead benefit appeal with a normal real-property valuation appeal. A Homestead denial has its own benefit-appeal process.
Read the denial letter carefully
Identify whether OTR disputes ownership, principal residence, domicile, property type, income eligibility or another fact.
Note the 45-day appeal deadline
OTR’s current forms guidance states that a Homestead/Senior/Disabled benefit appeal must be submitted within 45 days of the decision-letter date.
Open the property in MyTax.DC.gov
Search by address or SSL, open Applications and Actions, then find the Appeal Applications section.
Submit supporting evidence
Attach the documents that directly answer the denial reason—for example recorded ownership records, D.C. domicile evidence or qualifying senior/disability documents.
Common D.C. Homestead Problems and the Next Step
I bought the home but the Homestead Deduction is missing
Recording a deed does not automatically create the tax benefit.
Next: search the property on MyTax.DC.gov and submit ASD-100.
I filed after March 31
You can still file. An approved April 1–September 30 application generally receives one-half of the current tax-year benefit on the second-half bill.
Next: file now rather than waiting for the next March deadline.
I live here but still own a home in another state
Owning another property is not automatically the same as having another domicile, but conflicting homestead or primary-residence benefits can create a problem.
Next: make sure your government, tax and residency records support D.C. as your true permanent home.
My property is in a revocable trust
It may still qualify when the transfer satisfies OTR’s trust conditions.
Next: verify that the property qualified before transfer, no consideration was paid and it remained the trustor’s principal residence.
I moved out and forgot to cancel
Wrongfully retaining the benefit can create tax, interest and penalty exposure.
Next: submit ASD-105 immediately and provide the actual date eligibility ended.
I am 65 but only receive the basic Homestead Deduction
Senior Citizen Tax Relief is an additional benefit with its own ownership and income requirements.
Next: review the 50% ownership rule and 2026 $163,500 household federal AGI ceiling, then update/apply through ASD-100.
OTR denied my application
The denial can be appealed through the benefit-appeal process.
Next: submit the appeal within 45 days of the decision-letter date.
I cannot use the online application
OTR permits paper filing only after an approved electronic-filing mandate waiver.
Next: call 202-727-4829 and request an E-mandate waiver and paper ASD-100.
D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue Homestead Contact
Office of Tax and Revenue — Real Property Tax Administration
Office:
1101 4th Street SW
Washington, DC 20024
Customer Service:
202-727-4TAX (202-727-4829)
TTY: 711
District of Columbia Homestead Exemption FAQs
How much is the D.C. Homestead Deduction in 2026?
The 2026 District of Columbia Homestead Deduction is $91,950. It reduces qualifying real property’s assessed value before the annual real property tax is calculated.
How much money does the D.C. Homestead Deduction save?
OTR states that the $91,950 deduction produces $781.58 of annual property-tax savings for tax year 2026 at the standard $0.85 per $100 residential tax rate. The owner-occupant assessment cap can produce additional long-term savings.
What are the main D.C. Homestead Deduction requirements?
An application must be on file with OTR, the applicant must own and occupy the qualifying residential property, the property must contain no more than five dwelling units, and it must be the applicant’s principal residence and D.C. domicile.
What is the deadline to apply for the D.C. Homestead Deduction?
An approved application filed from October 1 through March 31 receives the full deduction for that tax year. An approved application filed from April 1 through September 30 generally receives one-half of the deduction on the second-half bill and the full benefit in future qualifying years.
Can I apply for the D.C. Homestead Deduction online?
Yes. Apply through MyTax.DC.gov. A login is not required to use the public Real Property search and submit the ASD-100 Homestead Deduction application.
Do I have to renew the D.C. Homestead Deduction every year?
Generally no. Once an approved deduction is on the account, it continues into future tax years while the property remains eligible. OTR can conduct eligibility audits and may request reconfirmation information.
Can a property in a revocable trust qualify for D.C. Homestead?
Potentially yes. OTR says an already-eligible property may continue to qualify after transfer to a revocable trust if no money or other consideration is paid and the property remains the trustor’s principal residence before and after the transfer.
What property-tax benefit is available to D.C. seniors?
A qualifying owner age 65 or older can receive Senior Citizen Property Owner Tax Relief that reduces qualified property tax by 50%. For tax year 2026, the qualifying senior generally must own at least 50% of the property and 2024 household federal adjusted gross income must be less than $163,500.
What happens if I move out of my D.C. homestead?
If the property is no longer your principal residence or you lose D.C. domicile, you must submit a cancellation request within 30 days. OTR uses the ASD-105 Cancellation of Benefits process.
How long do I have to appeal a D.C. Homestead Deduction denial?
OTR’s current forms guidance states that a Homestead, Senior or Disabled benefit appeal must be filed within 45 days of the date on the decision letter.
Official D.C. Homestead Deduction Resources
The key rules are explained directly above. Use these government pages for live filing, application status, current forms and final verification.