DC has ordered rules allowing single-stair condo buildings by July 2027
DC has ordered rules allowing single-stair condo buildings by July 2027
2026-09-09 · District of Columbia · Legislation
The District of Columbia has directed its buildings department to allow multifamily residential buildings up to six stories to be served by a single entrance and egress stairway. The One Front Door Amendment Act of 2026 took effect July 18, 2026, and the rules are due by July 1, 2027.1
What the Act requires
New D.C. Code § 6-1415 provides that “[n]o later than July 1, 2027, the Department of Buildings shall promulgate rules amending the Construction Codes to allow for a single entrance and egress stairway to serve multifamily residential buildings up to 6 stories above grade plane or high-rise buildings.”
The rules must address a set of conditions, and the conditions are the design:
- Fire-resistive construction and “automatic fire sprinklers throughout a building.”
- A maximum travel distance from the exit or entry door of any dwelling unit to the exit stairway.
- “No more than 4 units per floor or a commensurate limitation on square footage per floor.”
- A prohibition on dwelling unit doors opening toward interior exit stairways.
A new § 6-1401(10A) defines a “multifamily residential building” as “a building containing more than 2 dwelling units where the occupants are primarily permanent in nature.”
Nothing changes for an existing building
This is a forward-looking construction-code change. It does not alter the egress requirements of any building standing today, and no District association needs to do anything in response to it.
The reason it belongs in a community-association column is what comes next: a new class of District condominium building, with a different fire-safety design basis, arriving in the market from 2027 onward.
Keep reading with the District of Columbia State Pass
The rest of this analysis — what an association can actually do, the recent bills and rulings, and how District of Columbia compares nationally — is for subscribers. $49/month for every District of Columbia topic on HOA Weekly.
$49/month, $449/year, or a $19.99 day pass.
What you unlock
- What single-stair design means downstream
- The timing question that matters
- What to watch next
Already a subscriber? Sign in
Recurring monthly subscription · Cancel anytime · Need help?
Related District of Columbia HOA Topics
Stay on top of District of Columbia HOA law
Every week: new District of Columbia legislation, court rulings, and regulatory developments affecting condos, planned communities, and property managers. Free.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.