DC Condo Conversions – The Application Process

You have heard a lot about condo conversions in the District of Columbia and you are wondering what is the process.
My name is Deirdre Brown. I am a settlement agent serving the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. Today I’m going to talk to you about the condo conversion application process. First, you have to determine is the property eligible to
be converted.

The District of Columbia first looks at is the property vacant. If the property is vacant you will file for an exemption. If it was not vacant when you purchased the property or has tenants now, we have a few more steps that we need to take in order to get the property approved to be converted. The next step is to work with the office of the surveyor. Your architect is going to provide your plots and plans. These documents are needed to request zoning approval and zoning variance if needed. You are going to submit the condo conversion registration which is basically the application. This is not a one-page application. It is a binder where you’ll have all types of legal documents as well as documents describing the condo conversion project. You will need either a title company or a real estate attorney to help you with the binder.

The District of Columbia has up to 60 days to review your registration and if they approve it the very last step is you will be assigned a new tax square and lot identifications for each unit of the project. At this point, you are able to sell the properties to the public.

If you want more information about the condo conversion process please download our free guide at lexicontitle.com