D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 11, r. 11-X1000
With respect to variances, the Board of Zoning Adjustment has the power under § 8 of the Zoning Act, D.C. Official Code § 6-641.07(g)(3) (formerly codified at D.C. Official Code § 5-424(g)(3) (2012 Repl.)), "[w]here, by reason of exceptional narrowness, shallowness, or shape of a specific piece of property at the time of the original adoption of the regulations, or by reason of exceptional topographical conditions or other extraordinary or exceptional situation or condition of a specific piece of property, the strict application of any regulation adopted under D.C. Official Code §§ 6-641.01 to 6-651.02 would result in peculiar and exceptional practical difficulties to or exceptional and undue hardship upon the owner of the property, to authorize, upon an appeal relating to the property, a variance from the strict application so as to relieve the difficulties or hardship; provided, that the relief can be granted without substantial detriment to the public good and without substantially impairing the intent, purpose, and integrity of the zone plan as embodied in the Zoning Regulations and Map."
Only the owner of the property for which a variance is sought, or an agent authorized by the property owner, may apply for variance relief.
Except for those variances heard by the Zoning Commission as part of any discretionary review process, variance cases are heard by the Board of Zoning Adjustment and follow the procedures of Subtitle Y, Chapter 4.
D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 11, r. 11-X1000