A District of Columbia lawmaker wants to make it illegal for landlords and real estate agents to quietly doctor listing photos with artificial intelligence. Councilmember Christina Henderson and her colleagues have introduced a bill that would require any property advertisement using a digitally altered image to disclose the editing, hand over the unedited original and spell out exactly how the photo differs from what a renter or buyer will actually find at the property.
What the Bill Would Actually Require
The measure, known as the Restricting Editing and Alterations in Listing Photos Amendment Act of 2026, would prohibit using a digitally altered image in a property advertisement unless the listing follows the new disclosure rules, according to UrbanTurf. Listings that use edited images would have to clearly state that the photo has been edited, include the unedited original, and provide a written description of any material differences from the property's actual condition, features and amenities, the outlet reports. Henderson has said the editing in question can reshape unit sizes, architectural features, finishes, fixtures, appliances, and even the views visible through a unit's windows.
As Axios first reported, D.C.-area listings have circulated on social media that appeared questionable, including one purported apartment listing that showed a view of New York City rather than the District — though it remains unclear whether that particular image involved AI. The bill would not ban using AI to virtually stage listings, Henderson told Axios, meaning agents could still use AI-generated images to show potential renovations or development, so long as they disclose that the images are renderings.
Why D.C.'s Transient Renters Are Especially Vulnerable
Henderson told Axios the bill is meant to help residents in a city where many people move for short-term jobs and sign leases without ever seeing a unit in person. We have a bigger responsibility to kind of step up and help those folks out, she said, adding that she would hate for this to be somebody's first introduction to the District. She expects the D.C. Office of the Attorney General would enforce the law if it passes, though she told Axios the bill's next steps are still undetermined.
Local real estate agent Joe Himali told Axios that more house-fishing posts are showing up because AI makes them easier to create, and that he has personally been duped by convincing AI-generated listings on several occasions. You think, wow, that seems too good to be true, he said, describing his reaction before discovering sure enough, it's too good to be true. According to Axios, some of Himali's clients have driven to what they believed were available homes only to find vacant lots — bare dirt and a hole in the ground where a house was supposed to be. Axios also notes that prospective buyers sometimes fail to read the fine print disclosing that listing images have been altered, and that both the National Association of Realtors and Bright MLS maintain their own guidelines governing listing images.
The Data Behind the Push for Disclosure
The timing tracks with mounting evidence that altered listing photos are widespread and rarely flagged. A Coraly study examining nearly 40,000 primary listing images on Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com found that 10.8% — 4,330 images — showed indicators of digital manipulation, according to HousingWire. More than 90% of those altered images carried no visible disclosure language at all, the outlet reports, and sky replacement alone appeared in 69% of the manipulated photos. As wrenews.com has reported, AI tools have made those kinds of alterations faster and more convincing than older editing methods.
Other States and Cities Are Moving on the Same Problem
D.C. would not be the first jurisdiction to legislate against misleading real estate imagery. California's Assembly Bill 723, which took effect January 1, requires licensed real estate brokers and salespersons to conspicuously disclose digitally altered images and give access to the original, unaltered versions, per the same HousingWire report. The San Francisco Chronicle notes the California law applies specifically to alterations that add, remove or change elements in an image, such as furniture, flooring, views and neighboring properties.
Wisconsin has passed its own measure, Act 69, which will require real estate licensees to disclose when technology materially alters how a property appears in marketing images once it takes effect, according to realestatenews.com. New Jersey is considering legislation that would restrict AI-generated images in listings, the same outlet reports, and realestatenews.com also notes that Zillow's internal standards already require listing photos to accurately represent a home and support disclosing AI alterations with the original photo available when possible.
New York City's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection will require conspicuous disclosure for any rental listing that uses images modified by AI or otherwise digitally doctored, according to CNET. At the state level, New York Senate Bill S9584 would require clear disclosure when images or virtual tours have been materially altered or virtually staged, and would bar adding nonexistent features or hiding known defects without disclosure, according to the New York State Senate's own bill text.
For now, the D.C. proposal remains just that — a proposal. As wrenews.com has reported, the measure remains proposed legislation, not an enacted disclosure rule, meaning agents and property managers in the District face no new legal obligations unless and until the Council passes it.
