District of Columbia Code Division II. Judiciary and Judicial Procedure § 16-1502a. Protective orders and court registry payments.

(1) The court shall inform the defendant of common protective order defenses that may justify a reduction in protective order monthly amounts, including current violations of the housing code and disputes over the calculation of the monthly rent amount asserted in the complaint.  The court shall inform the defendant of the possible consequences of knowingly asserting baseless defenses.

(2) The court shall issue a preliminary protective order for the monthly rent amount required by the rent ledger, lease, rental agreement, or rental agreement addenda after the initial motion and shall schedule a hearing thereafter on any alleged current violations of the housing code or other defenses that may merit an adjustment to the preliminary protective order.  In determining the amount of the preliminary protective order, the court is not required to conduct an evidentiary proceeding, but may in its discretion consider evidence that the parties are prepared to present, including whether there is any dispute regarding the plaintiffs assertion of the monthly rent amount.