D.C. Deals with Low Rent Apartments that Cause Landlord-Tenant Disputes

    Washington, D.C. government action in the past few days shows the region’s high housing costs are increasingly pitting tenants and landlords of low-income apartments against each other in legal disputes.

   On Monday, tenant representatives told the D.C. Council that lax regulatory oversight of rooming houses is exposing tenants to health and safety hazards, such as the Aug. 18 ire at 708 Kennedy Street NW that killed two people.

   Subsequent investigation showed that D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs inspectors were notified of a fire hazard at the apartment house but took no action before the deadly fire.

   A spokeswoman for the D.C. Tenants Union, a collective representing renters, accused the D.C. Council of allowing “slumlords” to avoid regulatory action to improve their properties.

   In separate action, the D.C. Council is considering an extension of its rent control legislation that limits the authority of landlords to increase rent on some apartments leased by low-income residents.

   The residents argue that they would be priced into homelessness without rent control. However, the Apartment and Office Building Association of Metropolitan Washington, a leader against strengthening rent control, argues that rent control is forcing some landlords out of business.

   Rising utility costs, property taxes and maintenance expenses mean they must raise rent to pay their bills. Otherwise, tenants could be left without the upkeep they need, which could be interpreted to mean the landlords are being forced into the role of slumlords.

   A settlement agreement announced last week by the D.C. Attorney General’s Office hints that local government officials appear to be siding mostly with tenants.

   Sanford Capital, an owner of some apartments rented by low-income residents, agreed to pay $1.1 million in compensation to 155 tenants at three Washington, D.C. properties.

   Sanford Capital has owned more than 65 buildings in the city. Tenants in several of them complained about mold, inadequate heat and air conditioning, fire code violations and broken toilets.

   For more information, contact The Legal Forum (www.legal-forum.net) at email: tramstack@gmail.com or phone: 202-479-7240.