DC Attorney General settles 4 housing investigations

WASHINGTON — The District’s Office of the Attorney General announced this week it has reached settlements in four housing investigations. The investigations involve complaints against apartment buildings riddled with code violations like lead paint, mold and crime.

“One of the highest priorities we have in the Office of the Attorney General is making sure people feel safe and are safe in their homes, in their neighborhoods and in their homes,” said D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb. 

“One way we do that is by enforcing our nuisance abatement statute and our housing laws. These four recent cases involved investigations and then enforcement actions based on conditions in buildings and in neighborhoods that were unsafe," he said.

In one of the four settlements, the former owner of the Buena Vista Apartments in Northwest was forced to pay $105,000 to a newly created tenant cooperative. The cooperative funds critical repairs. The agreement also canceled $350,000 in past-due rent, and dismissed 19 eviction cases.

In another settlement, the owners of Worthington Woods in Southeast Washington will be required to renovate the property — including upgrading electrical heating, hot water, security systems and more.

“What the property owners in our city need to know is that the law requires properties to be maintained, safe, with habitable code-compliant conditions,” explained Schwalb.

District residents have also filed complaints about criminal activity surrounding their buildings, drugs, the use of guns, even prostitution. District prosecutors leverage the nuisance statute to address such issues forcing landowners and property owners to improve the condition of their property.

“It’s part of having a comprehensive, all-of-government approach to addressing what I think is the most important thing in our city which is making sure we address public safety,” Schwalb said.

More than 300 housing complaints are filed each year with the Office of the Attorney General, according to Schwalb. If you have a housing or consumer complaint, click here.