Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in District of Columbia

Can i sue the rental company/landlord

I rent a room in a 6 bedroom house. In the winter time the house is very cold due to the windows not being fixed. The window in my room doesnt close all the way either. There's also a hole in my bedroom wall so big that i can slide a coke can through it. Right now i have it stuffed with a towel to keep the sunlight, rain, bugs, etc out. Last winter the temp in the house was a low as 43 degrees. I know that cant be legal. Ive written a letter every month to complain. They always tell me that they are going to send an architect to the house to check it out. I was home when that person came over. He says that this is illegal and that he will only come back to fix it if the rental office tells him to. Our utility bills are ridicious. Its like pouring water into a cup full of holes. I checked the housing violation codes and in my room alone there are 12 violations. There was mold all over the wall and it took them 3 months to come and clean it up. When ever i call them they give me the run around. Every one says i should just move but i shouldnt have to move becuase the rental office does not want to do ther job. Can i sue them for all the rent, utilities, pain and distress that they have caused me over the year?


Asked on 11/05/07, 12:12 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Michael Hendrickson Law Office Michael E. Hendrickson

Re: Can i sue the rental company/landlord

You might be able to withold part of your rent, paying it into an escrow type of account, if the Landlord & Tenant branch of the Civil Division of DC Superior Court allows for this, and then when you're sued for eviction and back rent by the landlord, you could raise in your defense all of these various alleged housing code violations

and ask the court for appropriate relief, including that you be allowed to keep all of the amounts which you've paid into the escrow account.

You might also consider reporting all of these alleged code violations in writing to the appropriate DC housing authority/agency which is tasked with enforcing these matters.

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Answered on 11/06/07, 9:42 am


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