RENTERS: No license, no rent

[Anonymous]

Oh please, no one said that. People said that if the landlord doesn’t care to follow the law, the tenants should do what they can to protect themselves and hold them accountable. I think your post is highly suspect.

To the tenant in an illegal rental. Yes, you absolutely can have an out. I would first talk to your (illegal) landlord and if they’re smart they would help you get out asap and return your full deposit. They should probably pay you extra to move out and not report them, but the right thing to do is to report. If you have any problems tweet or call the Office of the Tenant Advocate. https://ota.dc.gov

Illegal landlords are dangerous at best.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I used to feel sorry for people who had to rent in this city and even considered renting one of our homes in a very nice, convenient neighborhood at a discounted rate to help a family out who could use it, but hearing this scheme to live rent free and stick it to landlords/ homeowners has made me reconsider doing that. I always felt it was awful that people who could not afford to buy have to spend so much on rent, but my sympathy is declining rapidly after reading this post. Your antics are going to make people like me who can afford to wait out the market, sell rather than rent at a fair rate. I see why landlords charge so much now. I can't say I blame them. This is just awful!

Why would this thread scare you if you went through the necessary processes to make your rental licensed?

[Anonymous]

We are (legal) landlords and think illegal landlord activity is unjustifiable no matter what. It’s led to deaths (I think they should be prosecuted as premeditated murder because that’s what in fact they were).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to feel sorry for people who had to rent in this city and even considered renting one of our homes in a very nice, convenient neighborhood at a discounted rate to help a family out who could use it, but hearing this scheme to live rent free and stick it to landlords/ homeowners has made me reconsider doing that. I always felt it was awful that people who could not afford to buy have to spend so much on rent, but my sympathy is declining rapidly after reading this post. Your antics are going to make people like me who can afford to wait out the market, sell rather than rent at a fair rate. I see why landlords charge so much now. I can't say I blame them. This is just awful!

Why would this thread scare you if you went through the necessary processes to make your rental licensed?

Because they are making s%#^ up and it’s a pretend post.

[Anonymous]

I don't have a rental license, and I was able to go to court, get a judgment and evict without ever getting asked about my license number. I don't know why you spread misinformation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just rented a house in DC and there are several hazards and safety issues. There are exposed electrical outlets, loose curtain rods and banisters. The landlord uses a real estate firm for managing the property and there is no way DCRA inspected this place.

Wish I would have seen this thread sooner, but it seems like I’m protected. I have minor children in the home and this is all inconvenient if we have to move.

I’m waiting for the management team to respond to my inquiry, but in the meantime I will stop my auto pay for rent.

This is the best you get in DC. If you don't like it then move to somewhere else. Permit, license or not, things only matter if you get something else than what you saw before signing the lease.

[Anonymous]

The rental license reminds me of back in day my girlfriends mother had 30 rentals. None with a license. She mainly rented to illegals, divorced Dads, Singles.

Her rules were you pay below market. Great price. But no lease, cash only. She collect in person each month. You open door so she can see. I went with her once.

She got old sold units to a “gentrifier” during last bubble. Remodeled or torn down and new legal rentals at triple the cost and all those folks lost housing.

They were nice. I recall one really nice three bedroom above a store on Main Street by train three single guy right by restaurants and bars.

She told me she bought commercial building in bankruptcy for cash. Made apartment out of upstairs prior owners personal space. It was zoned commercial.

Sometimes folks don’t want protection.

[Anonymous]

I have ZERO sympathy for a landlord who doesn't follow the rules and gets screwed. Sometimes you follow all the rules and still get screwed, and that's too bad. I am sorry if that is you.

But there are so many landlords in this city, including (perhaps especially) people just renting out one apartment or house, who view themselves as somehow above our outside of the reach of landlord/tenant laws in the city. There is this idea that if you are "just" renting out your basement, or a room in your house, or your old row house after you move, that people should cut you some slack and it's no big deal if you are not properly licensed or permitted, if you are cheating on your taxes, etc. Like if you aren't a large scale slum lord it's okay to just make money on the side via a rental property and we should all feel sorry for you if you get in trouble for not following the rules (like by winding up with renters who refuse to leave and won't pay you rent because they found out you're unlicensed).

Zero sympathy. If you are renting out a property, you are a business owner. Follow the rules for business owners. If it's too hard, then maybe you aren't cut out for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have ZERO sympathy for a landlord who doesn't follow the rules and gets screwed. Sometimes you follow all the rules and still get screwed, and that's too bad. I am sorry if that is you.

But there are so many landlords in this city, including (perhaps especially) people just renting out one apartment or house, who view themselves as somehow above our outside of the reach of landlord/tenant laws in the city. There is this idea that if you are "just" renting out your basement, or a room in your house, or your old row house after you move, that people should cut you some slack and it's no big deal if you are not properly licensed or permitted, if you are cheating on your taxes, etc. Like if you aren't a large scale slum lord it's okay to just make money on the side via a rental property and we should all feel sorry for you if you get in trouble for not following the rules (like by winding up with renters who refuse to leave and won't pay you rent because they found out you're unlicensed).

Zero sympathy. If you are renting out a property, you are a business owner. Follow the rules for business owners. If it's too hard, then maybe you aren't cut out for it.

I don't know why you pretend that this is a no-recourse situation. You can evict a nonpaying tenant whether you're licensed or not. The courts don't care, and it certainly doesn't render a lease agreement null and void.

[Anonymous]

I was the poster that said I no longer sympathize with renters if all they are looking to do is a scam and live rent-free. As I said, we have a couple of DC properties that are practically paid for and I just wanted someone in them who would take care of them and care for them as we have over the years. I was willing to rent them below market rate for the right renter and no, I was not planning to get a business license to rent them. They are both great houses in great walkable areas that have been well taken care of. I see now after reading this post, it is better to just get a license and charge the market rate, which is way more than we planned to charge.

[Anonymous]

Can my landlord evict me because she wants to move back into the house that is an illegal rental? Can they move back into the home?

[Anonymous]

You could drag it out and stop it by suing. But why not contact a tenant law firm and send a letter seeking them to buy you out? There are many conditions they have to meet to move back in legitimately.

Try one of the free law school clinics or DC Tenants Rights Center or indeed a commercial law firm

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dear Renters
There’s a Landord bragging about renting out their unlicensed basement for over a decade here on DCUM.

You shouldn’t rent unlicensed properties. They are not safe.

But if you do, you don’t owe them rent and they can’t evict you.
Yes, you heard that right.

You can look up online if your landlord has a valid unexpired rental license.

Spread the word.

Best wishes,
A Conscientious Landlord

You are incorrect on all counts. But I'm sure you know that!

Not OP, but what was incorrect?

Without a license you literally cannot evict in DC.

You are assuming a tenant has proof. My old girlfriend mom rented out around 10 apartments not registered as her places mortgage free and back then you could deduct real estate tax.

One day her son could not go and I went with her to collect rent in person.

Every tenant paid in cash. No receipt, no lease. She paid utilities in an LLC and did not rent to anyone who would put kids in school system.

I noticed she favored young single people, divorced people, old people no kids, illegals, transient people needed it for work.

She charged like 10 -20 percent below market rates and maint was kept up on.

Some units were really nice. She owned as her primary home a 6 acre estate with two big guest houses. But zoned SFH and legally could not rent guest houses. Those two rich divorced people without custody has access her tennis courts, pool, had three bedroom homes.

She was a tax evader. But I don’t see why tenants would care.

The cash flow she used to buy commercial properties and support paying off mortgage on her big estate. Commercial properties on the books

People may not get license for other reasons such as tax fraud. Not cause they are slum lords

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There really should be an easier way to report illegal apartments. Legitimate landlords with safe products pay their fees, taxes, and high renovation costs to maintain legal units. Why should these illegal units push the value of legal units down?

Nice try, bruh. It’s not about my legal rental. It’s about just how deeply immoral, dangerous and exploitative unlicensed rentals are — recently, a 9-year old died, people lost everything to mold and flood, vermin (not just the illegal landlord)

People die in licensed units, too.

Vermin seem to infect almost all units in DC, including those with licenses.

I have yet to see a rental unit (licensed or unlicensed) in DC without cockroaches.

[Anonymous]

I rented the apartment when BBL was not completed, now it’s out and the tenant is not paying rent and wants to hold it against me that she looked up and my license came after the lease… any advise?