RENTERS: No license, no rent

[Anonymous]

Call Legal Aid if you encounter anyone renting out a property without Business License and Certificate of Occupancy.

Call Legal Aid if you need help.

Landlords Without Basic Business Licenses Should Not Be Able to Collect Rent or Sue for Eviction
Legal Aid also supports provisions in Section 2 of Bill 24-0119 to require landlords to show proof of a current basic business license before suing a tenant for eviction.

[Anonymous]

In D.C., your landlord cannot evict you without bringing you to Court and receiving a "judgment for possession." Evictions done without going through this process are called "self-help" evictions, and they are illegal in the District of Columbia. If your landlord tries to do a self-help eviction, they may be responsible for paying you for your property damage plus money damages for breaking the law. If your landlord has threatened to evict you without bringing you to Court and receiving a judgment for possession, this is a letter you can send to them advising them that you know your rights and that the eviction is illegal.

https://www.lawhelp.org/dc/resource/no-self-help-letter

[Anonymous]

https://ota.dc.gov/page/en-espanol

https://ota.dc.gov/page/information-tenants

[Anonymous]

One more thing. Your landlord may try to scare you but even if they take you to Court the chances you get evicted are practically zero in this situation.

Your unlicensed landlord knows this too. So, if they want you to leave make them PAY YOU.

On the other hand, you can leave whenever you want, your lease for an unlicensed property is in practice as good as worthless.

[Anonymous]

You know what’s funny? DC Court has dismissed (thrown out) every single eviction filing that didn’t contain a VALID BUSINESS LICENSE. They ask the landlord to submit it and if they can’t, no eviction proceeds.

There is also a bill that will make this a law.

The only way Bruh and other illegal landlords will learn is if you teach them a lesson. In conclusion, don’t pay rent to Bruh, don’t worry about eviction, and leave whenever you want but maybe make Bruh the Illegal Landlord pay YOU to first.

[Anonymous]

NP. On behalf of all of the DCUM moms and dads living in illegal apartments in DC, thank you. I’m sure there are thousands of us, and now we know we don’t have to pay our rent.

[Anonymous]

So what happens if you stop paying rent, and then the landlord gets his license?

[Anonymous]

You’ll have a ton of time to leave and find a better place. Or you’ll know your place is safe and can decide to stay. Namely, the licensing process requires an inspector to come in and make sure the place is safe.

Most likely your landlord will be to scared to call them because then they’ll know he’s renting it out illegally, so you can certainly demand your lease terms, renegotiate the rent and/or $$$ from your landlord to leave. However, I would not live in an illegal rental.

They check everything. We rent out a brand new, modern condo and still had to replace an outlet in the bathroom to make it safe for wet conditions. This process repeats every two years.

Just so you know, I’m not a lawyer, but you can check that every word is true by going online to DC Superior Court and checking eviction cases in 2022. Business license is a standard requirement asked by basically every judge, and a law should be on the books soon.

[Anonymous]

I’m confused. Say I rent out a bedroom in my home and never. Got a BBL. If it’s not a licensed unit what would stop me from doing self help? (Btw I have a BBL I’m just wondering)

[Anonymous]

I think maybe they should call 911, don’t you?

If your landlord tries to do a self-help eviction, they may be responsible for paying you for your property damage plus money damages for breaking the law. If your landlord has threatened to evict you without bringing you to Court and receiving a judgment for possession, this is a letter you can send to them advising them that you know your rights and that the eviction is illegal.

https://www.lawhelp.org/dc/resource/no-self-help-letter

[Anonymous]

OP. Anyway, just my opinion. Of course everyone should do their own research and do as they think is best. I wish I could provide legal advice but I can’t, but I also *really* don’t like scammers and exploiters.

DC Attorney General did some great work on consumer protection.

[Anonymous]

If you are renting, the owner/landlord is required to be properly licensed. Prior to signing your lease or moving in, ask the landlord for their Basic Business License Number and Verify the License information. The verification site will only show those licenses that are Active. If you don’t have the exact license number you can also search by your rental address (i.e. Business Address) or the License Category. Rentals will generally fall under the License Categories of either Apartment, One Family, or Two Family. Check the Basic Business License Category Information for other housing categories that may be applicable. If you can’t find the license information, call [phone] for assistance.

https://dcra.dc.gov/page/tenant-resources-dcra

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. On behalf of all of the DCUM moms and dads living in illegal apartments in DC, thank you. I’m sure there are thousands of us, and now we know we don’t have to pay our rent.

No idea if you have to or think you do. In my opinion people shouldn’t live in unlicensed rentals, and I would think I wouldn’t pay rent in that situation.

Lots of resources here and on Google to help you decide.

[Anonymous]

California addresses this many years ago by giving every renter a cash credit on their taxes. They have to list their address ans to whom they pay rent in order to get the credit. The state then compares this info to tax returns to make sure the owner is declaring the rent. This is a positive cash flow activity for the state; they collect way more than they pay out.

[Anonymous]

Yeah its all good ,
But if tenant figures out that there is no license and stop paying landlord ,
Landlord can apply for license pay couple hundred bucks and still get license with tenant already leaving .
It takes 15 min to apply schedule inspection probably will take one week ,
And as long as your unit safe , size of the windows, height of walls , have fire extinguisher easy accessible. You will get license pretty quick .
So if tenant thinks to take advantage of landlord this way may not be successful, but if you just want to know if your place is safe , you as tenant should absolutely do it for your own safety . Just check it out and if unlicensed refuse to pay I took it licensed and safe !