Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Realistically, a big portion (most?) of basement rentals in DC are not actually certified legal units. At least that's how it looks to me in my neighborhood.
Practically speaking, I think as long as they are safe and livable this is probably not that big of a deal - as long as people know what they're getting into. Going through all of the DC requirements would cost a lot of money and as a result, rents would go up. I think that's why the city doesn't really go out of their way to enforce this although that's just me speculating.
Legally speaking, I think the way to get around this is to rent out the basement as a room in your house and then just "mutually agree" that some spaces are not common. I mean I am no tenants' rights lawyer and I'm sure that wouldn't hold up in court, but it's worth considering.
I just think it's worth weighing the risks and costs associated with NOT making it legal. It's still totally possible to rent it out, it just means you charge less and you take on some legal risk.
Some requirements seem more important than others to me. Points of egress, smoke detectors etc. are all pretty important; 7' ceilings feels like a matter of aesthetics.
I will probably get attacked for this reply but, shrug. OP I would make sure to consider all the angles.
The problem with renting it out illegally is that it becomes next to impossible to evict a bad tenant. Also, if something were to happen (fire, break in), you're liable.
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