RENTERS: No license, no rent

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:If you don't want to rent a non-licensed rental - ask landlord for the license. All my tenants do ask. You can also check online by the property address.

But tenants who move in without asking and then stop paying blackmailing the landlord are just as equal scumbags as the landlords who rent without a license.

Yes, sure. But plenty scumbags on here saying I don’t care I’ll take my chances. Health and safety laws are stupid and I know my rental is fine.

So it’s only fair that renters know they can say I’ll take my chances too. Only the renters would be right, given the current DC Court practice. Good luck.

Every illegal rental I find out about, I will make sure to let the renters know what they can do. If the guy calls me Bruh or tries to mansplain he’s within his rights to illegally rent, I’ll also report him.

Just don't scream and cry here how poor tenants ended up in illegal rental, ok? They are just scumbags and know without you what they can do, so your nosy help is not helping anyone.
The tenants usually get a hefty discount from rent for renting non-licensed accommodations (which is why they do rent them). $1500/month vs $1900/month or so.

I have licenses for my rental, but I recommend all landlords who cannot afford increase ceiling height for COO just check credit score, get SSN from the applying tenants and never accept anyone without a min 720 score. If they don't pay, I am getting employment references requests from people who lived at my property 10 years ago. Employers do care of you pay your rent and had no legal disputes, they won't be checking who is right who is wrong. They just won't hire anyone with a non paid rent, period.

Good luck getting a job in DC with your tenant dispute, where everything requires background check.

Also, I recommend landlords make use of 90-days notice to vacate and then move the tenants' belongings to a safe storage and change locks. They would be the party hiring attorneys to gain access back into your house and good luck with that, too!

Oh can’t wait! Self-help eviction is so illegal. At the point when you do the above you’ve also just committed a felony by robbing someone etc. I’ll get double popcorn for this one.

All of this to avoid getting a $250 license?!

Sigh. I have the $250 license. How many times do I have to say that? The license is nothing. It’s getting the runaround on the C of O that is the issua.

Please, I beg of you, READ comments before reacting.

Yes, but you should NOT be able to get the license without a CofO? There.

New airbnb regulations in DC allow STR licenses without a legal CoFo.

Yes. So turn your illegal rental to an STR. Let the market decide.

But you cannot rent LT a unit without CofO/license. End of story.

You have no rights at all in that situation because you are engaged in an illegal activity and the tenant laws were consideredably strengthened.

By the way, any judge will lough you out if the courthouse. Self-help eviction will be a nightmare you’ll never wake up from. So just be a reasonable human being.

Again, what's the obsession with eviction? Which one of us is a slumlord again? Who are these tenants renting your places that cause you so much concern about being able to evict them.

I've never had to evict anyone from any place I ever rented out, ever. Or even come close. Come to think of it, I don't know of anyone anywhere who's been evicted.

We must live in different worlds. Yours sounds pretty slummy.

Sure, illegal landlord. Get a license.

It's a serious question. If you're so concerned about protecting tenants' health and safety, why are you constantly arguing about how hard it is to evict them without a license? Seems odd.

Because, reasoning with some of the illegal landlords is pointless. They don’t care about the laws and some even see themselves as a (feudal) master saviors of low-income renters. So there’s a way to get through to them that they will have to hear and understand. And it’s perfectly within the law and current judicial practice. Remember this started with someone bragging about being an illegal landlord for over a decade and how no one could do anything about it.

Don’t call the OP Bruh. Also get the license.

It took me a minute to check rental license on the property cited above. Why are tenants moving into the rental units without licenses? Can you answer, in the end? Do they plan ahead NOT to pay rent?

Honestly, most people don’t know or don’t think they have a choice. The tenant protections we have now are much stronger and relatively new. The whole landscape changed in the pandemic.

In my opinion, the city should do a much better job making sure no one is ever put into a situation where they feel illegal rental is an option. They simply shouldn’t exist.

But let’s say, someone willingly does it anyway. It shouldn’t stop the city from coming after the landlord.

Basically, to apply a reasonable rule (safe and healthy housing), you just apply it equally across the board.

You have STR option. I wouldn’t even give you that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Getting rental income is not a right.

You need to earn that right.

The way to do that is to get inspected and licensed.

Asking my question again, for the third time. It took me a minute to check rental license on the property cited above. Why are tenants moving into the rental units without licenses? Can you answer, in the end? Do they plan ahead NOT to pay rent? You believe the tenants EARNED right not to pay rent but landlord without a COO did not? Why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Check out the basement Arbnb unit in this place, which the listing says brings in $6000 a month. It wouldn't rent long term even half that.

https://www.redfin.com/DC/Washington/1331-Wallach-Pl-NW-20009/home/9871540

Well, this is not a good example as they also have a legal 2-family rental license and an official certificate of occupancy from 2015. Stop counting someone's legal money. Buy a house at $1.4mm yourself first, pay property taxes and mortgage, get COO and then count your money from legit rental airbnb in the basement.

But the point is there are plenty of other rentals with short term licenses for airbnbs that have NO certificate of occupancy or official basement rental unit with own COO. They can rent these basements as "room" in the house without any fire protections.

DCRA gives no shit about DC residents only about money collected from licenses

Exactly. That’s a fantastic example of what should be happening for both LT and ST rentals. No less.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Getting rental income is not a right.

You need to earn that right.

The way to do that is to get inspected and licensed.

Asking my question again, for the third time. It took me a minute to check rental license on the property cited above. Why are tenants moving into the rental units without licenses? Can you answer, in the end? Do they plan ahead NOT to pay rent? You believe the tenants EARNED right not to pay rent but landlord without a COO did not? Why?

This doesn’t require an answer, but one was provided earlier. It’s like asking but why can’t I torture pets? Why would you take away my molested dog?

[Anonymous]

Because it’s illegal, is why.

Why is it illegal? For many excellent reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Check out the basement Arbnb unit in this place, which the listing says brings in $6000 a month. It wouldn't rent long term even half that.

https://www.redfin.com/DC/Washington/1331-Wallach-Pl-NW-20009/home/9871540

Well, this is not a good example as they also have a legal 2-family rental license and an official certificate of occupancy from 2015. Stop counting someone's legal money. Buy a house at $1.4mm yourself first, pay property taxes and mortgage, get COO and then count your money from legit rental airbnb in the basement.

But the point is there are plenty of other rentals with short term licenses for airbnbs that have NO certificate of occupancy or official basement rental unit with own COO. They can rent these basements as "room" in the house without any fire protections.

DCRA gives no shit about DC residents only about money collected from licenses

Exactly. That’s a fantastic example of what should be happening for both LT and ST rentals. No less.

And this sounds great to me as a legit landlord who does have COO, LT, STR and VR licenses for my property. I will have more fire hazard protections and less completion from other airbnbs if they stop handing the licenses over without COOs

But I do not think tenants are so naive and rent illegal units because they don't know how to check licenses. They get deep discounts and not paying for your obligations will have consequences. I would change locks and move in my relative into my basement in no time. Good luck with your free legal help and DC courts (which currently have a long wait for hearings to convict rapists and murderers!)

[Anonymous]

Different court buddy. But yes it will take you a long time and no eviction will happen. All they need to do is call 911, break the lock and they are back in, with your cousin sharing your bed.

[Anonymous]

Agree or don’t agree with the OP but you’re trying to justify the unjustifiable.

Look at the lengths people will go to not apply for a license, including allegedly reduced income (when they have an STR option). That tells me the STR market would shun much of these illegal units; and they have massive issues that would prevent licensing.

So we go in circles, because licensing is what helps ensure safety. It’s just no longer justifiable.

[Anonymous]

For all the self-help evicters out there, maybe read this first:
https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/consequences-of-illegal-evictions.html

Tenants, call 911. Proceed from there.

[Anonymous]

DC allows treble damages and would probably reinstate the tenant.

Liability for Evicting a Tenant Illegally

Courts frown on self-help evictions, and may readily award a tenant damages for an illegal removal. If a property owner illegally evicts a tenant, the tenant may sue the landlord for a wide variety of things depending on the circumstances of the eviction:

Trespass
Wrongful eviction
Assault
Battery
Slander
Libel
Intentional infliction of emotional distress.
A tenant's behavior will not shield a landlord from liability. Instead, a court may view the landlord's unlawful actions as landlord harassment.

The tenant is entitled to actual money damages for the expenses resulting from the illegal eviction. This may include compensation for:

Temporary housing
The food that spoiled when the electricity was shut off
The property that disappeared when the tenant was locked out by the landlord
Some states may also allow renters to recover monetary penalties such as two or three months rent or two to three times the actual damages. A tenant may also be able to remain on the premises, receive free occupancy, or vacate the premises and collect their security deposit from the landlord.

[Anonymous]

By the way, to do what’s the harm with the circuit guy. It breaks at least 2-3 tenant rights in the DC bill of rights. Plus I’m sure it’s not safe.

Finally, if your place is so great and so is the rent, why don’t you spend a few hundred bucks to fix it? Or are there other things too?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Different court buddy. But yes it will take you a long time and no eviction will happen. All they need to do is call 911, break the lock and they are back in, with your cousin sharing your bed.

True. In a recent DC Superior Court case (2020), the judge ordered the landlord to hand over the keys there and then to the tenant. That’s now a precedent. Look it up.

[Anonymous]

It was a lock change situation. Tenant was given the keys back the day of hearing.

Why is any of this worth it, illegal “landlords”? Isn’t it easier to not be a criminal slumlord?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you don't want to rent a non-licensed rental - ask landlord for the license. All my tenants do ask. You can also check online by the property address.

But tenants who move in without asking and then stop paying blackmailing the landlord are just as equal scumbags as the landlords who rent without a license.

Yes, sure. But plenty scumbags on here saying I don’t care I’ll take my chances. Health and safety laws are stupid and I know my rental is fine.

So it’s only fair that renters know they can say I’ll take my chances too. Only the renters would be right, given the current DC Court practice. Good luck.

Every illegal rental I find out about, I will make sure to let the renters know what they can do. If the guy calls me Bruh or tries to mansplain he’s within his rights to illegally rent, I’ll also report him.

Just don't scream and cry here how poor tenants ended up in illegal rental, ok? They are just scumbags and know without you what they can do, so your nosy help is not helping anyone.
The tenants usually get a hefty discount from rent for renting non-licensed accommodations (which is why they do rent them). $1500/month vs $1900/month or so.

I have licenses for my rental, but I recommend all landlords who cannot afford increase ceiling height for COO just check credit score, get SSN from the applying tenants and never accept anyone without a min 720 score. If they don't pay, I am getting employment references requests from people who lived at my property 10 years ago. Employers do care of you pay your rent and had no legal disputes, they won't be checking who is right who is wrong. They just won't hire anyone with a non paid rent, period.

Good luck getting a job in DC with your tenant dispute, where everything requires background check.

Also, I recommend landlords make use of 90-days notice to vacate and then move the tenants' belongings to a safe storage and change locks. They would be the party hiring attorneys to gain access back into your house and good luck with that, too!

Oh can’t wait! Self-help eviction is so illegal. At the point when you do the above you’ve also just committed a felony by robbing someone etc. I’ll get double popcorn for this one.

All of this to avoid getting a $250 license?!

Sigh. I have the $250 license. How many times do I have to say that? The license is nothing. It’s getting the runaround on the C of O that is the issua.

Please, I beg of you, READ comments before reacting.

Yes, but you should NOT be able to get the license without a CofO? There.

New airbnb regulations in DC allow STR licenses without a legal CoFo.

Yes. So turn your illegal rental to an STR. Let the market decide.

But you cannot rent LT a unit without CofO/license. End of story.

You have no rights at all in that situation because you are engaged in an illegal activity and the tenant laws were consideredably strengthened.

By the way, any judge will lough you out if the courthouse. Self-help eviction will be a nightmare you’ll never wake up from. So just be a reasonable human being.

Again, what's the obsession with eviction? Which one of us is a slumlord again? Who are these tenants renting your places that cause you so much concern about being able to evict them.

I've never had to evict anyone from any place I ever rented out, ever. Or even come close. Come to think of it, I don't know of anyone anywhere who's been evicted.

We must live in different worlds. Yours sounds pretty slummy.

Sure, illegal landlord. Get a license.

It's a serious question. If you're so concerned about protecting tenants' health and safety, why are you constantly arguing about how hard it is to evict them without a license? Seems odd.

Because, reasoning with some of the illegal landlords is pointless. They don’t care about the laws and some even see themselves as a (feudal) master saviors of low-income renters. So there’s a way to get through to them that they will have to hear and understand. And it’s perfectly within the law and current judicial practice. Remember this started with someone bragging about being an illegal landlord for over a decade and how no one could do anything about it.

Don’t call the OP Bruh. Also get the license.

Except here's the think: we don't care about potential eviction problems either. We don't bring on tenants with an eye towards evicting them. We've never had a single problem with a single tenant, ever, and nor have they with us. So you're not getting through to anyone. Bruh.

[Anonymous]

You will though. It’s just a matter of time.