Understanding Your Rights as a DC Renter: Online Resources for You

For the last two years, I have trekked down to the Kellogg Conference Hotel at Gallaudet University to attend the DC’s Office of Tenant Advocate’s (OTA) Summit.

The FREE Summit is a day-long, city-wide  event of workshops and clinics to teach DC renters how to be their own  advocates.

Now you can skip the trip – and learn your renter rights in the comfort of your home.

Videotaped sessions with captions are available online from both the 10th and 11th- Annual Summits.

Topics include:

• DC Renter’s Rights 10
• 2018 Eviction Procedures: What You Need to Know
• Preparing for Emergencies
• Burdened with High Utility Costs…Take Control and Act
• Meeting the Housing Needs of Veterans
• What’s in the Hopper? Rental Housing Hot Topics

Visit the Office of the Tenant Advocate webpage to access these videos.

Other Resources for DC Renters:

Whether you’re renting an apartment, condo, co-op, or room(s) in a house, all DC renters will benefit from the 2013 Washington DC Tenant Survival Guide, Eighth Edition, written by Georgetown Law’s Harrison Institute.

The Guide is a comprehensive primer written for the non-lawyer. It covers  leases, DC rent control, repairs, housing code violations, security deposits, and evictions.

The Coalition for Non-Profit Housing has an online copy available in both English and Spanish. Follow the hyperlink or click on the button below to access.

Washington, D.C. Tenant Survival Guide, eighth edition

Need more information or have a question about a renter issue? Contact an OTA caseworker.

OTA Stakeholders

Stay informed by joining the OTA stakeholder mailing list with notices on the upcoming 2019 September Summit and legislative updates. Contact Stephen Dudek, OTA Education and Outreach Coordinator, Attorney-Advisor, Office of the Tenant Advocate at (202) 719-6560 or stephen.dudek@dc.gov.

Do you know other DC renter resources? Let us know in the comments!

By Barbara B. Cline

Barbara B. Cline, CPA, is a former auditor and non-profit executive. She is a SERVEDC Commissioner, where she works on the emergency planning task force. She lives with her husband, who has some physical challenges, in an apartment in NW, DC.  Barbara is a fair housing and disability rights advocate and writes articles on housing issues — including rent-control, an often unknown and misunderstood type of affordable DC housing, for both Iona and the Forest Hills Connection.