Back‑to‑School Consumer Advisory

Know Your Rights: Tips for Safe Back-to-School Renting

The District is home to several colleges and universities, and each year thousands of students choose Washington, DC as the place to continue their education. However, back-to-school season is the time of the year to pay closer attention to rental scams and counterfeit apartment listings.

The Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP), Consumer Protection Unit (CPU), wants to make sure students are safe. Choosing the right place to call your temporary home is significant and requires one to do their due diligence.

If you're a new or returning student moving to the District for the fall semester, keep these tips in mind:

• Verify that the address of the listing actually exists.
• Be skeptical of listings and rentals that seem too good to be true.
• Never send money to view a property and always confirm if the listing belongs to an actual property owner or manager.
• Try to avoid renting a property sight unseen (use Google Maps or visit in-person, if possible).
• Never send money or respond to requests for immediate electronic transfer of money without a lease or official agreement.
• Never pay for more than one month's rent as a deposit, as a landlord cannot legally require a deposit that exceeds this amount.

Landlords are required by District law to:

1. Have a valid business license and have passed a building inspection: Check the DLCP consolidated database SCOUT here to verify if your landlord has the proper Basic Business License and has passed the required inspection by the DC Department of Buildings.
2. Have the appropriate certificate: A Certificate of Occupancy is required for Apartments and Two-Family Rentals.

As a tenant you are entitled but not limited to:

1. A safe and habitable environment and adequate repairs.
2. Due process in the event of an eviction or other legal matters.
3. Disclosure of information about your unit, including the applicable rent, surcharges on your rent, rent control or exempt status, and other important information about your unit.
4. Protection against discrimination based on actual or perceived: race, color, religion, sex, age, marital status, gender expression, disability, political affiliation, source of income, personal appearance, etc.
5. Privacy and no interference with your comfort, safety or enjoyment of the rental.

FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE DLCP CONSUMER PROTECTION UNIT

DLCP works in concert with several sister agencies to help protect your rights, and fines for failure to have the appropriate license, operating outside of DC regulations, or misleading potential tenants can start at $1,000. [JM1.1]

If you've been the victim of unfair or deceptive rental practices, or unsure of the license status of a potential unit, please submit a complaint here and our investigators will reach out to you to help you with your concern.

Contact DLCP at [email protected], 202-671-4500 or visit our website here if you have any additional questions or for more information.

FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE DLCP CONSUMER PROTECTION UNIT