Most owners we talk to don’t lose sleep over finding a tenant. They lose sleep over the 11 p.m. text about a leaking water heater.
If you own a rowhouse, townhome or condo in Washington, DC and rent it out, you carry a set of maintenance duties that goes further than most people expect. Some of it is common sense. Some of it sits in the local property maintenance code with exact temperatures, dates and deadlines. And a few pieces can cost you real money if you miss them.
This post is for accidental landlords, out-of-town investors, and owners who have self-managed for a while and want to check their blind spots. We’ll cover:
- What the code requires inside and outside the unit
- The deadlines that matter most, since mold and lead each have their own clock
- What you can reasonably ask tenants to handle
- Why slow repairs get expensive fast in this city
We manage 160 single-family homes, townhomes and condos across the city. This comes straight from the work of keeping those properties in shape.
In This Guide
Maintenance Is a Legal Duty, Not a Favor
Plenty of owners think of repairs as good customer service. Be nice, fix things, keep the tenant happy.
That’s part of it. But most of what you fix here is spelled out in the property maintenance code 12-G DCMR, and the Department of Buildings (DOB) enforces it. Tenants can report violations straight to DOB. If you still see the old agency name, DCRA, in landlord forums or on Reddit threads, that information is out of date.
So the first question isn’t “what’s fair?” It’s “what does the code say?”
The most expensive savings you can make
Here’s our honest opinion. Deferred maintenance costs more than almost anything else a landlord does.
A $150 caulking job done on time can prevent a water damage repair that runs into the thousands six months later. Over a five-year stretch, the owners who spend the least on routine upkeep tend to spend the most on emergencies.
Cheap now usually means expensive later.
Your Lease Sets Expectations. The Code Sets the Floor.
Some owners try to write maintenance onto the tenant. “Tenant handles all minor repairs.” “Tenant maintains the HVAC system.” We get the appeal. It feels like a way to keep costs down.
In our experience, clauses like that don’t move code obligations off the owner’s plate. The standards DOB enforces apply to the rental unit itself. A tenant who knows the D.C. landlord-tenant rules will know a lease line can’t turn a broken furnace into their problem.
If you have specific lease language in mind, have a local attorney look at it before you rely on it.
What you can do is ask tenants for reasonable upkeep, like reporting problems quickly and not damaging the place. We’ll get to that list below.
Heat, Hot Water and Air Conditioning
These three create more urgent calls than anything else. They also come with the clearest numbers.
Heat
If your lease, written or implied, includes heat, you must supply enough of it from October 1 through May 1 to keep every habitable room and bathroom at 68°F or warmer.
“If your lease, written or implied, includes heat, you must supply enough of it from October 1 through May 1 to keep every habitable room and bathroom at 68°F or warmer.”
Buildings with a two-pipe system, or any system that reasonably needs more than 15 days to switch from air conditioning to heat, get a little more time. They must start heating by October 15 at the latest.
Say an owner handles tenant calls personally to save on fees but works a demanding day job. A November heat request sits unanswered for four days. That’s four days of a documented code problem and a cold tenant with every reason to call DOB.
Hot water
DC housing code requires adequate hot water at every sink, tub, shower and laundry facility, and it must reach at least 110°F measured inside the unit. A water heater on its last legs is a code issue, not just an annoyance.
Air conditioning
You aren’t required to install A/C. But if the unit has it, the system must run from no later than May 15 until no earlier than September 15. It has to keep the rooms it serves at 78°F, or at least 15°F below the outside temperature, whichever is warmer.
Picture a landlord who inherits an older Georgetown townhome and assumes the HVAC “probably has a few more years.” It quits on a 95-degree August evening. Now there’s an emergency replacement bill and possibly a complaint on file with DOB.
Utilities
Nobody may live in a unit without water, gas and electricity. An occupied unit without utilities is a violation. Simple as that.
Plumbing, Walls, Floors and Electrical
The interior rules are short and pretty unforgiving. Inside the unit, you’re on the hook for:
- Plumbing: properly installed, with no leaks and no clogs.
- Walls and ceilings: free of cracks, loose plaster, holes and water damage.
- Floors and stairs: safe to walk on.
- Appliances: any stove, oven or fridge you provide must work safely.
- Outlets: at least two separate outlets in each habitable room, plus a grounded or GFCI outlet in bathrooms and laundry areas.
That outlet rule catches a lot of owners with older homes. Large parts of Capitol Hill, Georgetown and Dupont Circle were built in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Knob-and-tube wiring and cast iron drain lines are still hiding in some of those walls.
Small leaks don’t stay small
Say an owner self-manages a Capitol Hill rowhouse. The tenant texts about a slow drip under the kitchen sink, and the owner plans to get to it “next weekend.” Two weeks later the cabinet subfloor has rotted through.
A prompt plumber visit would have cost a fraction of that. Even an after-hours emergency plumbing call here typically runs around $250 to $500. Rebuilding a cabinet base and subfloor costs a lot more.
Windows, Doors and Locks
Windows and doors seem minor until a tenant can’t open a bedroom window in a fire. Here’s what the code expects:
- Screens: required on windows from March 15 to November 15.
- Window condition: sound, weathertight, in good repair and easy to open.
- Deadbolts: every door into the unit needs one that opens from inside without a key or special knowledge.
- Hardware: all door hardware kept in good working order.
Old wood sashes painted shut are common in rowhouses. They fail the “easy to open” test. And if the house was built before 1978, scraping that paint brings in the lead rules covered further down.
Smoke Detectors, CO Detectors and Fire Safety
This is the section where a $25 part can matter more than a $10,000 renovation.
- Smoke detectors: in every bedroom, on every level, and near all bedrooms.
- Carbon monoxide detectors: near bedrooms if the unit has a fuel-burning appliance or the building has an attached garage.
- Window bars: bars on bedroom windows must open from inside without a key, tool or unusual force.
- Condo and apartment buildings: lit exit signs, fire extinguishers and a fire alarm system.
In a condo, the association usually maintains the common-area pieces. Confirm that with your building rather than assuming it.
Who replaces detector batteries is a question we hear a lot. Don’t assume it’s the tenant’s job. Check the current rule, test every detector at each turnover, and keep a dated record that you did.
Pests, Trash and the Yard
Every rental unit must be free of insects and rodents and kept clean and sanitary. The building and outdoor areas can’t give rodents a place to nest, and trash can’t pile up.
Anyone who has walked a rowhouse alley in July knows rats are not a theoretical problem in our area.
Yards count too. Weeds and plants can’t grow taller than 8 inches. That’s a low bar for a back patch nobody looks at, so put it on someone’s schedule.
The Outside of the Building
For single-family homes and townhomes, the exterior is usually all yours. The code covers:
- Roofs and flashing that keep rain out
- Gutters and downspouts kept clear
- Porches, decks, balconies and stairs that are structurally sound
- Handrails on any stairs with more than three risers
- Guards on walking surfaces more than 30 inches above the level below
- Sidewalks, driveways and parking areas free of hazards
Rooftop decks and old front stoops are the two we’d check first on a rowhouse. A wobbly railing on a roof deck is the kind of thing that looks fine until someone leans on it.
Mold Has Its Own Clock
Mold gets its own law with its own deadlines. Under D.C. Code § 8-241.04, when a tenant reports mold or suspected mold in writing or electronically, the owner must:
- Inspect within 7 days of the report.
- Remediate within 30 days of the inspection, unless a court or the Mayor orders a shorter deadline.
- Use a professional indoor mold remediator if the owner knows or has reason to know of indoor mold contamination.
Note the word “electronically.” A portal message or an email is a report. Treat it like one the moment it lands.
Summer humidity here speeds up mold in older basements and bathrooms with weak ventilation. A bathroom fan that doesn’t work is a mold report waiting to happen.
The 30-day remediation window starts at the inspection, and the inspection must happen within 7 days of the tenant’s report. If you let a mold message sit for two weeks, you’ve already broken the first deadline before any work begins.
Lead Paint in Older Homes
A large share of the housing stock in the District went up before 1978. If your property is one of them, these rules apply to you.
The baseline rule
Units built before 1978 must be kept free of lead-based paint hazards. The law doesn’t require the home to be lead-free. But it presumes any paint in a pre-1978 home is lead-based, so peeling or chipping paint counts as a hazard.
Contractors who disturb that paint must use lead-safe work practices and contain the work area. The city can also deny an owner in violation a license or permit tied to use or occupancy of the unit.
Paperwork and deadlines
The federal pamphlet alone doesn’t cover you locally. Here’s how the main lead deadlines line up:
| Trigger | What you owe |
|---|---|
| Before the tenant is bound by a lease | The Mayor’s lead disclosure form, listing known lead paint, hazards and pending orders |
| A person at risk will live in or regularly visit the unit | A clearance report issued within the past 12 months, before the lease is binding |
| Tenant later notifies you in writing of a person at risk | A clearance report within 30 days |
| Every lease signing, renewal and rent-increase notice | A notice of lead-law rights on the Mayor’s form |
| You learn of lead paint in the unit | Notify the tenant within 10 days, with the federal Lead Warning Statement and pamphlet (unless given in the prior 12 months) |
| You receive a written order to eliminate lead hazards | Comply within 30 days (extensions of up to 30 days at a time for good cause) |
If an order requires relocation, the owner pays reasonable temporary relocation costs for at-risk tenants. You must give at least 14 days’ written notice, and tenants have the right to return on the same terms.
For a pre-1978 home, lead compliance is mostly paperwork and paint condition. Keep paint intact, use lead-safe contractors, and send the right form at every lease, renewal and rent increase.
What Tenants Usually Handle
Tenants do carry some of the load. Leases commonly assign them the day-to-day items, while the owner keeps the systems and the code obligations.
| Usually the owner | Usually the tenant (per the lease) |
|---|---|
| Heat, hot water and existing A/C | Reporting problems promptly |
| Plumbing leaks and clogs from normal use | Damage they or their guests cause |
| Roof, gutters, exterior and structure | Keeping the unit reasonably clean |
| Pest control and rodent-proofing | Light bulbs and simple upkeep the lease spells out |
| Smoke and CO detectors installed and working | Not disabling detectors |
| Lead hazards and mold remediation | Running bathroom fans and reporting moisture |
Pets come up here too. Our general advice is to allow them if you’re comfortable with it, since it widens your pool of renters. Pet rent helps offset the extra wear.
Why Slow Repairs Get Expensive
Ignoring a written repair request is one of the most costly mistakes a D.C. landlord can make. That text or email becomes a timestamped record of a problem you knew about.
Retaliation rules
Under D.C. Code § 42-3505.02, you can’t retaliate against a tenant who asks for repairs or reports code violations. That includes:
- Raising the rent
- Cutting services
- Refusing to renew
- Harassing the tenant
If you take one of those actions within 6 months after a witnessed oral or written repair request, a report to officials, or a lawful rent withholding after notice, the law presumes retaliation. You then have to rebut it with clear and convincing evidence. The tenant doesn’t have to prove it.
Repairs and eviction cases
The RENTAL Act D.C. Law 26-80 changed how nonpayment cases work. Either side can ask the court for a protective order requiring the tenant to pay rent into the court registry. The court must tell the tenant about common defenses that can lower that amount, including current housing-code violations.
So unfixed repairs can shrink what a tenant pays while the case runs.
A pile of unanswered repair requests can weaken your position in a nonpayment case and trigger the retaliation presumption if you try to raise rent or decline a renewal. Fix it, document it, and keep the record.
A Seasonal Maintenance Calendar for This Market
Our climate has a rhythm, and maintenance should follow it. Here’s the calendar we’d hand any owner:
- September: service the heating system before October 1, or before October 15 for two-pipe systems.
- October and November: clear gutters after leaf drop and insulate exposed pipes.
- December through February: watch for freeze risk in townhomes and older single-family homes with exposed plumbing.
- Early March: get screens on every window by March 15.
- April and early May: service the A/C so it’s running by May 15.
- June through August: watch humidity, check bathroom fans, and keep weeds under 8 inches.
Annual HVAC servicing typically runs around $150 to $300. Skipping it is one of the most common owner mistakes we see, and it saves a small amount until the day it costs a lot.
How We Handle Maintenance at Rent The District
We’ve been in business for 12 years. Our current owner acquired the company from the previous owner, and property management is all we do. No sales side, no splitting focus.
Maintenance runs through two coordinators. Janika and Ben, our maintenance coordinators, triage every request and dispatch the right licensed vendor from the plumbing, HVAC and electrical contractors we work with. Our targets:
- Emergencies: response in under 24 hours
- Routine requests: response within 48 to 72 hours
- Tenant channels: portal, email, phone or text
Everything runs through AppFolio. Each request gets a timestamp, notes and photos, and owners see the activity in their reports. Rebecca, our bookkeeper, ties invoices to the work so the numbers match what happened. That record is exactly what you want if a tenant ever disputes a repair timeline.
Owners work directly with our leadership team, not an entry-level coordinator. One long-time client described the team as “attentive, professional, responsive, and genuinely customer-service oriented.” Another owner of a single-family home said Raymond and his team have been “standouts in maintaining our property and securing long-term leases.”
Good maintenance and long leases go together. Our portfolio vacancy sits at 5%.
Self-Managing? A Quick Decision Rule
Some owners do this well on their own. Lots of houses for rent in DC by owner are well kept. The question is whether you can cover the duties above without gaps.
Ask yourself:
- Can you respond to a no-heat call within hours on a January weeknight?
- Do you know which lead form goes out with your next rent increase?
- Do you have a plumber, HVAC tech and electrician who will pick up after hours?
- Do you keep timestamped records of every repair request and fix?
- Would you catch a mold message within 7 days, even on vacation?
If you answered “no” to two or more, that’s a signal worth paying attention to.
For context, our management fee is 8% of monthly rent. Across our portfolio, average rent runs about $3,100, which puts the fee around $248 a month. Compare that to one emergency HVAC replacement or a single code complaint.
If keeping up with repairs and code rules feels harder than it should, we’re open to a conversation.
FAQ
Is a landlord required to provide air conditioning?
No, the code doesn’t require you to install A/C. If the unit already has it, though, it must run from no later than May 15 until no earlier than September 15 and keep rooms at 78°F, or at least 15°F below the outside temperature, whichever is warmer.
How warm does a rental have to be in winter?
If the lease includes heat, every habitable room and bathroom must stay at 68°F or warmer from October 1 through May 1. Buildings with two-pipe systems must start heating by October 15 at the latest.
How fast does a landlord have to deal with mold?
After a written or electronic mold report, the owner must inspect within 7 days and remediate within 30 days of that inspection. A professional remediator must do the work if the owner knows or has reason to know of indoor mold contamination.
Can I make tenants responsible for repairs in the lease?
You can ask tenants to cover damage they cause and handle simple upkeep the lease spells out. In our experience, a lease clause won’t move code obligations like heat, plumbing or pest control off the owner, so have an attorney review any repair language.
What happens if I raise rent after a tenant asks for repairs?
If you raise rent, cut services, refuse to renew or harass a tenant within 6 months of a repair request or a report to officials, the law presumes retaliation. You would then need clear and convincing evidence to show it wasn’t.
Who enforces the housing code in the District?
The Department of Buildings (DOB) enforces the property maintenance code, and tenants report violations to DOB. Lead programs for rental housing are administered by the Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE); however, as of June 12, 2026, DOEE no longer conducts residential mold complaint inspections for rental housing.