This Amendment protects good tenants from harassment, supports honest landlords with advocacy, and saves taxpayer money by streamlining disputes.
Why DC Needs This Amendment
The RENTAL Amendment Act of 2025 failed to fix key loopholes that let the Department of Buildings (DOB) enforcement be misused against law-abiding property owners. The proposed Bad-Faith Complaint Reform and Housing Fairness Amendment Act of 2026 would seal those gaps, creating a fairer system for tenants, landlords, and D.C. taxpayers alike.
Problem 1: Weaponization of DOB Enforcement Bad-faith individuals have figured out how to game the system, using repeated DOB complaints to harass owners, delay essential repairs, and squander millions in taxpayer dollars. For example, a single tenant in a tiny 225-square-foot unit filed complaints that blocked 93 inspections, racked up nearly 100 reports, and left a seven-unit building empty for six full years—yet DOB kept issuing citations to the landlord each time.
Problem 2: Violations Issued Without On-Site Verification DOB frequently hands out interior violations based solely on unverified tenant photos, statements, or claims—without ever physically entering the unit to confirm the issues. This opens the door to fabricated or staged conditions being treated as real violations.
Problem 3: Tenant Refusal to Allow Access = Landlord Fines When tenants block inspectors or repair crews from entering, DOB often turns that obstruction into new violations and penalties against the landlord. Owners end up fined for problems they’re physically prevented from inspecting or correcting, while obstructive tenants face no repercussions.
Problem 4: Zero Accountability for Abusive Patterns The current system lacks any process to detect, document, or penalize repeated false, harassing, or fraudulent complaints. A single person can file unlimited reports, obstruct all fixes, fake evidence, and commit waste—draining public resources with impunity.
The Proposed Fix This 2026 amendment would directly close the gaps left by the 2025 RENTAL Act—while fully preserving legitimate tenant protections. It would refocus DOB enforcement on genuine code violations, prevent abuse, and promote fairness for everyone involved in D.C.'s housing market.
The Problems
Landlord Complaint: No Advocate, No Balance:
Tenants get the Office of the Tenant Advocate (OTA) to fight for them — even without proof or inspection. Landlords get nothing. No office. No advocate. Just expensive court battles and years of abuse.
Serial Abusers Clog the System:
Repeat offenders flood DC with false complaints, burning inspectors’ time and taxpayer dollars.
Anonymous Complaints Cause Chaos: Anyone can file secret complaints with no accountability, harassing honest landlords and wasting resources.
The System Is Weaponized:
Bad-faith tenants use DC’s broken process as a weapon — filing lies, blocking repairs, and bleeding landlords dry. Honest landlords are punished, while professional manipulators exploit loopholes and walk away free.
The Solutions
Create the Office of the Landlord Advocate (OLA). Landlords deserve the same protection tenants already have. DC law required it years ago. This amendment finally delivers it.
Penalize serial abusers to keep the system fair and efficient.
Require names and contact info for every complaint to stop bad-faith attacks.
Shut down the abuse. The amendment stops weaponized complaints, forces proof and punishes serial offenders — protecting housing from predators who exploit the system.
This Amendment delivers the fairness DC law promised. It protects good tenants from harassment, supports honest landlords with advocacy, and saves taxpayer money by streamlining disputes. Join us to make DC housing work for all!