GETTING HELP FROM CITY OFFICIALS
If you can’t get your problem resolved through building management or with the tenants association, you may want to get additional help from city officials.
The first stop should be the Office of the Tenant Advocate, which is a city department tasked with helping renters. The OTA has advisers and lawyers on staff who can help you understand your options. However, the OTA mostly provides advice and in most circumstances won’t follow your situation to resolution.
You can contact your city councilmembers to let them know about the situation.
Mary Cheh is the councilmember for Ward 3, which covers much of Northwest DC including Van Ness. The email address for her office is mcheh@dccouncil.us. The phone number is (202) 724-8062.
Anita Bonds is a councilmember at-large and she also is the chairman of the Committee on Housing and Executive Administration. She is a friend to the tenants association and played a key role in passing a law to stop the “rent concession” scam. The email address for her office is abonds@dccouncil.us. The phone number is (202) 724-8064.
There are three other at-large councilmembers — Elissa Silverman, Robert White and Christina Henderson. City Council Chairman Phil Mendelson also serves as an at-large member.