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Bill would increase inspections of troubled DC buildings

DC Council Chair Mendelson is pushing a bill to increase proactive building inspections, rather than the current complaint-based system.

WASHINGTON — The chairman of the DC Council is advocating for passage of a new bill regarding rental property inspections. He recently took a WUSA9 reporter on a neighborhood tour to show why. 

"A building like this, which has something like 90 housing code violations over the last year or two would have to be proactively inspected annually," Chairman Phil Mendelson said, pointing to a 50-year-old apartment building near 12th and M Streets Northwest. 

The Council chairman said King Towers is an example of what he wants to prevent. D.C. records show resident complaints have racked up over the years, including failure to fix loose plaster, holes or decayed wood, failure to install smoke alarms, or failure to exterminate rodent infestation. 

District numbers reviewed by Mendelson's office show King Towers has racked up $110,127 in fines since January 2021. As of October, only 14 of 78 violations are considered fixed by D.C.'s Department of Buildings

"Some of those housing code violations could be serious," Mendelson said. 

Credit: Becca Knier
King Towers, NW DC

Mendelson wrote the “Proactive Inspection Bill,” which if passed, mandates all rental buildings get inspected up to once a year. Currently, inspections can be spaced out up to once every four years or when complaints happen. The bill means inspection frequency would be based on the building’s age and past code violations.

"We increase the number of inspectors and substantially so there are resources to do this," Mendelson said. 

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DC’s Department of Buildings, responsible for inspections, declined an interview. But in a statement, the department said it will not comment until the bill gets a hearing in November.

As for King Towers, WUSA9 called, emailed and visited the rental office and dropped off a card yet we did not get a response from building management.

Credit: Becca Knier
DC Council Chair Phil Mendelson & WUSA9's Nathan Baca walking near Thomas Circle DC


Mendelson recognizes he hasn’t come up with a price to pay for more inspectors yet, but says it will be worth the cost. 

"The better the city can do in proactively ensuring the building complies with the housing code to better the quality of life for tenants," he said. 

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