Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today, alongside Councilmember Robert White, announced the introduction of the STRONG Homes Amendment Act of 2025, which would strengthen the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) ability to more quickly hold negligent landlords accountable and protect District tenants who are being forced to live in dangerous housing conditions. The bill revises the Tenant Receivership Act, which currently allows OAG to request a Court-appointed “receiver” to intervene at rental properties with chronic health and safety issues, to allow the Court to move faster in the most serious cases where tenants’ safety is at immediate risk.
“My office receives dozens of complaints every year about Washingtonians being forced to live in unsafe, unhealthy, illegal conditions. To more effectively hold slumlords accountable and ensure that tenants enjoy the safe, habitable homes they are entitled to, we must address systemic gaps that can interfere with swift remediation of the worst conditions and patterns of neglect,” said Attorney General Schwalb. “I’m proud to partner with Councilmember White to improve upon the current system that too often leaves District residents suffering for far too long.”
“Too many families in our city are still boiling water on stoves for heat, sleeping under tarps because the roof leaks every time it rains, or putting their kids to bed in rooms filled with mold,” said Councilmember Robert White. “This bill gives us the tools to step in faster, cut through delay tactics, and force action when landlords fail to meet even the most basic standards of safety and dignity.”
In the most serious cases, OAG holds negligent landlords accountable for poor housing conditions by enforcing the Tenant Receivership Act, which allows OAG to request appointment of a receiver, a neutral third party who works under Court supervision, to take over the property management on a temporary basis. The receiver can assess repair needs, collect rents, request other funds from the owner, and ensure that repairs are made to bring the property up to code. Where necessary, the receiver can seek a judicial sale or file bankruptcy to ensure that a new owner with sufficient funds will run the property responsibly.
The STRONG Homes Amendment Act of 2025 will close longstanding gaps in the Tenant Receivership Act that keep dangerous buildings in disrepair for far too long by giving OAG stronger authority to move more quickly to protect tenants, stabilize properties, and ensure public funds are used efficiently.
Specifically, the bill will:
- Allow OAG to use the Tenant Receivership Abatement Fund for emergency repairs and services, temporary relocation expenses, and receiver’s fees.
- Allow the Court to authorize the sale of a property when the owner refuses to make repairs or address chronic conditions that are putting tenants’ health and safety at risk.
- Ensure that any owner that purchases a property out of receivership will agree to address all existing housing code violations and present a detailed plan to do so.
- Ensure receiverships survive sale of a property by providing that a new owner will be added to any ongoing receivership case and will be responsible for funding the receivership for their period of ownership.
- Expedite enforcement and deter negligent landlords from delaying the repair process, for example by allowing email service of violations and preventing landlords from proposing their own abatement plans.
- Ensure tenants do not have to pay for the landlord’s neglect by barring landlords from raising rents during or after the receivership to recover repairs costs.
- Extend the Attorney General’s existing authority to cover judicial dissolution of LLCs and LPs.
- Many multi-family rental properties in the District are owned by LLCs or LPs, so this change would allow OAG to file a lawsuit when a current owner is abusing or exceeding their legal authority, allowing for a transfer to a new owner who will follow the law.
The text of the legislation is available here.