Washington, DC - Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today sued the owner and property manager of two apartment buildings in Ward 7’s Deanwood community for forcing tenants to live in deplorable conditions and compromising their health and safety. The Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) investigation discovered severe, dangerous housing code violations at 5128 and 5134 Sheriff Road, Northeast. The buildings have mountains of trash inside and outside the complexes; rodent and bedbug infestations; unlocked and unsecure doors and windows; severe mold contamination; water leaks, including in units where large parts of the ceiling have collapsed; and faulty electrical wiring that has forced tenants to live without working stoves, dishwashers, or refrigerators. OAG’s lawsuit describes how the owner and property manager’s prolonged neglect has allowed persistent illegal drug and firearm activity in and around the property to take place, putting the lives of Sheriff Road tenants and the surrounding community members at risk. 

“Landlords and property managers have a legal obligation to provide a safe and sanitary living environment for their residents. Tenants at Sheriff Road have been forced to endure horrific, dangerous conditions for far too long, and such blatant disregard for District residents’ health and safety stops today,” said Attorney General Schwalb. “My office will continue to use our independent authority to stand up for tenants and ensure that all Washingtonians have a safe place to call home.”

“Residents throughout the District and Ward 7 have the right to live in habitable and accessible housing,” said Ward 7 Councilmember Wendell Felder.  “Residents should be assured that they will be safe in any residence, complex or neighborhood.  Any deviation from this basic standard of living is unacceptable.”

"This is the second year that I have been living with terrible, dangerous conditions including a massive roach infestation—my stove doesn't work and mold has accumulated around the door frames of the kitchen,” said Sheriff Road tenant Karen Glover. “I have been living without hot water because of a massive water leak that destroyed my heating tank. I repeatedly emailed the owner and never got a response. I'm grateful to Attorney General Schwalb for bringing this lawsuit and what will hopefully be relief for myself and my neighbors."

OAG filed its lawsuit against Mikhail Phillips, 711 49th Street LLC, RLP Investment Group LLC, and Vision Realty Management LLC, who collectively own or manage the two multifamily buildings with 25 total units located in Ward 7’s historic Deanwood neighborhood. Between February 2021 and March 2025, the District Department of Buildings (DOB) issued over 30 Notices of Infractions with over 100 violations of the District’s Housing Code and Property Maintenance Code regarding these properties.

Despite being fully aware of the persistent dangers occurring at these properties, the defendants have refused to take any action. OAG’s lawsuit accuses Phillips and the other defendants of violating the District’s Consumer Protection Procedures Act (CPPA), the Tenant Receivership Act (TRA) and the Drug-, Firearm,-or Prostitution- Related Nuisance Abatement Act (Nuisance Act) by:

• Forcing tenants to endure dangerous conditions, including:
  • Water damage from repeated flooding as a direct result of the defendants’ neglect, including a nearly six-month period where the basement was filled with over one foot of toxic, debris-filled water;
  • Unsecure doors and windows, enabling squatters to inhabit empty units and making it easier for individuals to engage in illegal activity;
  • Fire-safety and electrical hazards;
  • Rodent and pest infestations, including rats, cockroaches, and bedbugs;
  • Mold contamination, water leaks, and structural damage throughout the buildings; and
  • Extensive trash accumulation in the interior and exterior of the buildings.
     
• Facilitating illegal gun and drug activity on the properties. From February 2023 to March 2025, at least seven individuals were found murdered or deceased at the properties. The properties have also been the site of multiple shootings, and MPD has recovered numerous firearms and large quantities of illegal drugs after executing search warrants on multiple occasions.
   
• Operating without required licenses or a Certificate of Occupancy.

With this lawsuit, OAG is seeking a court-appointed receiver to develop and execute a plan to address the numerous housing code violations, restitution and damages for harmed tenants, and civil penalties.

A copy of the complaint is available here. 

This matter is being handled by Assistant Attorney General Francesca Gibson, Special Counsel for Nuisance Abatement Zenia Wilson Laws, and Joanna Wasik, Chief of the Housing and Environmental Justice Section, with support from Althea Geletka, Conny Tello and Investigators Cullen Hamilton and Willie Haynes.
 

OAG’s Enforcement Authority
OAG exercises its enforcement authority under several District statutes to protect tenants, including the TRA, under which OAG can force landlords to fix health and safety issues at rental properties; the CPPA, which protects consumers from deceptive and unfair business practices; and the Nuisance Act, under which OAG has authority to take legal action against property owners and managers if there is a pattern of illegal drug-, firearm-, or prostitution-related activities on their properties and if they then fail to implement appropriate security measures to prevent further criminal activity.

Resources for Tenants 
OAG works to ensure that residents across the District have access to safe and affordable housing and holds landlords accountable if they violate the law. Access OAG’s resources to help renters for guidance on how to report problems with your landlord or your housing conditions.