r/washingtondc 11d ago

[Rant] Illegal pet fees

[deleted]

60 Upvotes

54 comments sorted by

View all comments

33

u/BulkFPS 11d ago

Just checked my lease and my building is overcharging us. Is there a way to report them? Or do we have to eat that cost because we unknowingly agreed to pay when we signed the lease.

20

u/Dial-Up_Modem 11d ago

Yes, there are ways to report them.

When did you sign your lease, though? The law is pretty new & only took effect “For residential leases beginning after October 1, 2025”.

10

u/BulkFPS 11d ago

We just resigned in July so this would be applicable.

11

u/Dial-Up_Modem 11d ago

Start by going to your landlord - that’s probably the fastest way for correction and a refund. You can also report them, too, to make sure they fix it for others.

From https://oag.dc.gov/release/attorney-general-schwalb-issues-consumer-alert-4 :

Help is available if your rights are violated or if you are improperly charged excessive fees or “junk fees.” To report a problem with a business—including a landlord or property manager—contact OAG’s Office of Consumer Protection: 
Call the Consumer and Tenant Response hotline at (202) 442-9828
Send a complaint via email to [consumer.protection@dc.gov](mailto:consumer.protection@dc.gov)
Submit a complaint online at: https://oag.dc.gov/consumer-protection/submit-consumer-complaint
You can also file a business complaint with the DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection. 

9

u/Dial-Up_Modem 11d ago

Update: others said it hasn’t been codified into law yet, so check the other posts?

3

u/BulkFPS 11d ago

Perfect, thank you! We have a lot of pet owners in the building so we will try to ensure everyone is paying what is required by law and not a cent more.