District of Columbia Mold, Pests, Heat & AC Rules
District of Columbia rules on mold, pests, heat & ac for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: Yes. After written or electronic notice from a tenant that mold or suspected mold exists in the unit or a common area, the property owner must inspect within 7 days and remediate within 30 days of the inspection (unless a shorter deadline is ordered). D.C. Code §§ 8-241.01, 8-241.02, 8-241.04, 8-241.05(a); D.C. Tenant Bill of Rights (OTA, rev. Sept. 25, 2026)
The rules in District of Columbia
| Mold | Yes. After written or electronic notice from a tenant that mold or suspected mold exists in the unit or a common area, the property owner must inspect within 7 days and remediate within 30 days of the inspection (unless a shorter deadline is ordered). Mold above the District's contamination threshold must be remediated by a licensed mold remediation professional. A professional mold assessment finding contamination creates a rebuttable presumption of a housing code violation, and a court may award assessment costs, attorney fees and, for bad-faith failure to remediate within 60 days, treble damages. When a tenant applies, the landlord must disclose either a 3-year history of mold contamination in the unit and common areas or proof of proper remediation. Enacted by D.C. Law 20-135 (2014). Some 2021 amendments to § 8-241.05 (D.C. Law 23-188) are not funded and not in effect. Re-verified 2026-10-27. |
|---|---|
| Pests & bed bugs | No bed-bug-specific statute. Under the D.C. Housing Code, all rental dwellings must be free of insects and rodents, and structures and exterior property must be kept free from rodent harborage and infestation. Keeping the premises free of rodents and pests is part of the implied warranty of habitability; maintenance of the unit is a shared responsibility, while common areas are primarily the landlord's responsibility. Official regulation text not freely readable online in a form that could be retrieved; requirements taken from the Department of Buildings' housing code standards page and the Office of the Tenant Advocate's Tenant Bill of Rights. Tenants may request a Department of Buildings inspection. |
| Heat | Yes. Heating equipment must keep all habitable rooms, bathrooms and toilet rooms at no less than 68°F from 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. and 65°F from 11:00 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., from October 1 to May 1. With a two-pipe system or any system needing more than 15 days to switch from air conditioning to heat, heat must start no later than October 15. Landlords must also have heating and hot water systems professionally tested annually. Official regulation text not freely readable online in a retrievable form; temperatures taken from the D.C. Attorney General's tenant alert and the Department of Buildings' housing code standards page. Hot water must reach at least 110°F inside the unit. |
| Air conditioning | Where an air-conditioning system is provided, it must be operated and maintained from no later than May 15 through no earlier than September 15, keeping the rooms it serves at the greater of 78°F or at least 15°F below the outside temperature. The Housing Code does not require a landlord to install air conditioning where none is provided. Official regulation text not freely readable online in a retrievable form; standard taken from the Department of Buildings' housing code standards page. |
| Smoke and CO detectors | The owner of each new and existing occupied dwelling unit is responsible for installing smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in accordance with the D.C. Construction Codes; a tenant is not an "owner" for this purpose. The District also runs a program to test and install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and batteries in residences at no cost. Source: D.C. Code §§ 6-751.02, 6-751.05a |
Related questions
- Does a landlord have to fix mold?
- Who pays for pest control and bed bugs in a rental?
- Does a landlord have to provide heat?
- Does a landlord have to provide air conditioning?
District of Columbia vs. neighboring states
| State | Mold | Pests & bed bugs | Heat |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | Yes. After written or electronic notice from a tenant that mold or suspected mold exists in the unit or a common area, the property owner must inspect within 7 days and remediate within 30 days of the inspection (unless a shorter deadline is ordered). Mold above the District's contamination threshold must be remediated by a licensed mold remediation professional. A professional mold assessment finding contamination creates a rebuttable presumption of a housing code violation, and a court may award assessment costs, attorney fees and, for bad-faith failure to remediate within 60 days, treble damages. When a tenant applies, the landlord must disclose either a 3-year history of mold contamination in the unit and common areas or proof of proper remediation. D.C. Code §§ 8-241.01, 8-241.02, 8-241.04, 8-241.05(a); D.C. Tenant Bill of Rights (OTA, rev. Sept. 25, 2026) | No bed-bug-specific statute. Under the D.C. Housing Code, all rental dwellings must be free of insects and rodents, and structures and exterior property must be kept free from rodent harborage and infestation. Keeping the premises free of rodents and pests is part of the implied warranty of habitability; maintenance of the unit is a shared responsibility, while common areas are primarily the landlord's responsibility. D.C. Housing Code (14 DCMR) and Property Maintenance Code (12G DCMR), as summarized by the Department of Buildings; D.C. Tenant Bill of Rights § 7 | Yes. Heating equipment must keep all habitable rooms, bathrooms and toilet rooms at no less than 68°F from 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. and 65°F from 11:00 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., from October 1 to May 1. With a two-pipe system or any system needing more than 15 days to switch from air conditioning to heat, heat must start no later than October 15. Landlords must also have heating and hot water systems professionally tested annually. 14 DCMR § 501; D.C. Tenant Bill of Rights § 7 |
| Maryland | Yes, by statute (Maryland Tenant Mold Protection Act, effective July 1, 2025). Landlords must give each tenant the state mold information pamphlet when the lease is signed and on request, and ask the tenant to sign an acknowledgment. Within 15 days after written notice of mold from the tenant, a building occupant or the local housing-code agency, the landlord must do a mold assessment. If mold is found, the landlord must remediate it within 45 days after the assessment, or within a reasonable time if 45 days isn't feasible. Assessment and remediation must follow industry guidelines and state and local law. The landlord must keep the property properly ventilated with low indoor humidity, communicate with occupants during the work, and meet minimum livability codes. Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-220; Md. Code, Envir. § 6-1702 (2025 Md. Laws ch. 539, SB 856) | No bed-bug-specific statute. A rodent infestation in two or more units is a listed serious defect: if the landlord fails to fix it within a reasonable time after notice (over 30 days is presumed unreasonable), the tenant may use rent escrow. Other infestations that create a health hazard can also qualify. The state Minimum Livability Code, which adopts the International Property Maintenance Code, applies where no substantially similar local code exists. Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-211(d)(3), (d)(5), (g); COMAR 09.12.54.03-.04 | Lack of heat is a listed serious defect: if the landlord doesn't fix it within a reasonable time after notice, the tenant can use rent escrow. This does not apply when the tenant pays the utility and the lack of heat is from the tenant's own nonpayment. No state statute sets a minimum temperature. The state Minimum Livability Code adopts the 2012 International Property Maintenance Code, which contains heating standards, for housing in localities without a substantially similar local code. Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-211(d)(1); COMAR 09.12.54.03-.04 |
| Virginia | Yes — detailed statute. Disclosure: the move-in inspection report must state whether there is visible evidence of mold in readily accessible interior areas; a 'no visible mold' statement is deemed correct unless the tenant objects in writing within 5 days. If mold is disclosed, the tenant may terminate and not take (or keep) possession, or take possession and have the landlord remediate within 5 business days, reinspect and issue a new report. Duty: the landlord must maintain the premises to prevent moisture accumulation and mold growth, respond promptly to tenant notices, and promptly remediate visible mold to professional standards, reinspect, and give the tenant a summary of remediation information. Where mold materially affects health or safety, the landlord may relocate the tenant for up to 30 days to a comparable unit or hotel at no cost to the tenant (rent continues). Tenants must use reasonable efforts to prevent moisture and mold and promptly report it. Va. Code § 55.1-1215; § 55.1-1220(A)(5); § 55.1-1227(A)(10); § 55.1-1231 | The landlord's general duty to keep the premises fit and habitable and to comply with housing codes applies. The tenant must keep the part of the unit the tenant occupies free from insects and pests and promptly notify the landlord of them, and is financially responsible for added treatment costs caused by unreasonable delay in reporting and for treatment costs caused by the tenant's fault in failing to prevent infestation. The landlord must give at least 48 hours' written notice before applying insecticide or pesticide in a unit (unless the tenant requested it or agrees to less), post notice for common-area applications, and the tenant must prepare the unit per the landlord's written instructions. Va. Code § 55.1-1220(A)(1)-(2); § 55.1-1227(A)(3), (14); § 55.1-1223 | Yes. The landlord must supply heat in season (unless heat is generated by equipment within the tenant's exclusive control or supplied by a direct public utility connection) and keep heating facilities in good and safe working order. Heat is an 'essential service'; if the landlord willfully or negligently fails to supply it, the tenant may give written notice and, after a reasonable time to correct, pursue statutory remedies (such as damages for reduced rental value). State law sets no minimum temperature or dates for the heating season; local codes may. Va. Code § 55.1-1220(A)(4), (7); § 55.1-1200 ('essential service'); § 55.1-1239 |
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District of Columbia Mold, Pests, Heat & AC Rules FAQ
Does a landlord have to fix mold in District of Columbia?
Yes. After written or electronic notice from a tenant that mold or suspected mold exists in the unit or a common area, the property owner must inspect within 7 days and remediate within 30 days of the inspection (unless a shorter deadline is ordered). Mold above the District's contamination threshold must be remediated by a licensed mold remediation professional. A professional mold assessment finding contamination creates a rebuttable presumption of a housing code violation, and a court may award assessment costs, attorney fees and, for bad-faith failure to remediate within 60 days, treble damages. When a tenant applies, the landlord must disclose either a 3-year history of mold contamination in the unit and common areas or proof of proper remediation. (D.C. Code §§ 8-241.01, 8-241.02, 8-241.04, 8-241.05(a); D.C. Tenant Bill of Rights (OTA, rev. Sept. 25, 2026))
Who pays for pest control and bed bugs in District of Columbia?
No bed-bug-specific statute. Under the D.C. Housing Code, all rental dwellings must be free of insects and rodents, and structures and exterior property must be kept free from rodent harborage and infestation. Keeping the premises free of rodents and pests is part of the implied warranty of habitability; maintenance of the unit is a shared responsibility, while common areas are primarily the landlord's responsibility. (D.C. Housing Code (14 DCMR) and Property Maintenance Code (12G DCMR), as summarized by the Department of Buildings; D.C. Tenant Bill of Rights § 7)
Does a landlord have to provide heat in District of Columbia?
Yes. Heating equipment must keep all habitable rooms, bathrooms and toilet rooms at no less than 68°F from 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. and 65°F from 11:00 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., from October 1 to May 1. With a two-pipe system or any system needing more than 15 days to switch from air conditioning to heat, heat must start no later than October 15. Landlords must also have heating and hot water systems professionally tested annually. (14 DCMR § 501; D.C. Tenant Bill of Rights § 7)
Does a landlord have to provide air conditioning in District of Columbia?
Where an air-conditioning system is provided, it must be operated and maintained from no later than May 15 through no earlier than September 15, keeping the rooms it serves at the greater of 78°F or at least 15°F below the outside temperature. The Housing Code does not require a landlord to install air conditioning where none is provided. (D.C. Property Maintenance Code (12G DCMR) / Housing Code (14 DCMR), as summarized by the Department of Buildings)
Who is responsible for smoke detectors in a rental in District of Columbia?
The owner of each new and existing occupied dwelling unit is responsible for installing smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in accordance with the D.C. Construction Codes; a tenant is not an "owner" for this purpose. The District also runs a program to test and install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and batteries in residences at no cost. (D.C. Code §§ 6-751.02, 6-751.05a)
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.