Attorney General Schwalb Secures Settlements That Will Improve Living Conditions at Two Ward 7 Apartment Complexes

Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today announced settlements with the owners and managers of two apartment complexes in Ward 7, Benning Courts and Azeeze Bates Apartments, that will improve living conditions for tenants and ensure ongoing compliance with DC housing code and consumer protection laws at the properties.

The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) opened an investigation after receiving complaints from tenants and uncovered housing code violations that threatened the health and safety of residents. The owners of the properties, Gales Place Associates Limited Partnership and Azeeze Bates Limited Partnership, and the company that manages their operations, Horning Management Company LLC (Horning), cooperated fully with OAG's investigation and acted promptly to remedy the violations OAG documented. In addition to the repairs Horning and the property owners have already made, the settlements require them to take additional steps to fix issues identified by the Department of Buildings (DOB), perform preventative maintenance and ongoing pest control treatments, respond immediately to emergency maintenance requests, and submit to OAG inspections until 2028.

"Every DC tenant has a right to live in safe and healthy homes, and property owners and managers are obligated by law to maintain their buildings and meet basic safety standards," said Attorney General Schwalb. "When our team reached out to the owners and managers of the Azeeze Bates Apartments and Benning Court about serious problems at their properties, they worked with us to address them. This settlement will further improve conditions for hundreds of residents and will help ensure these housing complexes are properly maintained moving forward."

"Horning is proud of its seven-decade history as a leading housing provider across the District and will continue to work in partnership with all city agencies to ensure that residents are put first," said Jamie Weinbaum, President of Horning. "Horning worked collaboratively with the Office of the Attorney General to address issues raised in an expeditious and holistic manner, and we appreciate OAG's professionalism in reaching a practical, mutually acceptable resolution of this investigation."

Horning manages about 20 apartment complexes across the District, including Benning Courts (1701-1713 Benning Road NE) and Azeeze Bates Apartments (1515-1525 F Street NE) in Ward 7. Benning Courts contains 97 apartments and the Azeeze Bates Apartments contains 92. OAG opened investigations into conditions at the two complexes after receiving complaints from residents, and found evidence of widespread rodent infestations, mold, water leaks, broken and unsecured doors and windows, and other issues impacting tenant health and safety.

Horning and the properties' owners cooperated with OAG's investigation and responded to the District's letters alleging violations of DC Housing Code and consumer protection law. The issues OAG identified at the Azeeze Bates Apartments were remediated, and the majority of the issues OAG identified at Benning Courts were also remediated.

Now, under the terms of two settlement agreements, Horning, Gales Place Associates Limited Partnership and Azeeze Bates Limited Partnership will also:

• Make additional repairs. Horning and the owners of Benning Courts and Azeeze Bates Apartments have already made repairs that were needed to protect the health and safety of residents. Now, they will make additional repairs to remedy all outstanding DOB infractions within 35 days.
  
• Regularly perform pest control treatment. The property owners and managers will maintain a contract with a licensed pest control company and conduct pest treatments indoors and outdoors on a quarterly basis. Tenants will also have the option to request in-unit extermination service between the quarterly treatments.
  
• Perform property-wide preventative maintenance. At least once a year, the property owners and managers will inspect all units, common areas, and major building systems and make any needed repairs.
  
• Address emergency maintenance requests within 24 hours. The property owners and managers must address emergency maintenance requests-including repairing any conditions that pose an imminent threat to health and safety, like lack of water or electricity, lack of heat or air conditioning, fire damage, leaks and floods-within 24 hours. If emergency conditions cannot be fixed within 24 hours, they must provide tenants with a place to stay until repairs are made.
  
• Submit to annual inspections by OAG until 2028.

This matter was handled by Assistant Attorney General Francesca Gibson. It was supervised by Chief of the Housing and Environmental Justice Section Joanna Wasik.

The settlement involving Azeeze Bates Apartments is available here.

The settlement involving Benning Courts is available here.

OAG's Enforcement Authority
OAG exercises its enforcement authority under several District statutes and regulations to protect tenants, including the Tenant Receivership Act and the Construction Codes, which gives OAG authority to force landlords to fix health and safety issues at rental properties, and the Consumer Protection Procedures Act, which protects consumers-including tenants-from deceptive and unfair business practices.

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. Tenants may send complaints about your housing conditions to [email protected].

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