DC AG suing landlord over poor living conditions: 'Mountains of trash,' bedbugs, drugs, guns

WASHINGTON - Dozens of tenants in D.C. have been forced to leave their homes after the city deemed their building unsafe and unlivable. Now, there’s a lawsuit from the Attorney General’s office against the landlord.

What we know:

The landlord of 5128 and 5134 Sheriff Road in Northeast D.C. is facing a lawsuit from D.C. Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb.

The lawsuit details poor living conditions, including "mountains of trash," rodent and bedbug infestations, mold, and more. 

"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 Schwalb in a statement. "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."

OAG filed its lawsuit against Mikhail Phillips, 711 49th Street LLC, RLP Investment Group LLC and Vision Realty Management LLC. The OAG's office say they collectively own or manage two multifamily buildings with 25 total units located in Ward 7. The OAG's office also alleges at least seven people were found murdered or dead at the two properties since 2023. 

The tenants in one of the buildings were required to evacuate Thursday — temporarily — until the building is deemed safe.

What they're saying:

"For a very long time, they’ve been reaching out to the property owner … but they’ve gotten no responses. That stops today. This lawsuit is about restitution for the tenants and getting conditions fixed so we can have safe, habitable housing for the tenants," said Zenia Wilson Laws, Special Counsel for Nuisance Abatement.

"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 tenant Karen Glover in a statement. "I have been living without hot water because of a massive water leak that destroyed my heating tank."