Washington, D.C.’s attorney general is suing the owners and managers of two Brightwood apartment buildings, alleging tenants lived with dangerous conditions for years and faced retaliation after demanding repairs.
The lawsuit involves properties at 1355 Peabody Street NW and 6000 13th Street NW. According to the Office of the Attorney General, the buildings contain 96 apartments and are owned by Saifur Khan and Monna Khan through 16th St. Heights Aaron LLC and Ahmed Inc.
Attorney General Brian Schwalb’s office alleges tenants reported long-running problems, including winter heating outages, pest infestations, broken doors and windows, damaged walls, damaged ceilings, broken floors, appliance problems, and fire-safety hazards.
For families living with broken heat, pests, unsafe wiring, damaged locks, or missing fire-safety equipment, the dispute is not about cosmetic repairs. Those conditions can affect whether an apartment is safe to live in at all.
The Complaint Describes Years of Problems
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The attorney general’s office says inspectors documented extensive housing-code violations dating back to at least 2022.
The court complaint says the Department of Buildings issued 64 notices of infraction involving 172 violations at the two properties.
According to the complaint, 78 of those violations remained unabated when the case was filed. The remaining violations involved fire safety, electrical equipment exposed to water, infestations, plumbing, heating, stairs, common-area lighting, and damaged surfaces.
Tenants Said They Felt Unsafe at Home
The lawsuit says tenants wrote to ownership in 2025 about ongoing heat problems, chronic mice, bedbug, and cockroach infestations, and feeling unsafe in their homes.
OAG investigators also reported signs of poor conditions during property visits, including damaged flooring, damaged walls, broken windows, exposed wiring, apparent mold, and pest evidence in multiple units.
The agency says the owners and managers received notice from tenants, OAG, and the Department of Buildings, but allowed unsafe and unsanitary conditions to continue.
The Suit Also Alleges Tenant Retaliation
The attorney general’s office says tenants at the two buildings formed a joint association and organized for repairs.
The lawsuit alleges the owners and their agents harassed or intimidated tenants for exercising their rights. OAG says the alleged conduct included threats to call police if tenants held meetings, eviction notices issued to tenant-association leaders after OAG visits, and loud music played during a tenant rally to drown out residents speaking about conditions.
The complaint also alleges tenants were warned not to allow OAG staff into their units and were pressured to stop working with volunteer tenant organizers.
DC Is Seeking Repairs and Tenant Relief
The lawsuit asks the court to address the property-maintenance and housing-code violations, order restitution and damages for harmed tenants, and impose civil penalties.
The case names unsafe housing conditions and retaliation claims brought by the District, not findings from a final judgment.
Tenants dealing with unsafe housing should keep photos, dates, repair requests, inspection notices, rent records, and messages from management. In D.C., OAG says tenants can report housing-condition complaints to [email protected].