My apartment building was being sold and we weren't sure of how to proceed. We formed a Tenants Association and got Andrew from DC Tenants' Rights Center to represent us. The whole process took something like 10 months. Even when my association was growing restless at the back and forth between the owner and seller, Andrew was persistent, professional, and positive. I always felt like I had someone reliable advocating on my behalf so that I didn't have to worry about what was happening with it every single day. I would wholeheartedly recommend Andrew to anyone in need of a knowledgeable lawyer in a tough situation. read more

This law firm work is Contributing to the proliferation of an epidemic in numerous urban areas, including Washington DC, by offering assistance to professional tenants--often termed squatters. This aid enables squatters to manipulate legal frameworks, leveraging the eviction process to remain in residences owned by vulnerable homeowners. Compounded by the burden of proof now placed on homeowners by the courts, this scenario allows squatters to extend their stays for prolonged durations, potentially spanning months or years. read more

I worked with Merid who was a constant professional, responsive, and helpful. The Tenants' Right Center gave me great advice and led to a great outcome. I highly recommend this business if you have tenant issues and I highly recommend Merid! read more

I would not recommend this group, and would strongly advise you finding another attorney and/or business to represent you for the following reason - initially, you will see that they have a competitive hourly rate but beware of the actions they will take to rack up additional charges. A few examples include: More than two months after my case was closed, imagine my surprise when I learned that Ellis Linsmith was still billing me on behalf of the company. I had to demand that they close out my account to avoid any additional unknown charges. They claimed that the payment was automatic and could not be refunded/disputed. Also, one of the charges was for a long conversation that my attorney, Neil Satterlund, had with my previous landlords since they failed to follow instructions in the agreement. I was charged about $100 for a conversation that I did not agree to. It felt wrong and unprincipled for them to bill me for a conversation that did not involve me. The right thing to do would be to have Mr. Satterlund recommend my landlords use their attorney to handle the matter with them directly. Their service was ok. If I could do things differently, I would have gone with a different attorney and/or company that prioritizes bill processing and transparency around charges. I would advise you to look further and ask the Office of the Tenant Advocate for other recommendations other than this group. I hope that this helps your search and you don't have to repeat my mistakes. read more

My husband and I were lucky enough to find DC Tenants' Rights Center with an internet search. We met with Andrew a few weeks ago and he was extremely helpful. He listened to our landlord situation and offered us a few different options for moving forward. I always ask a TON of questions and he thoughtfully answered each of them. We took his advice and scheduled a housing inspection. It is coming up this week and we hope it resolves some of our issues, but if not we will be sure to follow up with Andrew about next steps. I also wanted to add that the prices are extremely reasonable and all of the cost information is clearly posted on their website. Highly recommend. read more

Very thankful that this great organization is out there advocating for tenants in DC. Our attorney Catherine Denny did an exceptional job representing me and my wife in a tenant petition against a DC landlord. We brought several issues/concerns about our landlord to her attention and she helped us craft the best legal strategy to help us resolve our case and recover our security deposit and attorney fees. With Ms. Denny's help, we were able to settle before a mediation or hearing was necessary. read more

EDIT: As a follow up to his response, if you have questions about the specific interactions in which Marc has tried to be "respectful" as he claims, I am happy to provide more context to the situation and events that transpired. Please feel free to reach out. I have a multitude of examples in which I was deeply disrespected and harassed as a result of this attorney's actions although I was simply trying to assist my elderly & ill family member. I find it pretty funny how he's trying (for the first time!) to take on a respectful tone now that I've put this out there for everyone to see. I am also a young tenant in DC and can offer alternative options for positive and respectful representation; I am well versed in the challenges of renting in DC and have worked with several advocates who are much better attorneys than Marc :) I had the (dis)pleasure of working with Marc Borbely, the head attorney, on several occasions regarding a settlement and I truly hope to dissuade anyone from having to deal with this incredibly rude man. He is singlehandedly the worst attorney I have ever had to deal with. His unprofessionalism surpasses any expectation I could have had... and let me tell you why. On several occasions, Marc hung up on me abruptly during our phone calls. Marc shared information about our legal cases with outside parties, who were not pertinent or parties to the case, and as a result caused undue harassment and harm to me. Marc did not respond to emails and messages in a timely fashion, sometimes taking over a week to get back to me and only after I made requests for a response. Of course, if I took longer than a day or two to answer his messages...I was bombarded with requests for a response. Marc refused to answer questions that I asked him (a la Brett Kavanaugh...) and sometimes only allotted 5 minutes for our phone calls. Marc, the leader of this organization, is an unprofessional joke. DO NOT waste your time with this attorney. There are much better advocates for the tenants and citizens of DC. This man is no advocate, and he is a disgrace to think of himself as such. Avoid working with him at all costs. read more

Suddenly I found myself in a situation never thought I would - the landlord of which I had just signed a lease with a few months prior was murdered in the DR while visiting his second home. I had no clue what my rights were and neither did the family members who were entrusted with the Trust left behind. I found myself stuck between a family and legal tangled web. DCTRC guided me through filing and representing in landlord tenant court, advocating and negotiating between other attorneys, family members, the freeze of assets and a judge appointed trust audit & representative finally after several years to negotiate through a very successful yet challenging TOPA Agreement and sale of my building. We are now finalizing discussions with the property management firm of the new owner and I'm know my best interests are safe with Marc and his team at the DC Tenants Right Center. Without any hesitation do I wholly recommend them for any matters pertaining to landlord tenant rights matter. They are honest and are guided by the vast experience and I know when I ask "from your experience what would you do if you were me" I'll get a educated response I can rely on. Marc is grounded and level headed and reasonable. Proud to still have them On my team. read more

Marc Borbely has admirably built an impressive community resource with highly qualified attorneys committed to the public interest. The DC Tenants' Rights Center honors its mission to serve tenants, who often face difficult, pressuresome situations. Marc has a history of dedication to helping people in the District of Columbia, and of particular importance to note, he has integrity that guides the Center. Marc recently assisted me on an issue described by many as murky. He was conscientious, constructive and insightful -- and he provided me with an informed, wise perspective. I highly recommend the DCTRC to folks who may need such services. The private, public-minded law firm merits support from the community in appropriate ways. read more

I utilized the DC Tenants rights center recently and worked with Joe Mokodean. The attorneys working here are well-educated, have expertise in DC rental laws, and charge affordable rates for their services. I would highly recommend them, especially for consultations (they do them both over the phone and in-person). read more

I worked with the DC Tenants' Rights Center to help me resolve a conflict with my landlord. Neil was very attentive to my situation and proposed a number of strategies throughout the process. I really appreciated his patience - explaining the costs/benefits of the different strategies, as well as helping assuage my stress about the situation. And to top it all off, their services are very affordable. read more

For legal fees totaling less than a utility bill, D.C. Tenants' Rights saved me $1,600--and I keep saving each month. My management co. and I had a rent dispute, and they threatened to sue me, though I'd been a model tenant for years. I didn't want to cave, but I was very anxious about being hauled into court. I didn't know if I had a case or how to make it. I contacted D.C. Tenants' Rights and consulted with Jennifer Netburn, who gave me the legal language (and confidence) I needed. I ended up telling my landlord that I, actually, planned to take them to court. They erased all my "debt," and kept my rent the same. Everyone at the Tenants' Rights Center was knowledgeable, prompt, and kind. Sophie Thackray handled billing, deposit refunds, and communication at lightning speed. I think of them now every time I pay my low rent. read more

Worked with Jennifer Netburn and her team was a great experience! I reached out to DC Tenants' Rights Center online and was called within a few hours to set up an initial consultation with a Lawyer. I had a rent payment dispute with a property management company and with the advice from Jennie, I was able to settle the dispute outside of the legal system. She was knowledgeable about DC Tenant Law and when there was an something she didn't know, she was straightforward about it and told me where I could potentially find an answer. The cost was extremely reasonable for legal advice. I would recommend them to anyone. read more

I highly recommend the D.C. Tenants' Rights Center to anyone in need of legal council related to landlord issues or the sale of the property they are renting! I personally worked with Jennie Netburn, and she is extremely knowledgeable in DC Tenant Laws. It was a pleasure working with her in what would have otherwise been a very stressful situation with my landlord if I had tried to navigate it on my own. She is very professional and responsive. She also went above and beyond setting up calls outside of normal business hours when necessary. I feel that the hourly rates are very reasonable for the quality of service provided. If you are in a situation where you feel like you need legal council, reaching out to the D.C. Tenants' Rights Center will certainly put you at ease! read more

Exactly what I needed: advice from a law professional. This group is....whatever the opposite of ambulance chasers is. I needed basic advice about my options in a somewhat odd and uncomfortable rental situation. Marc and his team provided me with sound legal guidance, which in my case was all I needed. The fee to speak with two attorneys for 45 min was incredibly reasonable. When we only spoke for 25, they credited the rest back to me. We should all strive to utilize our skills and serve our community in the way DC Tenants' Rights Center is doing. Right now. read more

My landlord was threatening to saddle me with cleaning/maintenance bills if I didn't dust the entire house and do the yard work whenever he asked......Seemed like a normal person when I rented the room and moved in. Anyway, Leigh Higgins calmly explained to me what my rights are as a tenant and that I was in the right in this dispute. I went back to my landlord with the info I got from Leigh during the consultation I booked with DC Tenant Rights Center and he stopped harassing me. I'm very happy with the $70 I spent on consultation because my landlord backed off when I got a well reasoned legal opinion. read more

Bad experience. Marc Borbely is really unprofessional, not experienced, even sent to wrong address file a motion. he seems nice BEFORE you sign on with him, but after that he unavailable at business hours ever. He doesn't have time to review my 2 pages simple rent lease, made several stupid/unprofessional mistakes; can not deliver the timely sensitive document on time. He totally messed up the simple case but he charged thousands. read more

I reached out to D.C. Tenants' Right Center for representation not consultation. I've faired well with pro se matters in Maryland, but now I live in D.C. and I wanted representation. As a financial professional with over 25 years in structured finance, contracts, mortgage banking and banking, I realize its just a matter of familiarizing oneself with codes and laws. I re-enforced my housing knowledge by being an attendee/participate in the HUD REAC training in March of 2016. That said, in my industry red flags financial professionals are attentive to on our client's behalf is pre-payment for services not products prior to delivery of said service, especially where it relates to marginalized and underserved people/persons. Usually when pre-payment is invoked, it means the service provider has been stiffed by patrons for marginal services provided. Especially when pre-pay is going towards a service/consultation via phone. For those unfamiliar, most attorneys extend a twenty to thirty minute consultation free of charge. That's to gauge your case and determine whether it would be advantageous for them and or lyourself to pursue. At least attorneys that truly operate within the bounds of the moral and ethical clause they've sworn to would conduct business as such. A great deal offer contingency. D.C. Tenants' Right Center functions as a non-profit as a wild guess. However, I would have to dig (if it was worth finding out) if I really wanted to know. I forwarded information as Sophie requested and I was scheduled for a phone consultation, with Marc Borbely, which I don't subscribe to at all. Therefore, I went to their office toreceive a face to face consultation. If I'm paying the fee, we'll be meeting. That's a rule I live by. I personally get much more depth out of that as it relates to if a person is suitable for what I'm attempting to do. I'm a Veteran on a federal housing voucher encountering extreme difficulties with the owner of the apartments about repairs and habitability. I've already experienced this and was successful in Boston, but I moved back in the area 2016. Mind you, I filed the writ/petition with the court myself, sent service to the company as required by the court too. I conveyed that to Sophie on the initial call. I also have extensive lemails back and forth from me to the management company and vice a versa with their responses acknowledging these issues. Of which, most have gone on for over six months. I simply needed Marc Borbely to represent me in court due to my first hearing Jan 9, 2017, the judge was more conciliatory to the management company than my petition of no heat/hot water. I arrived at the 5th street northwest office and rang the buzzer at 8:50am. Mark stuck his head out of a third floor window and hollered, "I'll be right down". I thought I was in the Bronx on Commonwealth Ave. That's what my brother-in-law does when I hit his buzzer, from the fourth floor he yells out the window, "I'm on my way down". That was an unprofessional turnoff. It was raining this morning, I'm dressed in a sweat suit, unshaven by about a week and a half because I've been staying away from my unit due to these very issues I wanted D.C.Tenants' Right Center to pursue. When Mark came downstairs, he wasn't aware of the time. But what was more alarming to me was when I stated my name no bells went off in his head of, this is my 9:30am appointment, after I told him I had a 9:30am with Marc Borbely. This also let me know he hadn't reviewed the requested documents I sent requested by Sophie. I informed him I didn't pre-pay, would cash be ok or do I need to go get a money order. He replied, "yes, cash is fine". Then he stated its 8:30am, I corrected him saying it was 8:50am. I went early because the email explicitly said pre-pay and since I didn't, I wanted to make sure they'd still see me. What followed confirmed my apprehension about using D.C. Tenants's Right Center, specifically Marc Borbely, aside from the pre-payment request. He didn't invite me up to stairs to wait after saying cash is fine, he asked that I come back in twenty minutes. What do you think I did? Kate Q. was so spot on with her assessment of Marc Borbely, even if that was her opinion on September 18, 2015. You see, places like this thrive on marginalzed/underserved people because their expectations of service is minimal, you get what you pay for. The fact that D.C. Tenants' Right Center breaks their fees down in the $1.48 per minute tells you whom their target demographic is. Remember, I filed everything on my own, I simply needed a practicing attorney so that the court would recognize the complaint by giving my representation rebuttal time that I didn't receive in my hearing on 1/9/17. read more

This small firm of incredibly dedicated and knowledge lawyers helped me negotiate a situation that I otherwise would never have been able to navigate. I knew nothing about tenants rights law in the city as a recent transplant and ran up on a landlord who tried to illegally evict me so he could bring someone else in to his very illegal basement apartment (it violated an extraordinary number of city housing codes), whom he hoped would pay significantly more in rent. After a few years enduring a campaign of harassment, The DC Tenants' Rights Center helped me finally reach a settlement with the landlord, and kept me sane in the process. I know my case was particularly harrowing for them as well -- the landlord in question was aggressive and unpredictable -- but they maintained calm demeanors and simply followed the law, and helped me file court documents myself to keep my attorney fees low. It was a great experience and one of those moments in life where you know someone has sent you help that proved the difference in the outcome. I really cannot thank them enough and wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone who needs an affordable advocate in the face of overwhelming bullying and outright lawbreaking on the part of shady landlords. Thank you to Marc, Joe, Sophie and the whole team. From the bottom of my heart. read more