The District of Columbia has filed a lawsuit against the owners of two Northwest apartment buildings, accusing them of long-running neglect that culminated in a gas explosion last year that injured a resident and displaced dozens of tenants.
Officials call out pattern of neglect
Attorney General Brian Schwalb announced the civil suit Thursday in D.C. Superior Court against John and Herminia Steininger, who own properties on Columbia Road NW in Columbia Heights and Lamont Street NW in Mount Pleasant. The complaint alleges the buildings have been allowed to fall into “extreme disrepair,” creating conditions that jeopardize the health and safety of residents.
Per the attorney general’s office, the Steiningers’ properties have accumulated more than 120 housing code violations since 2018, including problems such as broken windows, rodent infestations, nonworking smoke and fire alarms, and water leaks. Fines tied to those violations exceed $140,000, the release said.
“These landlords neglected their properties and legal obligations, forcing their tenants to live in deplorable conditions and leading to a dangerous explosion that displaced dozens of residents and cost the District hundreds of thousands of dollars,”
The lawsuit also alleges the Steiningers failed to reimburse the District for the cost of re-housing dozens of tenants after a September 2024 gas explosion severely damaged one of the buildings and left a woman injured. The blast occurred at the Columbia Road property in Columbia Heights, according to the attorney general’s statement.
Agency support and tenant advocates weigh in
D.C. Department of Buildings Director Brian Hanlon said his office is “proud to support this lawsuit,” signaling interagency backing for the attorney general’s action. Chief Tenant Advocate Johanna Shreve described the broader consequences of landlord neglect in similarly stark terms, saying it "causes chaos and grief for tenants — and drains taxpayer dollars that are badly needed elsewhere."
- Properties involved: Columbia Road NW (Columbia Heights) and Lamont Street NW (Mount Pleasant)
- Violations since 2018: More than 120
- Fines: Over $140,000
- Notable incident: September 2024 gas explosion that injured a woman and displaced dozens
The complaint seeks accountability for the alleged pattern of violations and the unaddressed hazards that officials say persisted for years despite citations and fines. The filing is the latest in a series of enforcement efforts in the District intended to compel owners to meet basic habitability standards.
| Issue | Details |
|---|---|
| Number of violations | More than 120 since 2018 |
| Fines levied | More than $140,000 |
| Major incident | September 2024 gas explosion at Columbia Road property |
For tenants living in older rental buildings across Washington, the suit underscores continuing tensions between property owners, city regulators and resident advocates over maintenance, enforcement and who ultimately bears the cost when unsafe conditions force people from their homes. The attorney general’s office said it brought the case to compel the owners to address violations and to seek reimbursement for District expenses related to emergency housing and public-safety responses.
The case will proceed in D.C. Superior Court; the complaint sets the stage for a legal process that could include injunctions, monetary judgments and orders to repair. For now, city officials framed the filing as a necessary step to protect residents and to hold negligent landlords to account.
