Renter guide · Washington, DC
Three DC rodent checks before you sign a lease
DC Health launched a new Rodent Control Dashboard on July 9, 2026. At launch, the program reported responding to just over 5,000 complaints since January and treating nearly 10,000 burrows across all eight wards. Those are citywide totals; they do not prove anything about one apartment.
Start with the city's dashboard for the area
Check the DC Health Rodent Control Dashboard for complaint hotspots and city response near the address. Treat it as area context, not a verdict on any building.
Tour the exact unit, not only the model
Outside pressure and inside conditions are different questions. In the unit you would rent: look under sinks and around pipes for gaps or droppings, check the trash room, basement, and storage areas, and check door sweeps, screens, and outside doors.
Ask for the building's pest-control plan in writing
Ask for the service schedule and frequency, whether basements and trash areas are inspected, and what happens after a renter reports a problem. DC Health's own guidance for property managers covers sealed openings, maintained door sweeps, and a defined response process.
Before you sign
- Check the dashboard for the area, then tour the exact space.
- Get the pest-control plan in writing.
- Ask management directly how pest reports are handled.
Who this covers
This is a public-data launch, not a new renter law. The dashboard covers the whole District and shows localized complaint hotspots, burrow counts, seasonal trends, and city response.
DC Health says its Rodent and Vector Control Unit does not inspect inside buildings, so neither the dashboard nor any public record can answer whether one apartment has rodents. A complaint is not proof of a current problem, and no returned record is not a pest-free guarantee.
Primary sources
Optional: check the building's record
RentSift checks available pest-related DC 311 requests near an address and available property records. A request is not proof of a current infestation, and no returned record is not a pest-free guarantee. RentSift is rental research, not a building inspection.
Rental research, not a building inspection. This guide is general information about published rules, not advice for your situation. Laws change; the cited source is always the authority.