14 DCMR § 14-607
MISCELLANEOUS SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED BY HOUSING BUSINESSES
Operative Text
607.1 When furnished by the operator of a housing business, mattresses shall not be made of moss, sea grass, excelsior, husks, or shoddy. 607.2 The owner or operator of a housing business shall provide to each tenant, when the tenant first enters into possession of a habitation, an adequate lock and key for each door used, or capable of being used, as an entrance to or egress from the habitation, and shall keep each lock in good repair. Each lock shall be capable of being locked from inside and outside the habitation.
D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 14 § 14-607 establishes two baseline service requirements for housing businesses in the District of Columbia. First, any mattresses supplied by the operator must be made of materials other than moss, sea grass, excelsior, husks, or shoddy. Second, at the start of a tenancy, the operator must supply a working lock and key for every door that serves as an entrance or exit to the unit, and those locks must function from both the inside and outside and be kept in good repair throughout the tenancy.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 14 § 14-607, compliant housing operators generally ensure that any mattresses they furnish are made of approved materials, avoiding moss, sea grass, excelsior, husks, and shoddy. At move-in, operators typically provide a working lock and key for each entry and exit door, confirm that each lock operates from both sides, and establish a maintenance routine to keep all locks in good repair for the duration of the tenancy. Documenting the condition of locks and keys at move-in is a practice commonly associated with demonstrating compliance.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 14 § 14-607 gives tenants the right to receive a functioning lock and key for every entrance and exit door at the start of their tenancy, with those locks maintained in good repair over time. If a lock is missing, broken, or cannot be operated from both sides, that may constitute a housing code violation that a tenant can raise with the appropriate District of Columbia housing authority or use as a basis for a complaint. Tenant-rights organizations in D.C. can help residents understand what documentation to gather and what general options exist when these standards are not met.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 14, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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