What do I do if the house or apartment I rented for the inauguration does not comport with the terms of my agreement with the lessor?
A. This is a consumer protection issue. If the lessor is a company regularly in the rental business, call the Consumer Hotline at 442-4615, operated by the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, Consumer Protection Office. Or fill out the Consumer Complaint Form found at wwww.dcra.dc.gov under the “Services, Consumer Protection” tab. That Office will respond to your inquiry once it reopens on Wednesday, January 21, 2009. If the lessor is not regularly in the rental business, you may only have a judicial remedy. Note that in the case of a sub-lease, a sub-lessee generally only has rights against the sub-lessor.