Independent · DC-specific · Plain English
A calm, plain-English guide for Washington DC homeowners and renters. What to do first when water shows up, why old rowhouses leak the way they do, what your rights are as a tenant, and how to handle mold — written for people who actually live here.
No phone number. No quotes. Nothing to sell — just clear help and real sources.
Four guides, each written for a different DC situation.
A calm, step-by-step walkthrough of what to do in the first minutes, hours, and day after water shows up — from the shut-off valve to documentation.
Read the guideWhat DC law actually says about leaks, mold, and repairs in a rental — who is responsible, what your landlord must do, and how to use your rights.
Read the guideDC's housing stock is old, and old houses leak in predictable ways. A homeowner's guide to galvanized pipes, cast iron sewers, flat roofs, and party walls.
Read the guideWhy DC's muggy summers turn small leaks into mold, how fast it grows, when you can clean it yourself, and what DC's mold law and the 10-sq-ft rule mean.
Read the guideNo restoration company behind this, no phone number, no lead form. The whole point is to be useful, not to sell you a cleanup.
Rowhouses, party walls, flat roofs, old galvanized pipes, English basements, humid August nights. Advice that fits how DC homes are actually built.
Health, legal, and code claims link straight to DOEE, the DC Code, the OAG, FEMA, the EPA, and the CDC — so you can check us.
We summarize — never replace — the official sources. See the full DC agencies & authorities page.
What to do when DC homes get wet.