A.
A tenant may file a complaint with the Rent Control Board alleging that the landlord imposed an unauthorized or illegal increase in rent, failed to maintain the dwelling, failed to maintain the tenant's dwelling unit or violated any other provision of this chapter or any other federal, state or local law, ordinance or regulation pertaining to matters governed by the Board. A complaint filed pursuant to this section shall be accompanied by the fee set forth in Chapter 111, Fees.
B.
Upon receipt of a tenant complaint in accordance with this section, the Board shall schedule a hearing and provide notice, in writing, of the date thereof to the tenant and landlord in accordance with Article VII of this chapter. A hearing scheduled pursuant to this article shall be conducted in accordance with the procedures set forth in Article VII.
C.
At a hearing conducted pursuant to this section, the Board shall:
(1)
Determine the basis for the tenant's complaint and render a
finding, which shall be recorded in the minutes of the meeting, wherein
the Board shall sustain or overrule the tenant's complaint;
(2)
If the Board sustains the tenant's complaint, it shall establish a schedule of credits or rent abatements, as necessary, to remedy any illegal rent increase charged to and collected from the tenant or, in the case of the landlord's failure to maintain or repair, shall find that the landlord has violated the provisions of this chapter and shall direct the Rent Control Officer to issue a notice of violation pursuant to § 189-23; and
(3)
If the Board overrules the tenant's complaint and finds that
the complaint was intentionally filed for the sole purpose of harassing
the landlord, the tenant shall be responsible for the reasonable costs
incurred by the landlord in defending the tenant's complaint.
A.
Any landlord or tenant who shall violate, whether willfully or not,
any section, subsection or provision of this chapter shall, upon conviction
thereof, pay a fine not to exceed $1,000 or be imprisoned in the county
jail for a term not to exceed 90 days, or both, for each offense,
in the discretion of the court.
B.
Each day a violation occurs or exists shall be considered a separate
offense and shall be prosecuted accordingly.
C.
A violation affecting more than one dwelling unit or housing space
shall be considered a separate violation as to each such dwelling
unit or housing space.
