See photos of the house on: Airbnb.com or HomeAway.com
WASHINGTON — The District is suing the owner of a Dupont Circle house, claiming he has been renting it out as a party venue and hotel.
The Office of Attorney General says it filed a suit against Douglas Jeffries, owner of the house at 2220 Q St., in Northwest, around the corner from the Phillips Collection, claiming that he has rented the house out for parties, weddings and large-group vacations without applying for, much less getting a license from the District.
Those gatherings, the city says in a statement, have resulted in more than 100 calls to the police to the house in the past year, including 90 for disorderly conduct. They say the police have received many other calls from neighbors about excessive noise.
The District’s Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs says in the statement that they found the house listed on the rental website airbnb.com described as the Celebrity House Hunter Mansion, claiming it could accommodate convention groups, weddings and more, with room for 400 people inside and another 100 outdoors.
The suit also cites reviews from people the District says rented the house, including one who described it as a “Great place to have a party” and saying he had 215 people in the house.
See photos of the house from the video tour:
“This is an example of a property owner operating a business with complete disregard for the law and with disrespect for his neighbors,” Attorney General Karl A. Racine said.
