SLIP & FALL?

Better Call Saul

Code of the District of Columbia § 9–601. 

(a) The owner of a residential or commercial property that fronts or abuts a paved sidewalk shall, within the first 8 hours of daylight after the ceasing to fall of any snow or sleet, remove and clear away, or cause to be removed and cleared away, snow or sleet that is in front of or abuts a building or lot of land to provide a path that is the entire width of the sidewalk, up to 36 inches wide; provided, that a residential or commercial property owner may delegate this responsibility to a tenant, occupant, lessee, or other individual by written agreement.

(b) If snow or sleet cannot be removed without causing injury to the paved sidewalk, then the owner of the residential or commercial property shall, within the first 8 hours of daylight after the ceasing to fall of any snow or sleet, make the sidewalk reasonably safe for travel by covering the unremoved snow or sleet with a coating of sand, sawdust, or other proper substance as necessary to render the sidewalk safe for pedestrian travel.

Landlords are also subject to the common law duty to maintain safe walkways within the complex grounds. Under the Winter Sidewalk Safety Act, landlords (as property owners) are the primary responsible party.

Common Law Duty (Internal Walkways)

• DC Premises Liability laws cover the internal walkways (courtyards, paths between buildings, and stairs inside the complex).

• Landlords have a duty to exercise “reasonable care” to keep common areas safe for tenants. This means they must remove snow and ice from internal walkways within a reasonable timeframe.

• Generally, a landlord is given a “reasonable” window after the storm concludes to make the premises safe. As of 2026 Feb 02, the last precipitation fell ten days ago and the majority of sidewalks are still covered with several inches of snow made treacherous by a slick layer of ice, thusrendering senior and disabled tenants effectively homebound.

• Landlord shall be held liable for a slip-and-fall injuries if they fail to create safe walkways to the mailbox, the rental office, or the courtyard in order to board an Uber.

The current accumulation of ice and snow poses a significant safety risk to residents, guests, and delivery personnel. We have had to cancel medical appointments and job assignments because we were unable to walk to our vehicles.

It is highly unlikely that tenants at another Res1-managed property in a more affluent zip code and with a more diverse demographic and are experiencing similar hazards in their places of residence.