Before you dive into the code`s specifics, there is one basic rule of thumb for D.C. apartment­hunting: Read your lease and understand what your responsibilities are when you sign it. One of the biggest landlord­tenant problems faced by the D.C. Law Students In Court Program, an organization of court­certified, third­year law students who represent income­limited individuals before the law, is tenants who aren`t fully aware of the obligations they agreed to in their leases. If you want to avoid surprises, get all your agreements in writing and make sure you understand the obligations that you are taking on under those agreements when you sign your lease.