Currently, DC regulation states that air conditioning must be turned on no later than May 15th every year. This has been the law since 2014. However, climate change is real and temperatures are rising earlier and earlier every year. In the first week of April, we have already hit temperatures nearing 90 degrees with 4/5 having reached a high of 87 degrees which means apartments and public school classrooms are hitting temperatures of over 80 degrees, even with fans and closed blinds to try to mitigate the heat.

The DC City Council needs to update this regulation to be more in line with average temperatures and not subject tenants to live in near inhabitable units due to arbitrary dates.