Rahm Emmanuel Renting an English Basement on Capitol Hill (Illegally)

• February 4th 2009

by Will Smith

Gossip blog Gawker reports that President Obama’s chief of staff Rahm Emmanuel is living in an English basement on Capitol Hill — illegally. Apparently, Emmanuel is renting the space from Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro. The “scandal” (if that term is even warranted) is due to the fact that DeLauro’s house is registered as a single-family home and thus not zoned to allow for tenants.

Here is an excerpt from the email the DC government sent the private investigator who uncovered the infraction:

“…Our records do not indicate that a certificate of occupancy exists for 816 E. Capitol Street, NE; which leaves only one possibility, that it is a single family dwelling. The property is located in R-4 Zoning District and the DC Zoning Regulations can be converted to a two-family flat after issuance of a building permit and a certificate of occupancy.”

According to the private investigator, the home has also not been inspected by the fire marshal, another DC requirement to rent out space.

Will this issue grow to Daschle-like proportions, causing Emmanuel to be the next casualty in the new administration’s transition? Hardly. But it is comforting to find out that even the city’s political elites sometimes have to live in that unglamorous mainstay of DC housing, the English basement.

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/rahm_emmanuel_renting_an_english_basement_on_capitol_hill_illegally/519.