Aging in Place Home Modifications in Congress Heights, DC

In Congress Heights, many fixes start with the landlord

Many Congress Heights homes are rented, from brick garden apartments to semi-detached houses. Renting does not mean living with an unsafe bathroom.

Grab bars, rails, modular ramps and better light can all go in with the landlord's written permission, and much of it comes out again when you move. The hard part is usually the asking, and we do the asking with you.

How it works in Congress Heights

We walk the Congress Heights house. We look at rented apartments and semi-detached brick houses first, then go through every room.
The price comes in writing. It is fixed before work starts and says whether the DC Department of Buildings (DOB) needs to issue a permit.
Then we work down the list, which here usually starts with bathroom fixes a landlord can approve.

What we fix in Congress Heights homes

Bathroom fixes a landlord can approve

Bars fixed into studs, a handheld shower and a transfer bench change a rental bath without a remodel.

Grab bar installation and bath safety in Congress Heights

Modular ramps and second rails

Garden apartment entries often have a few steps up or down. A modular aluminum ramp or a second rail handles them, and both can come out again.

Wheelchair ramp installation in Congress Heights

Ready before the discharge date

Coming home from the hospital sets a deadline. The bars, the shower seat and a clear path from bed to bathroom get planned backward from the discharge date.

Hospital Discharge in Congress Heights

Plug-in and hardwired light

Plug-in motion lights need no landlord sign-off at all. Hardwired lights on the path to the bathroom go into the letter.

Lighting in Congress Heights

Neighborhoods we serve around Congress Heights

Bellevue
Washington Highlands
Shipley Terrace
Douglass
Barry Farm

Permits and programs in Congress Heights

Permanent work in Congress Heights is permitted through the DC Department of Buildings (DOB), and on a rental the landlord's written approval comes before the permit.

Older DC residents can look into DC Safe at Home, run by the DC Department of Aging and Community Living, which has income limits. Ask the program whether your situation qualifies under its current terms.

For Congress Heights, see DC Department of Aging and Community Living, Safe at Home and Permitting in the District.

Congress Heights and nearby

Congress Heights centers on Martin Luther King Jr Avenue Southeast and Alabama Avenue Southeast, with the Congress Heights Metro station on Alabama Avenue. The St. Elizabeths East campus, home to the CareFirst Arena and Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center, sits just to the north. Oxon Run Park lies to the south, and I 295 runs along the west side.

Congress Heights questions

Do you work in Congress Heights?

Yes. Congress Heights is about 3.3 miles from the US Capitol in a straight line, well inside the area we cover.

I rent. Can I still get grab bars?

Yes, with your landlord's written permission. We write the request for you, and bars set into studs leave small holes that patch cleanly when you move out.

Who pays for changes in a rental?

Either you or the landlord can, and it is worth asking. The written scope gives both of you the same fixed price to decide from.

Services for Congress Heights homes

Near Congress Heights

Congress Heights lies south of the US Capitol.

Anacostia, DC 1.6 mi northeast
Capitol Hill, DC 3.2 mi north
Temple Hills, MD 3.5 mi southeast
Alexandria, VA 3.6 mi southwest
Suitland, MD 4.0 mi east
Arlington, VA 5.3 mi northwest
Capitol Heights, MD 5.5 mi northeast
Deanwood, DC 5.7 mi northeast
Brookland, DC 6.3 mi north
District Heights, MD 6.5 mi east

Aging in place home modifications in Congress Heights, DC