The DC Department of Buildings has announced that 3003 Van Ness has been chosen for a “Proactive Inspection,” which according to DOB “is designed to promote safety and ensure all rental units in the District of Columbia meet residential property maintenance and building codes.”
The Department of Buildings website explains that buildings are chosen using a special algorithm “to address apartment buildings with an increased likelihood of violations. The algorithm takes into account factors like a building's age and the landlord's history of code violations.”
Equity Residential, the owner and the manager of 3003 Van Ness, has had a high number of violations and has been assessed many fines in recent years. A Freedom of Information Act request by the Van Ness South Tenants Association retrieved 572 pages of code violations and fines, including photos. (The file is too large to upload.)
Some residents of 3003 Van Ness received an email from Equity Residential on Tuesday, August 29th, advising them that they must fill and submit a form giving or denying consent for an apartment inspection by Friday, September 1st, 2023 — the day before the Labor Day weekend. The Van Ness South Tenants Association has requested an extension in order to get additional information about the inspections and to give residents enough time to read the forms, make a decision about whether they want an inspection, and submit the form to the Equity Residential Leasing Office.
The Van Ness South Tenants Association for years has advocated for better maintenance of 3003 Van Ness and has published a report about possible structural problems in the underground garage.
““... to address apartment buildings with an increased likelihood of violations. The algorithm takes into account factors like a building’s age and the landlord’s history of code violations.””