VNSTA asks DC Department of Buildings to aggressively pursue code violations

The Van Ness South Tenants Association today sent a letter to Brian Hanlon, Director of the DC Department of Buildings (DOB), asking that he accelerate the pace of inspections at 3003 Van Ness and that he imposes and collect fines for housing code violations.

Recently, it was discovered that the Department of Buildings has cited Equity Residential for more than 700 housing code violations over the past year, totaling more than $1.2 million in fines. However, it has been reported that only one-third of the units have been inspected so far in DOB’s proactive inspection of the property, which began in August 2023.

If the inspection process were to proceed more quickly, and if approximately the same number of violations per unit were found, the total fines could exceed $3 million.

The letter to DOB raises questions about whether DOB policies regarding fines provide adequate incentives to force rental housing management companies like Equity Residential to keep their buildings in compliance with the housing code. Evidence suggests that DOB assesses fines but does not move aggressively to collect them — and in fact forgives them if the company remediates the code violation.

The letter to Director Hanlon from VNSTA president Harry Gural concludes:

“I strongly request that you take whatever steps necessary to move forward quickly with proactive inspections of the remaining two-thirds of units at 3003 Van Ness. Moreover, I ask that you seek full payment for all fines for all housing code violations that are discovered – and that you impose additional fines on those codes that are cited and subsequently not remediated.”

The Department of Buildings has levied more than $1.2 million in fines on Equity Residential for 3003 Van Ness over the past three years

The DC Department of Buildings has levied $1,218,612 in fines on Equity Residential for violations at 3003 Van Ness over the past three years. Almost 750 violations were cited.

The information was retrieved from the DOB’s SCOUT online data system and Landlord Violations Tool, covering the period between June 23, 2021, and June 6, 2024.

The Department of Buildings is currently conducting a building-wide inspection of 3003 Van Ness, as part of its Proactive Inspection Program. DOB chooses buildings for the program in which the landlord has a past history of a high number of violations.

Over the past year alone, DOB has issued more than 700 citations for violations at 3003 Van Ness as part of the building-wide proactive inspection. It has been reported that less than half of the 625 units have been inspected to date, so it is expected that the total number of violations and fines likely will rise.

It is not clear whether Equity Residential has paid any of the $1.2 million in fines to date.

Some of the violations cited are:

• Failure to maintain stairs and/or other walking surfaces in sound condition, good repair and free from hazardous conditions

• Failure to tightly secure the lock on entrance doors to dwelling units or sleeping units and/or failure to maintain locks on means of egress doors

• Failure to maintain all fire and smokestop doors in operable condition

• Failure of the owner to keep structure free from rodent infestation

• Failure to correct electrical system that constitutes a hazard to the occupants or the structure

• Failure to install an approved carbon monoxide alarm in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms in dwelling units located in a building containing a fuel-burning appliance

• Failure to install or maintain single- or multiple-station smoke alarms in Group I-1 and R occupancies, and dwellings not regulated as Group R occupancies

• Failure to maintain in a safe and sanitary condition a public toilet facility

• Failure to have at least one grounded-type receptacle or a receptacle with a ground fault circuit interrupter in every laundry area

• Failure to have a means of egress indicated with approved Exit signs

• Failure to install an approved permanent sign adjacent to each manual fire alarm box that reads: “WHEN ALARM SOUNDS CALL FIRE DEPARTMENT” where fire alarm systems are not monitored by a supervising station

• Failure to keep every plumbing stack, vent, waste and sewer line free from obstructions, leaks, or defect

Washington Post investigation finds rat infestation at an Equity Residential building in Dupont Circle

An investigation by The Washington Post recently found that residents of the upscale apartment building the Flats at Dupont, located in Dupont Circle. The building, like 3003 Van Ness, is owned and managed by Equity Residential.

Residents of 3003 Van Ness also have complained for many months about mice and rats at 3003 Van Ness, claiming that Equity Residential has failed to fix the problem, both in apartments and in some common areas, particularly the storage room.

The Post writes about the Flats at Dupont:

“One woman says she goes to bed armed with a stick in case a rat creeps too close in the dark. Another says she goes to the bathroom with an empty water bottle to throw at rats. Others say they have come back from vacation to find their floors covered in rodent feces.”

“Dozens of residents argue that management has ignored their pleas for help and requests for rent relief. Breaking a long-term lease with Equity is costly, leaving some feeling stuck. When their emails go unanswered, residents feel that management is minimizing the issue or making it appear that a problem has already been solved, they said.”

The Washington Post investigation raises questions about whether Equity Residential’s failure to deal with rodent infestations is an isolated issue, or if it has decided that remediation is not part of its corporate strategy.

Some former residents of 3003 Van Ness have said that they moved out of the building specifically because Equity did not fix chronic rodent problems in their units.

The DC Department of Buildings is currently conducting a full-building inspection of 3003 Van Ness, which has turned up many dozens of housing code violations, with fines of $1,218 or $2,436 per offense. DC DOB records show that Equity Residential has been fined more than $1.2 million for violations at 3003 Van Ness in recent years. It is not clear whether these fines have been paid.

VNSTA requests better maintenance of laundry rooms

The Van Ness South Tenants Association today sent a letter and report to Equity Residential general manager Dan Burkes about the conditions of the laundry rooms at 3003 Van Ness. The report, which focuses on the west building, documented numerous problems.

The letter states:

“In recent years, Equity Residential has made little effort to adequately maintain the laundry rooms and has taken no responsibility for the washing machines and dryers, which are owned by an outside vendor. As a result, the machines are frequently in disrepair, and the laundry rooms often have dirty floors, lint, construction debris, frequent leaks and standing water, as well as large holes in the plaster walls. Some of the machines are not properly anchored to the floors, and the dryer vents are not properly connected to the exhaust shafts in the walls.”

Read the entire letter in printer-friendly format.

VNSTA responds to Equity email regarding issues with electrical work

The Van Ness South Tenants Association continued to advocate for an improved process for replacing non-GFCI electrical outlets at 3003 Van Ness, sending a letter to new Equity Residential General Manager for 3003 Van Ness, Dan Burkes. The letter, which follows a previous letter to Equity Residential Senior Vice President Frances Nolan, asks for clarification regarding electrical licenses, procedures for entering apartments, and for cleaning after electrical work is completed.

An excerpt from the letter appears below. Read the entire letter in printer-friendly format.

“It also is helpful to hear you say that Equity Residential is committed to providing quality service and that you will instruct the vendors to wipe down areas regarding the electrical sockets when they finish installing the new GFCI outlets. However, this may not be enough to solve the problems – they may have to either use larger faceplates or sand the area around the outlets. Also, will you instruct the workers to go back and clean around the outlets in the apartment in which the electrical work already has been completed? Or will the “quality service” only apply to electrical work in the future?”

VNSTA sends letter to Equity VP Frances Nolan re shoddy electrical work

The Van Ness South Tenants Association today sent a letter to Equity Residential Senior Vice President Frances Nolan, requesting that she take steps to improve sloppy electrical work at 3003 Van Ness and that she states whether or not the workers replacing electrical outlets are licensed electricians.

See an example of the work below, followed by the letter to Senior VP Frances Nolan. Residents report that almost all outlets that are being replaced are left in this condition.

Dear Ms. Nolan,

I am writing regarding Equity Residential’s slow and sloppy effort to replace electrical outlets in the kitchens and bathrooms of apartments at 3003 Van Ness in Washington, D.C.

As you know, the DC Department of Buildings discovered in a building-wide inspection of the property that most units lacked Ground Fault Interrupter Circuit (GFCI) outlets, that are required by the housing code and that are necessary for preventing possible electric shock or electrocution. This serious safety issue was discovered last September; however, Equity’s efforts to replace the old outlets have been glacially slow and still are not complete.

In addition, the people Equity has hired to do the work have done sloppy job, leaving a dark outline of dirt around the outlets (see attached photo), leaving bits of wire and other materials nearby, and moving residents’ personal items without putting them back. Moreover, the workers, who appear to be third-party contractors, have been entering residents’ apartments without being accompanied by Equity Residential employees.

The slow pace and sloppiness of the job raises questions about Equity’s commitment to its customers. It is hard to believe that corporate executives would be proud of the work displayed in the attached photo. This is not an isolated example – this photo is representative of most units.

The shoddy work also raises questions about the qualifications of the workers. Are they licensed electricians?

We request that take steps to clean up the mess around the outlets as shown in the attached photo, and that you make sure that the contractors have the necessary qualifications to do electrical work.

Sincerely yours,

Harry Gural

President, Van Ness South Tenants Association

Read the letter in printer-friendly format

VNSTA sends letter to Equity Residential senior VP regarding potentially dangerous leaks

Last week, a resident of 3003 Van Ness sent two emails to building manager Josh Luper, warning him about a large water leak in several laundry rooms of the West building. The leaks were directly next to electric outlets and therefore could pose a risk of shock to residents.

Today, the Van Ness South Tenants Association sent a letter to Equity Residential Senior Vice President Frances Nolan, calling on her to take action to make sure that the leaks are addressed and that residents are safe. Specifically, the letter calls for Equity to hire plumbing and electricity experts to assess the seriousness of the situation and to repair the problems.

Since the discovery of the large leak, Equity has not informed residents of the situation or told them that there is a possible risk of shock. The tenant association today called on Equity to alert residents to the possible risk.

The letter stated:

“It has been almost a week since a resident alerted the front desk and emailed Equity Residential building manager Josh Luper about the leak, reporting that dripping water could be seen through holes in the laundry room walls, that “the wall to the right of the [laundry] outlet on the 8th floor is moist to the touch” and that “the wall holding the outlet on the 7th floor is saturated with water.” Equity Residential appears to have taken no action, not even to post a sign or send an email to residents warning them of the danger.”

Read the entire letter in printer-friendly format at this link.

Tenant association launches survey regarding rodents at 3003 Van Ness

The Van Ness South Tenants Association today launched a survey for residents of 3003 Van Ness, to find out whether they are experiencing problems with rodents.

The survey was created because a substantial number of residents of 3003 Van Ness have reported to the tenant association that they have had mice or rats in their apartments. Some say that Equity Residential hasn’t aggressively tried to solve the problem — e.g., setting traps but not plugging holes in the walls. The Van Ness South Tenants Association wrote the online survey to find out the extent of the problem.

The survey also offers residents the opportunity to request information from the tenant association about steps they can take if management does not solve a rodent problem in a timely manner, including requesting an inspection by the DC Department of Buildings or filing a complaint in DC Housing Conditions Court. This simple legal action costs only $15 and does not require an attorney.

Residents who want help from the tenant association for rodent problems in their apartments should fill out the online survey.

Tenant association president threatens Equity Residential with legal action over poor security

Harry Gural, president of the Van Ness South Tenants Association, today sent a letter to Equity Residential, requesting that it repair broken exterior doors within two weeks — or face possible legal action in Housing Conditions Court.

For well more than a year, the tenant association has repeatedly asked Equity Residential to fix broken exterior doors and locks, presenting evidence of dozens of videos showing that it is easy to enter 3003 Van Ness without a fob. Equity has promised to repair the doors, but some doors have remained broken for months. Broken doors are a violation of DC Housing Code, 14 DCMR 705.5.

In the past, the DC Metropolitan Police Department has referred Equity Residential to the DC Attorney General for possible prosecution for poor security under the Drug-, Firearm-, or Prostitution-Related Nuisance Abatement Law.

The tenant association for a long time has argued that Equity Residential, a Real Estate Investment Trust with a market capitalization of approximately $23 billion, must provide adequate security at its property at 3003 Van Ness.

Read the entire letter at this link.

“I am contacting you to request repairs of DC housing code violations in common areas of 3003 Van Ness. If the three security doors are not repaired within the two weeks, I intend to file a complaint against Equity Residential Management in DC Housing Conditions Court.”

— Letter to Equity Residential

Third tenant inspection in two months finds that exterior doors remain broken

Members of the Van Ness South Tenants Association found on February 1st that three key security doors remain broken at 3003 Van Ness, allowing easy access from outside the building into the garage, and from the garage into the apartment area. This is the third time that tenants have recorded video of these broken doors since early December.

The tenant association has archived dozens of such videos in recent years, posting them on YouTube and Twitter/X, and sending them many times to Equity Residential management.