Van Ness South Tenants Association

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If the landlord doesn't fix problems, how to get results

VNSTA

Some residents have had trouble getting results for persistent problems in their apartments. We suggest beginning by going through the official channel recommended by the building manager, Equity Residential, by filling out a maintenance request at MyEquityApartment.com. This often will get your problem resolved.

However, the maintenance team is under-staffed and so you may not get adequate or timely service. For this reason, you may have to escalate your complaint by requesting an inspection from the DC Department of Buildings.

The tenant association posted a recent tweet thread that explains how to do it.

  • Some residents of #3003VanNess, managed by Equity Residential, have complained about various problems in their apartments. In some cases, management has not adequately addressed those problems. Here is what to do.

  • You can ask the new DC Department of Buildings, formerly part of DC Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, for an inspection. If your apartment isn't up to code, @DC_DOB often will assess a fine on the landlord. This gets the landlord's attention.

  • Asking for an inspection is easy. Go to the home page of the @DC_DOB. In box #1 (I Need TO) of the home page, choose "Inspection." In box #2, choose "Housing and Property Maintenance Inspection." Hit the button "Request Now." https://dob.dc.gov/

  • You should receive a receipt notification from @DC_DOB. I suggest letting your tenant association know that you have asked for an inspection. In many cases, this will lead to resolution of your problem.

  • Reporting the problem in this way also can help other residents. The landlord will soon learn that tenants know how to defend themselves and that poor maintenance of apartments may lead to fines. This provides an incentive for the company to treat other residents better.

  • Unfortunately, this is sometimes what is necessary to get companies to do the right thing.

This information was brought to you by the Van Ness South Tenants Association. To get more useful information like this, or to get advice about how to make your living situation at 3003 Van Ness better, join the tenant association.