Members of the Van Ness South Tenants Association found numerous problems during an informal inspection of common areas at 3003 Van Ness on Saturday, December 2, 2023. These included several security doors that don’t lock, several broken lampposts, elevators that have been vandalized, inoperable washing machines, laundry rooms without working lights, and courtyard paving stones that wobble and constitute a trip hazard.

Most of these problems have been reported previously to Equity Residential building management. Some problems, like the broken security doors, have been reported many times — despite the fact that the DC Attorney General has warned Equity about poor security at 3003 Van Ness.

Even the lock to the front door at the main entrance was broken, with visitors able to freely enter the building without a fob — see video below.

Tenant association members widely believe that it should be the responsibility of the owner and manager of the building, a $25 billion company, to frequently inspect the building for problems and to fix those problems expeditiously. That is not happening.

It is particularly important for Equity to fix problems that cause security vulnerabilities — for example, the broken security lights listed in photos below, or the several broken security doors that provide easy access to the buildings — see videos at the bottom of this page. The Van Ness South Tenants Association has reported such problems to Equity Residential management many times. However, despite the DC Attorney General’s threat to file suit against Equity for poor security under the Drug-, Firearm-, or Prostitution-Related Nuisance Abatement Law, the $25 billion corporation still has not taken adequate steps to keep security systems in working order.

Fortunately, the DC Department of Buildings (DOB) is currently conducting a building-wide inspection of apartments at 3003 Van Ness. We hope that the DOB inspection, which includes fine for housing code violations, will encourage Equity Residential to fix numerous problems in residents’ apartments as well as the many other problems documented below.