security

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

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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.

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Another tenant inspection of 3003 finds that problems have not been fixed

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Tenants conducted another inspection of common areas on Friday, Jan. 19th, and found that none of the problems that had been repeatedly reported to management in the past have been fixed.

As in past inspections, tenants found that many security doors are broken, allowing easy access from the outside into the building. These include one of the most highly trafficked entrances to the building, and several doors from the underground garage into the apartment hallways. In most cases, the doors can be opened without a fob. In other cases, the doors cannot be opened — even if a fob.

In addition, tenants found that almost a half dozen security lights in the lower courtyard remain missing or broken. Some appear to have been torn completely from concrete pedestals, others simply lie on the ground.

These security vulnerabilities are particularly concerning given that the DC Attorney General already has threatened suit against Equity Residential for poor security at 3003 Van Ness under the Drug-, Firearm-, or Prostitution-Related Nuisance Abatement Law.

The tenant association has extensively documented security problems at 3003 Van Ness since Equity Residential took control of the property in 2014 — writing reports, sending letters to Equity management, posting photos to Twitter/X, and conducting many inspections of the property.

Despite the fact that Equity Residential may bear legal liability for residents’ safety when the company fails to provide adequate security, many well-documented problems persist, with little apparent effort by Equity to fix them.

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Despite warning, Equity Residential has not repaired security problems at 3003 Van Ness

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Another informal inspection by the Van Ness South Tenants Association finds that security and maintenance problems that were reported to Equity Residential in early December have not been repaired.

The inspection was conducted on the morning of December 31, 2023. It found that four security lampposts in the lower courtyard remain broken. The locks on several security doors remain broken, providing intruders easy access to the buildings. There has been no apparent attempt by management to fix the vandalism in the elevators.

In addition, the recent inspection finds a large pile of broken furniture and other garbage at the loading dock.

The tenant association has warned Equity senior management about the broken exterior doors many times over recent years. In addition, the DC Attorney General has threatened to file suit against Equity Residential for poor security at 3003 Van Ness under the Drug-, Firearm-, or Prostitution-Related Nuisance Abatement Law. Nevertheless, Equity has not taken steps to keep the security doors in good working order.

The DC Department of Buildings is currently conducting a building-wide inspection of all apartments at 3003 Van Ness. The inspection has revealed numerous serious housing code violations, which may lead to large fines against Equity Residential.

The Van Ness South Tenants Association requests that Equity Residential take proactive steps to make 3003 Van Ness clean and safe.

See photos and videos below from the Jan. 31, 2023, VNSTA inspection of 3003 Van Ness.

Garage door E doesn’t lock — allowing easy access to the building

Garage door O doesn’t lock — this already has been reported many times.

Garage door N has not been fixed — allowing easy access into the building

Door into the west building from the garage does not lock. This has been reported many times, but never fixed.

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Tenant association inspection of 3003 Van Ness finds numerous problems

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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.

Even the door at the main entrance doesn’t lock. It is easy to enter the building without a fob.

Tenant association warns Equity about allowing subcontractors into apartments

The Van Ness South Tenants Association today sent a letter to Equity Residential, warning the company that it should not allow subcontractors to enter residents’ apartments unannounced and unaccompanied.

Many apartments at 3003 Van Ness are in need of repair in order to meet the DC housing code. Recent building-wide proactive inspections by the DC Department of Buildings have found that many apartments lack Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) electric outlets in kitchens and bathrooms, that are designed to prevent electrocution. Many apartments require other repairs.

The tenant association strongly supports any responsible effort by Equity Residential to make needed repairs. However, there must be protocols in place to protect residents’ privacy and security. Specifically, there must be strict rules about getting permission to enter residents’ apartments, about coordinating with residents’ about the timing of repairs, and about escorting third-party subcontractors when they enter apartments.

Read the entire letter at this link.

“The workers, who apparently were not employees of Equity but who were subcontractors hired by Equity, have been entering apartments without permission of residents and without being accompanied by Equity Residential employees. This is a breach of privacy and security.”
— Letter to Equity Residential

VNSTA sends Equity Residential another letter about broken security doors

Residents of 3003 Van Ness today discovered two broken security doors leading from the underground garage into the apartment building. The tenant association has reported these broken doors many times in the past.

In addition, residents found that the loading dock doors were again left open, allowing easy entrance to the underground garages.

Harry Gural, president of the Van Ness South Tenants Association, sent a letter today expressing concerns about these issues to Equity Residential. The letter begins:

“I am writing to complain about two broken security doors leading from the underground garage into the apartment building. I have told you about these doors many times in the past. Video taken today of the two broken doors is here and here. In addition, the loading dock door is again wide open – see photos posted on Twitter.”

Read the entire letter in printer-friendly format.

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FOIA request reveals that on average there is one 911 police call per day from 3003 Van Ness

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3003 Van Ness has experienced a dramatic surge in 911 calls for police assistance in recent years. For this reason, the tenant association filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the DC Office of Unified Communications, which routs 911 calls to the police, fire department, and other emergency services. The FOIA request asked specifically for just police calls for the first six months of 2023.

The data provided by the FOIA request revealed that there were more than 180 calls for police assistance via 911 that originated from 3003 Van Ness during the first six months of 2023. The calls covered a wide range of issues, including assault, disorderly conduct, auto theft, drugs, burglary and others.

This elevated level of calls to MPD is notable given that the DC Attorney General has considered filing suit against Equity Residential for poor security at 3003 Van Ness under the Drug-, Firearm-, or Prostitution-Related Nuisance Abatement Law. In addition, the tenant association has collected extensive evidence of security problems at 3003 Van Ness, publishing a report on security failures and posting many videos showing broken exterior doors at 3003 Van Ness.

The tenant association has asked Equity Residential management many times over more than five years for a full-time security guard at 3003 Van Ness, but the company has refused. After the DC Attorney General pressed Equity Residential for tighter security, it hired a part-time guard.

The number of police calls at 3003 Van Ness is particularly high compared to many buildings, but it is similar to some buildings along Connecticut Avenue, where other tenant associations also have discovered via FOIA that they are experiencing approximately one 911 call to MPD per day. Many of those buildings are operated by Borger Residential Management on behalf of Daro Realty, which also has refused to provide a 24/7 security guard despite the high number of police calls and elevated crime.

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Fire department report suggests deliberate gasoline spill at 3003 Van Ness

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A report by DC Fire and EMS, obtained via a FOIA by the Van Ness South Tenants Association, suggests that a gasoline leak at 3003 Van Ness on August 20, 2023, may have been deliberate.

The report states that residents of 3003 Van Ness complained about a strong smell of gas in the West building of 3003 Van Ness, which was confirmed by the DC Fire crew on the scene. Firefighters found that the odor seemed to emanate from a room on the penthouse level marked “West Back Machine Room,” “Cooling Tower Access.”

According to the official report:

“There was also a strong odor of gasoline coming from inside the room. Once the cardboard boxes and plywood were removed from behind the door, Engine 28's crew made entry into the room where a gas can was located along with what appeared to be vandalism to some of the room's contents. “

It appears that an individual may have been arrested in connection with this incident, but retrieval of arrest records is pending.

Members of the Van Ness South Tenants Association are particularly concerned about the gasoline incident because in recent months, residents have been plagued with many fire alarms, as many as 2-3 per week. Management has claimed that these alarms likely were pranks. However, the alarms have sounded so often, day and night, that many residents no longer bother to leave their apartments when the alarms go off. If DC Fire had not arrived on the scene on August 20th and discovered the apparent gasoline spill, the results coul d have been catastrophic.

On August 29th, the tenant association sent a letter to Equity Residential expressing residents strong concerns about these issues.

As of August 31st, Equity Residential has sent no communication to residents of 3003 Van Ness about the gasoline incident.

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VNSTA sends letter to Equity management regarding gasoline incident and fire safety

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The Van Ness South Tenants Association today sent a letter to Josh Luper, Equity Residential property manager for 3003 Van Ness, regarding a recent incident in which an intruder poured gasoline in a stairwell.

The letter begins:

“I am writing to express our deep concern with fire safety conditions at 3003 Van Ness. 

As you know, for months residents have endured very frequent fire alarms, as many as two or three a week, day and night. These have occurred so often that many residents don’t bother to leave their apartments when the fire alarms go off. 

Equity Residential has sometimes claimed that there was a minor problem e.g., with the boilers. At other times Equity has claimed that someone pulled the alarms as a prank – if this is true, it is concerning that the company hasn’t been able to identify the perpetrator(s) after so many months.

This situation not only is a severe nuisance to residents – dramatically lowering the value of their apartments by the constant disruption – but it also presents a severe safety hazard. The danger is compounded by the fact that the elevators at 3003 Van Ness are frequently out or order, preventing residents, particularly the elderly and disabled, from quickly exiting the building. 

To make matters worse, the tenant association recently learned from the DC Fire Department that the alarm systems at 3003 Van Ness had been disconnected from the call centers that are supposed to relay emergency calls to the DC Fire Department. Residents assume that when alarms sound at 3003 Van Ness, the Fire Department will soon be on its way. However, it turns out that it hasn’t even been called.”

See the entire letter at this link.

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Letter to Equity Residential Senior VP Frances Nolan re: fire hazard at 3003 Van Ness

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The Van Ness South Tenants Association sent a letter Sunday evening to Equity Residential Senior Vice President Frances Nolan, regarding the spate of fire alarms that have been going off at 3003 Van Ness several times weekly for months.

Fire alarms have gone off so frequently at 3003 Van Ness, both day and night, that many residents don’t leave the building when they go off.

The tenant association and individual residents have complained many times to Equity Residential management about the problem with constant fire alarms and also about the lack of security at 3003 Van Ness.

Equity Residential’s failure to address such problems has caused fury among residents.