HOW WE STARTED

Our campaign began as an outgrowth of an active tenants association representing the residents of 3003 Van Ness Street NW in Washington D.C. 

Dozens of tenants complained that their landlord, the massive Equity Residential corporation, was demanding exceptionally large rent increases. They found that the company used false advertising to lure in new tenants and tricking them into signing leases with absurdly high amounts listed as the "rent charged," e.g., $3,500 for a one-bedroom apartment, as opposed to the "rent paid" or $2,200 monthly rent in reality. In the District, after the initial lease term expires, you have the right to continue your tenancy month-to-month indefinitely on the same terms. However, after the first year, these residents were compelled to sign new leases to secure even close to fair market rent paid or else pay up to $1,500 more each month.

A group of active members of the tenant association filed a Freedom of Information Act request and found out that our landlord had been systematically conducting the scam for as over a decade - and also discovered evidence that some other corporate landlords in community were doing the same thing. We realized that if the practice was widespread, it may have cost tens of thousands of DC residents tens of millions of dollars.

NEXT: What we have achieved