When I post happenings in the neighborhood, or positive posts, people ignore it. It's the dirt that people really love. In an age of reality TV who could be surprised at that? I don't want to always be negative or cause anyone trouble, but if you're doing something you shouldn't be doing that's not my fault. It's YOURS. This is home to many people, and respecting the building and your neighbors is everyone's responsibility. Sometimes it's the law!
I don't think--and I dare say--most people in the building don't think, that it's too much to ask that both tenants and management create a living situation conducive to a pleasant living situation for all. What that means is we all need to respect each others right to a peaceful existence and a safe and comfortable place to come home to after a long days work.
Here is what I and some of our neighbors would like to see for these buildings:
- A clean environment. Melina cleans up after us every day and I think it's damn inconsiderate to not think about how hard she works to keep things clean and neat in the building. That also goes for the outside of the building and the guys that have to tend the grounds. What kind of thoughtless idiot goes outside to drink and then leaves their cups, bottles, and cans on the front walk or in the planters? I see the trash out there on many mornings, especially after the weekend.
- I'd love it if I didn't hear doors slamming every morning and all night as it hits you in the ass when you come or go. Hold your friggin door and close it quietly for God sake. This isn't a barn.
- That also goes for when your pre-night out drinking or post-night out drinking causes you to speak loudly as you walk down the hall. I think we all know that the walls in this building suck so everyone hears every sound in the hallway. Take this into account.
- I would really love it if the leasing office held firm to the terms of their own leases. For instance the 25-35 pound weight limit for pets in the building is a JOKE! There is at least one, if not more, Mastif's in the building. Those dogs weigh almost as much as a full grown man. My question to management is WTF are you thinking? The size limit is in the lease. Have you not read it? Contracts work both ways. When you lease an apartment with certain terms in the lease, the people leasing from you have signed expecting those terms to be enforced. You don't lease and then cherry pick which terms you want to enforce. We've both signed an agreement. I want to see management abide by the terms of the lease as much as they expect me to. I love dogs, but management has created a situation where a critical mass of people with dogs--giant dogs-- have descended on these buildings. Abide by your own terms! As for tenants...WTF are YOU thinking? You can read. Don't come in here thinking you're going to sneak an 85 pound dog by everyone unnoticed. That is called being selfish and inconsiderate.
- That also goes for renting to clueless dipshits. I know that there are apartments with groups of people living in them that exceed the number of bedrooms in the unit. I have people writing me all the time about the "coeds" living next door to them making all kinds of noise at all hours. It's winter now and people may have curtailed their partying in the communal spaces a bit, but let's not forget how noisy this place can get in the warmer months. It will be spring soon and once again there will be screaming from the roof and in the courtyard. Management, screen the folks you're leasing to and then enforce the DC laws that you are bound by.
- Lastly, for some reason the perception of the tenancy here is that the management office doesn't listen to them, doesn't act, or act quickly enough to their requests, doesn't return phone calls, etc., etc., etc. It is the tenants in the building that make for the possibility of your paycheck. Have a little respect for them.
No. I'm not a curmudgeon. I'm just expressing what I have noticed and what many others have told me on the elevators, in the hallways, and on this blog. These are the common themes running throughout this building and they should be positively addressed. They are NOT going away, and we tenants have a right to expect that eventually they do.
I do expect, paying the rates that are asked of this building, that the living situation here be more than the minimum. This building portrays itself as offering luxury living. Well dammit live up to it!
Turning over tenants right and left, in and out, can't be what is desired of the management of this building. The recent post about the people renting out space in their apartment on a B&B site is a prime example. I realize that you have to rent to people if they meet certain criteria, but when you rent to a certain demographic you enhance the odds of things like this happening. Be a little vigilant when you have prospective tenants. Let them know up front what is expected of them. To not do so endangers the rest of your tenants, creates an unstable and undesirable situation, and creates a bad reputation for the building. Check out apartmentratings.com to see what people are saying about this place. Prospective tenants can read too.
Come on. Let's all create a great place to live here!
To the readers of this blog, please feel free to write me at the email address on the masthead. I promise your concerns will be aired. Whether you want them posted or not is your option. Just let me know and I will respect your wishes. This blog is a good opportunity for tenants to be heard and for management to interact and respond to tenants. We're here for you.
While I agree the negative tends to get the greatest attention, I feel it is important to point out a few of the things that I (as a Jefferson Resident) truly enjoy about living at the Jefferson.
ReplyDelete1. I dont think I could find a more convenient location in DC. Access to 295,395, 66, and GW parkway all in under 10 minutes. Three metro lines within a 10 minute walk.
2. The maintenance crew is top notch(when the issues get to them) We have had times when we ask the front office about something and it never seems to make it to the Maintenance team.
3. The gym is extremely convenient and rarely seems overcrowded.
4. We have met a great group of people from many walks of live that have moved into the building from all over the country and have become very close friends. It has been great to be around so many young professionals that you can truly have thought provoking conversations with one day and then grab a beer and watch a game with the next. I do feel that this is the demographics that the building was aiming for not the just out of college fit 6 people in a 2 bedroom apartment crowd.
5. This is the one point that I disagree with the original post about. In DC it is next to impossible to find an apartment building that will allow a dog that is any larger than a fat house cat.(i.e 25-35 lbs) The Jefferson along with all the other buildings in Near Southeast were very welcoming of larger dogs. Our lease shows a much higher weight limit. There are clearly some issues with irresponsible dog owners in the building, but I think they are still outnumbered by the ones that make sure they clean up after their dog and dont let them relieve themselves immediately outside(or inside) the building.
The building at times has had problems which I too have been unhappy about, but I truly enjoy living here and plan to stay for at least another year. I just hope I continue to enjoy the many benefits that clearly outweigh the few issues we have had.
While I agree wholeheartedly about neighbors being more respectful of one another, I need to address you misconception about dogs.
ReplyDelete1) The weight limit is 75 lbs, not 25-35 lbs. as you noted. This information was provided to prospective tenants directly by the Management Office. Hence why you see larger breeds.
As an FYI... There is a separate agreement, deposit and monthly payment tenants sign/pay when a pet is approved. Your lease may say 25 lbs., but that is standard language not changed for this building. And again, pets need to be approved.
2) As someone who has worked with a number of animal shelters & rescues, and provides professional dog walking & pet sitting services, I can say without a doubt that is is smaller breed dogs (5 - 15 lbs) that are the loudest AND the most destructive.
These are the ones you hear yelping. These are the ones that chew and scratch and pee on carpets. They tend to have high metabolisms and energy levels and require a TON of daily exercise, despite their smaller statures.
Larger breeds (mastiffs, shepherds, bull dogs, great danes) tend to have much slower metabolisms, require less exercise, and are perfectly happy lounging the day away. They are less likely to bark incessantly, yip or chew... except when they're puppies. But ALL puppies are predisposed to barking and chewing as they go through the teething stage.
At the end of the day you can't blame the Management Office for the irresponsibility of some dog owners in the two buildings. Well-behaved dogs, regardless of their size/weight, are the product of good training, proper manners, lots of love and dedication.
P.S. I do not work for the Management Office. I am a paying tenant :)
Just double-checked my lease, and it doesn't say 75 pounds. Something doesn't add up here.
ReplyDeleteThank you for putting a positive perspective on things Anonymous number one. You are correct. Our two buildings are tremendously convenient and do offer a lot of options for getting in, out and around the city. Of course the downside of that is that you HAVE to get in out or around the city, because there is nothing over here. No matter though. It creates kind of a quiet atmosphere. If the plans at halfstreet.com come through, this place will be like Gallery Place and on second thought I'm not sure I would like that, though it was an original selling point for me.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that your lease stipulates allowance for larger dogs. Mine says 25lbs fully grown. I've been in the building for a good long while now, however. I don't think changing the provisions like that is very fair though, but the apartment is probably within their legal right to "make changes without notice" I suppose.
In any event, why do you think it is that most apartments in the city don't allow pets?
I agree that the maintenance staff here is very professional and responsive. I think you will see several postings to the effect on this blog. That's a big plus.
I'm glad your experience has been mostly positive. I hope to one day see that to be the rule. I'm sure that day will come.
Thanks.
Thanks "paying tenant." You make some good points. I don't have a problem with larger breeds of dogs (or smaller ones) per se and I have no misconception about them. It's more of an issue with the way the building is managed. It shows a lax attitude about policy.
ReplyDeleteWhen I moved into the building there were hardly any dogs here at all, but the siren call was issued and everyone within the district's borders seems to have settled here. I think it creates an imbalance. It almost seems that there is a dog for every two tenants here. Dogs are great, but this building was built to house people in reality.
In terms of standard language, I would take issue with you on that point. These leases are printed and they can be printed with any terminology that the management wants them to have. They're not bought at Staples. If the language says twenty-five pounds and that clause is inaccurate for some reason, then that needs to be communicated to EVERY tenant and prospective tenant EVERY time. Cross out the amount and put in the amended amount...EVERY TIME prior to a lease being signed.
Also I do think that management has something to do with the way the dogs in the building behave. "At the end of the day" it is managements responsibility to communicate what is expected of dog owners and their responsibility to enforce those expectations.
Don't forget. the leasing office is like the Captain of this ship. How they steer it has everything to do with quality of life in the building.
Thanks very much for your comment!
PS. I agree with comment poster number three. Something is NOT adding up.
I know that there are apartments with groups of people living in them that exceed the number of bedrooms in the unit.
ReplyDeleteIs that illegal?
From the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs:
ReplyDelete"For purposes of the Human Rights Act, in general up to 2 persons are allowed in an efficiency, 3 persons in a one bedroom, 5 persons in a two bedroom, and 7 persons in a three bedroom."
As bound by Fair Housing, all tenants are screened the same way.
ReplyDeleteHey there CapYards blogger,
ReplyDeleteNicely done with this blog - I think it's a superb addition to this building. Have you seen management read and respond to this yet? Anyway, I have two bits that I think are worth discussing in your blog.
First - recycling. Obviously I'm glad that this building does recycle, as they should, but why must residents walk their recycling all the way to the garage? Why can't they put containers (even the large bins on wheels or something) in with the trash chutes? If we can leave broken-down cardboard there, I don't see why they couldn't have a recycling bin. Of course, residents shouldn't trash the area or leave disgusting or oozing cans of stuff, but I bet if they took it once a day to the garage it would work out just fine. I just resent having to carry and walk my recyclables all the way to the garage whenever it gets full. As you often say, this is a luxury apartment building, and shouldn't that be part of it?
Second, I would like to respond to your issue with big dogs in the building. While I agree with you that the leasing office should either enforce their dog policy or rewrite it to reflect what they actual allow, I am okay with dogs. Small dogs, medium dogs, and even giant dogs. I disagree with you on this point, and here is why: most of the giant dogs I have seen around the building are the most well-behaved and quiet dogs around. It's the hyper or yappy ones that drive me nuts, that go all crazy in the hallway when I walk by, or bark and their owners can't control them. But the real issue I have with dog ownership in this building are the dog owners themselves, on the specific issue picking up after their dogs - a responsibility you accept as soon as you get a dog. I stand firm that it is a dog owner's responsibility to have doggie poop bags with them at all times; they even sell bag dispensers that attach to dog leashes. However, I recognize that sometimes the bags run out, or you think there were some left and there weren't, or a dog owner somehow finds themselves bagless. But wait - this building is nice enough to have bags for everyone, conveniently located at the front desk! Yet the bushes next to the building are often decorated with dog feces, and across the street can just be a lesson in hopping and jumping over piles of dog poo. If you own a dog, CLEAN IT UP. If you find yourself bagless, ask a fellow dog owner for a bag or just walk the 25 feet back into the building, grab a bag, and go back out to pick it up. This is inexcusable, and frankly, disgusting. Small piles of poop may be less visually offensive than large piles of crap, but it's all irresponsible and unacceptable.
Thanks for writing. I appreciate the encouragement!
ReplyDeleteMy issue isn't with dogs. I like them. My issue is with the selective enforcement or outright disregard for the terms of the leases here. I'm sure as tenants we would be held to the "letter of the lease," so to speak. It seems to be a measure to fill the building up with tenants in a down market, but it's not fair for those who came before standards were relaxed.
I do agree it's an issue with the owner. How can you hold an animal responsible for its actions? I am convinced that the vast majority of tenants here are responsible, thinking, caring individuals. But there seems to be an element that just doesn't "get" apartment living. Either they weren't socialized well or they are just plain ignorant.
People certainly should clean up after their pets. that goes without saying. It should be elementary, but for some reason this problem persists. Perhaps a little peer pressure might pay off. I'm not sure that it is the responsibility of management to supply poop bags but on the other hand, they do allow pets and where there are pets there is pet poop!
In case management wants to help out with this smelly problem here's a link to an inexpensive bag system.
http://www.petwasteeliminator.com/pet-waste-stations
You have touched on one of my pet peeves. Marching my recycling down to the garage.
I wonder how much recyclable material goes down the trash chute because people don't want to take it to the garage? I'm a big believer in recycling. The building shouldn't discourage it by making it inconvenient and they should do their part by finding a better system.
Perhaps the current "system" isn't so inconvenient for the bottom floors, but what if you live on the top floors? It's very inconvenient and atypical for a "luxury" building to have a "system" like this. Granite counters does not a luxury building make!
Of course there will be abusers to a system in the trash room. This apartment has many such types. I've seen a trash room full of unbroken down boxes on a couple of floors so it will be up to all of us to do our part as well and not abuse the system. Lazy folk!
So OK. Recap: Tenants clean up your pets poop, and management, please allow recycling on every floor. Taking it down stairs is a pain in the ass.
I couldn't agree more about the recycling. When I moved in, I was told that trash goes down the chute, and recycling can be left in the trash room on each floor. One day, a note goes up saying that recyclables must be brought down to the loading dock in the Axiom.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, we pay a fortune to live here. This was marketed to us as a luxury apartment building. And despite a HANDFUL of problems, I'm mostly okay with our living situation. However, I am not okay with bringing my recyclables downstairs, through the lobby, and to the loading dock. If I were considering renting here, and were in the lobby and happen to see residents carting their recyclables through the lobby, I'd really be thinking twice.
And as a side note, as a mother of a newborn, I already have to pack up the kiddo to head to the trash chute.. now I have to tote him downstairs to the loading dock?
I'm paying for the convenience to NOT have to do that, which is why we moved here from an apartment rental in a townhouse.
I'm not trying to be negative or complain too much, but it just seems silly.
To put it another way, I'd be okay bringing my recyclables down, I'd be okay with walking up many flights of stairs 6 months pregnant (I did when both elevators were out and they wouldn't turn on the service elevator for me), I'd be okay with the paper thin walls and hearing my neighbors, and I'd be okay with the wet dog smell in the elevators. If the rent were a bit lower.