An condominium sophisticated in Lyon Park not too long ago issued a warning to tenants indicating the only put for child’s play is the playground.
A take note furnished to ARLnow, addressed to the residents of Washington & Lee Flats (2200 2nd Street N.), said “children are to be playing in the playground and in no other spots,” in bolded, italicized and underlined letters.
They cannot engage in in “common areas which include… on the grass or trees,” only the area designated as the playground, in accordance to the take note.
It’s one of two notes ARLnow has acquired indicating that some apartment communities are cracking down on enjoy in typical locations in reaction to an uptick in problems from other tenants about noise and property harm.
The Washington & Lee notice was a to start with for Nicole Merlene, a Tenant-Landlord Commission member and ARLnow view columnist. She tells ARLnow it describes a probably discriminatory exercise and reveals the want for Arlington to offer you mediation solutions among tenants and landlords.
“Since I have been on the fee we have not received a criticism of this form the place there is most likely discrimination primarily based on age for routines,” she stated.
The notice responds to an increase in issues from tenants about harmed autos from children taking part in in the parking good deal, a home manager for the complex explained to ARLnow. In a cellphone job interview, the manager said five problems have arrive in the last couple months of children hitting cars and trucks with rocks or scratching them up with scooters and bikes. As for the trees and grass, the supervisor explained young children were being breaking limbs and digging holes.
“It’s just gotten to the level wherever the destruction and problems were so bad I’d have to just take action,” the manager explained. “Because of COVID… [parents] did not have enough care and the kids had been just still left at dwelling on their very own.”
The be aware also bans sidewalk chalk mainly because young children drew on the brick walls, in accordance to the supervisor. The take note reported “stricter action will be taken” if the issues keep on. In 2014, the very same residences released a marketing campaign from tenants feeding squirrels.
Merlene mentioned that these sorts of landlord-tenant disputes could be fixed by means of an out-of-court docket mediation services — one that Arlington has not had considering the fact that it was defunded a several yrs back, she stated.
“This form of out of court docket service calls for both equally get-togethers to willfully participate, but just after discussions with both equally Alexandria and Fairfax, it is by and significant exceptionally thriving at obtaining a remedy when a tenant is the 1 bringing a grievance,” she said. “The Tenant-Landlord Commission is in the process of hunting into ways in which other jurisdictions have efficiently offered this company and will recommend a method that performs for our neighborhood for the Board’s thing to consider.”
Requested to examine the letter, she reported fee users are not legal professionals or skilled in discrimination plan, so commissioners stay clear of determining if something is illegal. In its place, individuals with issues are referred to the county’s Workplace of Human Rights.
But having apartmentment homeowners to courtroom, even though a recourse for Arlington tenants, almost never transpires.
“Reasons variety from worry of possibly shedding the scenario versus a major landlord’s attorney and getting to pay their legal professional costs, immigration status, cultural obstacles, and numerous other hurdles,” she said.
Complaints of noise and kids’ habits have also registered with the administration office environment at Union on Queen (1515 N. Queen Road), in close proximity to Rosslyn.
Tenants received a “friendly reminder” that no citizens can dangle out in or close to the courtyard fountain. It instructed dad and mom they are responsible if their young children enjoy there, according to a screenshot shared with ARLnow.
“Thus considerably we have observed trash remaining in the courtyard and in the fountain, and we’ve found small children actively playing in the courtyard [spraying] drinking water on other resident’s [sic] home windows,” the letter stated.
The Union on Queen reminder also noted that the workplace “has received various complaints about amplified noise concentrations owing to groups being in the courtyard and all around the courtyard’s fountain.”
“We will regretably have to problem lease violations should really the difficulty persist,” the take note mentioned. “Again, we never want them to hurt them selves or some others in the developing. We want all of our citizens to be safe and snug.”
Picture by way of Google Maps