VIENNA, Va. (DC News Now) — Several tenants of a Northern Virginia high-rise apartment say their living conditions are a nightmare, and after emails and calls have gone unanswered, they’re sharing their pleas for help with DC News Now.
On December 27, tenants of Adaire Apartments in Vienna said that water pipes burst, causing the sprinkler system to go off. The events started a chain reaction that they say has left people sick, stranded, and frustrated.
The water damage extended from the top floors to the garage, and tenants describe the state of the apartment units as “unlivable.”
“As a collective, a lot of us are pretty desperate to get out of here,” said Amanda Hutchins, who leases an apartment on the 24th floor.
On Tuesday night, Hutchins joined several other tenants to share their struggles with DC News Now, showing images and videos of water damage and mold. They said it has had an impact on their health.
“I’ve had an asthma attack, and I know people who have had similar experiences,” said Rania Soussi, who lives on the 26th floor. “It’s been a complete nightmare.”
Since the beginning of their troubles on the 27th, the tenants said they dealt with two stints of power outages. Now, they said only one elevator in the 36-story building works, leading to lengthy waits to get upstairs.
“We have older people in here, people that have medical conditions, and when you call for the elevator, it doesn’t come,” said Alex Kiberu, who lives on the 25th floor.
All the while, the tenants tell us they’re still expected to pay their full rent, and they’re not getting answers from the building’s owner, Greystar, as to when these problems could be solved.
DC News Now emailed Greystar’s media line and asked the following questions:
- When will the elevators be back in service?
- Will there be any compensation for the residents impacted?
- Have there been, or will there be, any assistance for residents who need to temporarily leave their units?
As of the time the story aired, despite being provided with a deadline, no one from Greystar’s communications team responded to those questions.
Now, the tenants are seeking help through various channels.
“When I tell you I opened that door and it looked like a scene from the Titanic,” one tenant said in a TikTok video. The user has accumulated 100,000 views over a course of four videos posted within the last week.
The tenants also said they have reached out to local, state, and federal officials for help — hoping someone provides them assistance before it’s too late.
“Those people that perished in Florida[‘s Surfside Condominion collapse], I wonder if they had some worries and things that they took to people, and everybody ignored them,” Kiberu said.
The tenants’ request was for two things to happen immediately: an inspection of the building, and an inspection of the water flowing into their apartments.
DC News Now will update this story if it receives a response from Greystar, or learns of any action taken by a public entity to respond to the tenants’ concerns.
