UDR, Inc., the property manager of Waterside Towers Apartments in Washington, D.C., will pay $50,000 in penalties and adopt sweeping reforms after city officials said the company ignored repeated complaints from Black women tenants about violent and racist harassment by a white male neighbor—who was later convicted of a hate crime.
D.C. Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb announced the settlement, stating that UDR allowed a hostile housing environment to persist in violating the D.C. Human Rights Act and the Consumer Protection Procedures Act.
“UDR, in violation of D.C. law, allowed a hostile housing environment to persist at Waterside Towers. Despite being on notice, UDR refused to protect tenants from harassment, abuse, and threats on the basis of being Black women,” Schwalb said. “The Office of the Attorney General remains committed to enforcing the law, protecting tenants, and using our independent authority to ensure that every Washingtonian has a safe place to call home.”
The lawsuit, filed in 2024, alleged that at least two Black women tenants were subjected to racist and sexist harassment—including physical violence—from tenant Gueorgui Iskrenov. Tenants informed UDR of the conduct, which included violent threats, racial slurs, and a 2020 incident where Iskrenov nearly struck a woman with his vehicle, spat in her face, and yelled epithets during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite these reports, officials said UDR failed to act.
“D.C. is aggressively making it impossible for Black natives to live/stay there. If Black lives really matter to you, protect their homes+their city. Everyday Black neighborhoods and culture are erased,” one social media user wrote in response to the unveiling of Black Lives Matter Plaza, also during the COVID-19 pandemicone social media user wrote in response to the unveiling of Black Lives Matter Plaza, also during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Black businesses are harassed by white gentrifiers… this is cute though.”
Under a consent judgment filed in D.C. Superior Court, and pending judicial approval, UDR must now implement policies that address tenant-on-tenant harassment, provide mandatory annual anti-discrimination training to all employees at its D.C. properties, and notify the Office of the Attorney General of all complaints involving harassment or discrimination at Waterside Towers for the next three years.
UDR also reached a separate financial settlement with the two tenants who directly endured the abuse. The consent judgment requires UDR to report how it resolves future complaints and certifies its compliance with the agreement annually.
According to city officials, UDR’s failure to respond to the women’s complaints violated both fair housing and consumer protection laws, requiring landlords to provide a safe and livable housing environment.
The attorney general’s office said a hostile housing environment occurs when unwelcome conduct based on a protected trait is so severe or pervasive that it interferes with a tenant’s ability to use or enjoy their home.
“Too many tenants suffer in silence when property managers fail to take their complaints seriously—especially when those tenants are Black women,” Schwalb said. “We will continue to use the full power of our office to protect D.C. residents from discrimination and neglect.”