Brookfield is in the news for deceptive and hidden common utility fees. Read the News Story → See Brookfield's Utility Fees →
Our Grievances:
Addressing Tenant Concerns
As a tenant group, we are committed to addressing and rectifying the numerous grievances that have arisen from Brookfield’s management practices. On this page, we detail the specific issues we face, providing a transparent overview of our challenges and the steps we are taking to seek resolution. By highlighting these grievances, we aim to build awareness, rally support, and drive meaningful change to ensure fair and respectful treatment for all tenants.​
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This page contains a sample of the issues we've heard about from the community so far. We are in the process of conducting a formal survey of residents and will update this page with the results as soon as they are available.
On This Page
To view what grievances and demands we've already submitted to Brookfield and view their responses, please visit our Brookfield Responses page.
1. Security
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​Personnel Presence and Competence: Inadequate staffing, along with poorly trained or unresponsive security personnel, contributing to a heightened sense of vulnerability among residents.
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Physical Building Security: Weaknesses in building security features, such as non existent visitor entry records and ID checks and unauthorized individuals tailgating residents, further compromising the safety of the premises.
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Garage Security Incidents: Frequent issues include vehicle theft and assault, highlighting the lack of effective monitoring and safety measures in the parking areas.
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Unsecured Stairwells: Stairwells that are not properly secured or monitored pose additional safety risks, making them potential entry points for unauthorized individuals.
What Residents Are Saying About Security
The staircase does not require a fob from the lobby so anyone can enter the stairs and make it to any floor in the building. There is a homeless man sleeping in the lobby.
On Friday June 7th I reported an incident regarding a female valet being tasered in G1 of the parking garage. [Management] denied that the incident took place at The Estate or having any knowledge of the incident. When I provided details proving it happened on G1 and inquired about a response to the incident (i.e. garage security, working cameras, etc) my three follow-up emails were ignored.
The visitor log is not filled out correctly - I have pictures where entries are illegible or incomplete. I have sent numerous emails explaining that when I go to other office and apartment buildings in DC I am required to show a legal ID for entry; the concierge or guards literally write down the information from the id in their logs. I asked why this process does not happen at The Estate. No response.
2. Utilities and Billing
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Duplicative and Overcharging: Instances of residents being billed multiple times for the same service, as well as being charged amounts far exceeding actual usage.
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Inappropriate Billing: Charges for services that are not provided or not applicable, adding to the financial burden on tenants.
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Excessive Fees: Imposition of high fees for basic utilities and services, often without clear justification.
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Lack of Transparency: Opaque pricing, unclear usage details, and hidden service charges leave tenants in the dark about what they’re actually paying for.
What Residents Are Saying About Utilities and Billing
I find it highly offensive and greedful that Brookfield owns Metergy and charges us a fee to use their own company.
Overcharged for water. I have paid more than double - nearly triple - what I used to pay for water before Metergy took over. It is a complete and utter scam.
I still do not understand why the switch to Metergy effectively doubled (if not tripled) the cost of our utilities. Nor do I understand why we are required to pay 3 different utilities bills: Pepco, Metergy, and Conservice. I've lived in major urban areas for most of my life, and I've never had so many different utility bills, let alone the changes mid-cycle without clear explanation.
3. Deliveries, Packages & Concierge Services
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Abrupt Removal of Concierge Services: Sudden discontinuation of concierge services, giving residents only 5 days notice and leaving them without essential support for deliveries and guest management.
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Stolen and Missing Packages: Frequent incidents of packages being stolen or going missing, highlighting inadequate security and poor handling of deliveries.
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Unauthorized Apartment Access: Instances where building staff or unauthorized individuals have entered apartments without tenant permission and without providing identification, compromising residents' privacy and security.
What Residents Are Saying About Deliveries, Packages & Concierge Services
[Brookfield] also lied and said they implemented Butterfly MX as an alternative to concierge but the Guild has had that since at least April 2023 (therefore it is not new and they only took away services but did not provide anything new)
Packages in the Foundry are left unattended in a common area. Packages have already been stolen because of this unsecured system.
Food delivery people wait at the front door and constantly tailgate in. Since there is no one at the desk, there is no way to monitor who is coming into the building. There is no fob requirement for the staircases from the lobby so once food delivery or nonresidents gain access to the lobby, they can gain access to any floor / and the hallway of any floor.
4. Accessibility, Harassment and Discrimination, and Health and Safety
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Caregiver Access Challenges: Obstacles faced by caregivers in gaining timely and reliable access to assist residents due to the removal of concierge services, affecting essential care.
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Medication Delivery Disruptions: Issues with the reliable delivery of medications, creating serious risks for residents dependent on timely access to their prescriptions.
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Frequent Door and Elevator Failures: Ongoing problems with malfunctioning doors and elevators, significantly impacting residents who rely on accessibility features.
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Bias Against Subsidized or Deed-Restricted Units: Instances of discriminatory behavior and unequal treatment directed at residents of subsidized or deed-restricted units, leading to disparities in service and access.
What Residents Are Saying About Accessibility, Harassment and Discrimination, and Health and Safety
The elevators are constantly broken and down for extended periods of time. The front door has been broken for months. The fob one of the doors leading to the back courtyard is constantly broken.
There are often unaccompanied minors roaming the lobby floor and hallways. Oftentimes there are large gatherings on the roof of individuals who don't live in the building. We report instances like this and nothing is done.
I require medication deliveries from a compounding pharmacy in DC to manage a health condition. I had to give my cell phone number to the delivery man last month. This feels like a breach of my personal security -- to have to share my private cell phone number and name / apartment number with a delivery man I do not know -- but it was the only way that the pharmacy could ensure that their delivery guy could connect with me when he's at the building, as there is no longer a concierge to manage medication deliveries.