If You Own

Security

To ensure the safety of each of us and our property, please keep all doors closed and locked.

All owners and renters will be given a pass code, which can be used to unlock the front security door without a key. Please DO NOT give out this pass code to anyone, including contractors, workers, delivery personnel, movers or visitors to your unit. Either make arrangements to meet them at the front door or buzz them in remotely. Please note the board will regularly update the pass code and notify building residents ahead of any change.

To be buzzed in remotely, visitors should use the telephone entry system in the front lobby. They will press your unit code found on the LED screen or on the board above the entry system, followed by depressing the green handset symbol on the keypad. 

Your phone will then ring and, after confirming the visitor should have access, you can then press the number “9" on your telephone keypad to unlock the front door remotely. Please ask your guests to use the telephone entry system to contact you when visiting rather than requesting entrance from other residents. 

You can also get real-time access to the front foyer video on a smartphone app — click here.

Please do not let strangers or anyone unknown to you into the building. 

Please do not prop open the security door at front or back for any reason.

Alerts

Sign up to receive neighborhood alerts for police activity, street closings, utility outages, community events, and more at DC.gov. For example, in a snow emergency, parking is not allowed on Constitution Avenue.  An alert will warn you to move your car before it is towed.

Condominium Fees

Condominium fees are due to the property manager by the 15th of each month and can be paid via credit card, direct debit, or check. Late fees will be assessed to your unit after that date. The building’s delinquency policy establishes the timetable for when delinquent units are sent to the building’s attorney for collections. Please contact the building manager if you need a copy of the delinquency policy.

Building Keys

Each apartment is given two keys to the building's front and back door. These keys cannot be copied, but extra keys or replacements for lost keys are available from the building manager for $75 each.

Apartment Keys 

Please leave a copy of your unit’s keys with the building manager in case emergency entrance is required or in case you find yourself locked out of your own unit. If you change your locks, please give a set of the new keys to the building manager as soon as possible. UPCO Locksmith is a reliable local option if you find yourself locked out.

Electronic Communications

As allowed by the District of Columbia Condominium Act, the Telephone Company Condominium Association has opted to send meeting notices and allow owners to submit proxies by email rather the U.S. Postal Service. To do this, all owners are asked to give the building manager the email address to which they would like this information sent, along with a signed authorization to receive such information and exercise such proxies electronically. You can download a copy of the authorization here.

If You Plan To Rent Your Apartment

Contact the building manager before renting your apartment to secure a copy of material you should give your tenants, including a copy of the condo by-laws. 

Owners who rent their units may do so for a minimum of one year and a maximum of three years with an option to renew. The owner also must file a copy of the related lease with the building manager.  The lease must require the following:

•  That the tenant obey all the rules and regulations the condo may impose, especially regarding trash and recycling, the roof deck, and building security. 

• That smoking is banned on the building premises, including in the apartment being rented. 

• That the tenant secures liability and personal property insurance. 

• And that the tenant pay a moving fee of $400 to the Telephone Company Condo Association both when moving in and moving out.

In addition to the property and liability  insurance required of all owners, described  below, owners who rent their unit must secure a DC Basic Business License and a "rental to others" endorsement on their policy.

If You Plan To Sell Your Apartment

First, we’ll be sorry to see you go, but we realize that jobs move, people get married, children arrive, and all sorts of life events can make it necessary. 

Before you list your unit, please contact the building manager for a copy of the documents you’ll need, including the condo by-laws, the consent to electronic communications, and the latest financial report for the association. 

Noise

One of the biggest potential problems between neighbors in any building like ours is noise.  This includes, but is not limited to, loud music, televisions and pets. Residents should be considerate of their neighbors at all hours, but especially before 8 a.m. and after 10 p.m.  And please limit construction to weekdays between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.

If one of your neighbors complains to you about loud music, try to correlate the volume with the complaint. Note especially the bass levels. Generally, noise can be reduced by moving speakers away from direct contact with walls or by putting them on speaker stands.

If a noise problem can’t be resolved after two conversations, you should alert the building manager, who will warn the offending party about the noise. Any subsequent complaints within a 45-day period will result in a fifty dollar ($50) fine. And further complaints will result in additional fines to be determined by the Board.

Pets

We welcome well-behaved pets, but ask that they always be leashed when in common areas and that owners clean up any “accidents” outside their apartments. Remember that some people are allergic to cats or dogs. So unless someone asks to approach your pet, please keep your distance.

Trash and Recycling

Trash and recycling is picked up on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

All garbage must be in sealed, plastic bags and placed in the hinged, gray containers in our trash room in the basement. DO NOT leave trash bags on the floor of the trash room. This would only invite insects and rodents into our building. Once they are in the building, it is only a short walk to your unit or storage unit!

Recyclable materials (newspapers, bottles, cans, etc.) should be put in the big blue bins in the basement garbage room. Please break down cardboard boxes before placing them in the recycling bins.  Rinse bottles and cans to reduce their attractiveness to insects. Even one non-recyclable item will cause a recycling bin to be thrown out as trash. So, if in doubt, throw it out!

Liquid (wet) paint is considered a hazardous material and is not to be thrown out with the trash.  Only if all the paint in a can is dried can it be disposed of in the trash. The District suggests filling old cans of paint with cat litter and letting them dry out before disposing of them.

For additional information on what can be recycled and what can go in the trash see DC Recycles.

No construction debris should ever be left in the trash room. Construction debris includes, but is not limited to, plywood, plumbing fixtures, drywall, flooring 2x4's and liquid paint. Old furniture, appliances and other large household items are also unacceptable. Residents must arrange with private contractors to remove such debris.

Do not leave oversized items or bulk trash in the trash room. You can arrange for the removal of your bulk trash at your own expense. Or you can store the material in your storage locker until one of our “trash amnesty weekends” when the Board arranges for a dumpster to be placed outside behind our building. Trash amnesty day will be announced a few weeks ahead of time and a notice will be placed on the bulletin board in the mailbox lobby.

Do not leave personal items in the hallways or other common areas.

Please help us conserve energy by TURNING OFF the lights in the trash room after you are finished.

Insurance

In accordance with the District of Columbia Condominium Act, all unit owners must maintain Liability Insurance of at least $300,000 and Property Damage Insurance of at least $10,000.  

Further, all unit owners who are leasing their apartments must maintain a "rental to others" endorsement on their insurance and require their tenants to maintain a renter’s insurance policy. Copies of all insurance policies must be filed with the building manager by owners and renters.   

Parking

Parking is definitely at a premium in our neighborhood. As a resident, you can sign up for a parking permit allowing you to park anywhere in the Ward 6. You can also secure temporary parking permits for visitors and contractors. Details can be found at ParkDC.com.

Even with a permit, however, there is NO PARKING allowed behind our building at any time. Be aware that Constitution Ave. is a “snow emergency” route and must be cleared of vehicles during declared snow emergencies. The Board recommends signing up for DC’s alert system, where you will receive email notifications of snow or other emergencies that may affect you.

Also, Massachusetts Ave. has regular, alternate-side street cleaning: south side on Mondays and north side on Tuesdays. Be prepared to move your vehicle or to receive a parking ticket. Cars without proper registration and parking permits are liable to ticketing as well. If you wish to report abandoned vehicles or parking violations you should call 311 or 202-727-1000.

Roof Deck

The roof deck of the Telephone Company Condo is a special amenity for owners and residents of the building. It is available on a first come, first serve basis and cannot be reserved for private or exclusive use. Rules for the deck are the same as those for the building’s common areas with special consideration for neighbors and for use by other residents. 

• Guests are welcome when accompanied by an owner or a resident who accepts responsibility for their guests’ behavior and agrees to pay for any property loss or damage they cause.

• Notice to Condo Board. Please give advance notice via email to TelcoCondo629@gmail.com if you plan to invite more than four non-resident guests to join you on the deck.

• Hours. The roof deck is open every day from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. weather permitting. It is closed in thunder or lightning storms. (On special occasions such as July 4, the Condo Board may agree to keep the deck open later.)

• Children under 18 should never be left unsupervised on the roof deck.

• Pets are not allowed on the roof or on the roof deck at any time.

• Smoking is not permitted on the roof deck.

• Trash. There are no trash receptacles on the roof. Please take any litter or trash with you when you leave and clean any spills immediately.

• Restricted areas. Please stay on the deck and the marked walkways. Don’t sit on the HVAC platforms or walk between the solar panels. Don’t put anything on the parapet walls.

• Open flames. No barbecues, or other cooking devices are allowed on the roof deck.

• Noise.  Avoid loud music. Speak at a conversational level.

• Wind. Please be aware of potential wind hazards and avoid bringing anything that might blow off the roof.

• Personal Items. Please take personal items with you when you leave.

• Damage or Theft. Please notify the building manager immediately  if you discover any unsafe conditions or become aware of damage or theft. 

Owners, residents, and guests use the roof deck at their own risk and shall indemnify and hold the Condo Association harmless from and against any cost, damage, claim, liability, or expense (including reasonable attorney’s fees) incurred by or claimed against the Association or building manager due to their use of the roof deck.

Construction Review

As you know, all the plumbing, structure, and electrical systems in our building are interconnected. In fact, the wall along the hallway is a hollow “chase” through which your neighbor’s plumbing, cable, electrical, venting and other distribution systems run.

Because changes made in one unit potentially affect us all, our Condominium bylaws, which we all agreed to abide by when we purchased or moved into our units, stipulate that any alteration of plumbing, structure, or electrical systems must be reviewed before work begins. For example, relocating a sink is a plumbing alteration. 

The Board does not review aesthetics, such as paint color. But we need to ensure the wall you remove today doesn’t cause a wall on the floor above or below you to collapse tomorrow– or right then and there.

So, please contact a member of the Board and tell them if you wish to do anything like removing or relocating stairs; adjusting your plumbing or venting of a clothes dryer, stove or bathroom; removing, relocating, or adding a toilet, tub or sink; cutting holes in your walls or loft floors; or adding new hard-wired lighting or light switches. The Board will quickly consider what you want to do and, in all likelihood, approve it.

Building Miscellany

Building exterior: We are in an historic area of the District. The mounting of satellite dishes and antennas to the exterior of the building is prohibited.

Flooding: Please remain in your unit while your dishwasher or washing machine is in use. Overflows can quickly become a significant problem in our building.

Flower and Plants: Please respect the plantings in front of our building. We do not have professional gardeners on hire but instead rely on volunteer gardeners to keep the plantings looking nice each year. Please DO NOT place “for sale” signs in the raised beds or pots without Board approval, and do not leave pet waste anywhere in front. 

Garden Room: There is a small room at the foot of the stairs to the ground level. It contains items for common use including a shovel, ladders, and a hand truck. Use the code—123456 followed by the green entry arrow —to access the room. Please return anything you take out.

Leaks: If you find a leak in your ceiling, please contact your neighbor above and try to work out the problem. If you can’t resolve or repair the problem, or if the source of the leak is unknown, contact the building manager. Stevens Plumbing (202-882-4500) is familiar with our building and is a good option if you need a plumber to evaluate the leak’s source.

Meter Room:  The building managers and Board members have a key to the room containing the electric meters and telephone wiring. If you need access, please contact one of them.

Moving: There is a one-time, non-refundable fee of $400 charged to all owners when they or their tenants move in or move out. Also, owners are responsible for supervising their tenant's move, beginning with reaching agreement with the building manager on the day and hours the elevator can be used. 

Packages: DC, like many large cities, suffers from a wave of porch pirates who snatch packages almost as soon as they are delivered. Some delivery services do not have the code to enter the building and may leave packages in the unlocked foyer or even on the front steps. You would be wise to ask delivery people to call you from the building foyer if you expect to be home or the building manager if you can’t be there. If you see any packages outside the locked area, please take time to move them into secure space.

Security Cameras:  The building has two security cameras, one in the foyer and one at the back door. Video is recorded whenever motion is detected and is kept for several months. If you have reason to believe a package was stolen, contact the building manager so they can review the footage to identify who took your package. The building manager can also give you real-time access to the front foyer video on a smartphone app. Ask the building manger for more information. 

Smoke detectors: Please check the smoke detectors in your unit every six months.  Depending on the unit, smoke detectors are either “hard-wired” into your electrical panel or require batteries. An electrician would be able to replace a battery-powered smoke detector with a hard-wired brand for very little cost. You might want to consider this improvement as it may take the worry out of having to remember to check the batteries.

Smoking: Smoking is prohibited in all common areas of the building and in any apartment that has not taken steps to prevent second- and third-hand smoke or odors from entering common areas or other residents’ apartments. On the first complaint that smoke is escaping the apartment, a warning will be issued, and the apartment occupant will be given 30 days to install equipment to cure the problem. On the second complaint, the apartment occupant will be fined $150 and an additional $300 on each subsequent complaint. 

Snow removal: In the event of accumulating snow, the association pays for the front stairs and sidewalk to be shoveled within 24 hours. The association will also place ice melt near the front and back entryways for residents to use in the event of ice. 

Storage bins: Please use only the basement storage bin assigned to your unit.

Tools:  There is a small room at the foot of the stairs to the ground level. It contains items for common use including a shovel, ladders, and a hand truck. Use the code—123456 followed by the green entry arrow —to access these items. Please return anything you take out of the room.

Water usage: The Condo Association pays the water bill for the entire building and it’s one of our largest expenses. Please help keep costs down by conserving water. Any means to reduce water usage is not only environmentally friendly but it helps keep our fees under control. For example, consider installing low-flow shower heads and toilets.