Several tenants and advocates urged the Arlington County Board on Nov. 15 to investigate rent increases at Barcroft Apartments and to back stronger tenant protections at the state level.

Sandra Beltran, represented and translated by Larissa Zehrer of the Legal Aid Justice Center, said Barcroft’s owner increased her rent by 6% between the July 2022 and July 2023 lease renewals despite an affordable‑housing financing agreement she said limits annual increases to 3%. Beltran said the 6% increase was applied late in her lease and compounded in later years; she asked the county to require Barcroft to reset rents for affected tenants.

"In the agreements with the county, Barcroft departments agreed to only increase the rent 3% per year," Beltran said (translated). The board said staff would follow up and referred the tenant to staff member Stephanie Bello for further investigation.

Larissa Zehrer and other witnesses also urged the board to support anti‑rent‑gouging enabling legislation so localities can adopt limits on yearly rent hikes. Those calls were reflected in the board’s later amendment to its legislative packet to explicitly "support measures to keep housing costs affordable, including anti rent gouging protections."

Board Chair Takis Carantones said details matter and that staff would investigate whether Barcroft’s increases were isolated or systemic; he referenced existing tenant-relocation protections and tenant-relocation plans tied to planned Barcroft renovations that the board approved on the consent agenda.

Next steps: County staff will investigate the Barcroft tenant complaint and report back; the board also directed staff follow-up and will pursue the adopted legislative advocacy on anti‑rent‑gouging tools at the state level.