EXHIBIT 10(x)

                       UNITED DOMINION REALTY TRUST, INC.
                            (a Virginia corporation)

                        Common Stock and Preferred Stock

                             UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

                                                                  May 23, 1997


MERRILL LYNCH & CO.
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
        Incorporated
A.G. EDWARDS & SONS, INC.
MORGAN STANLEY & CO. INCORPORATED
SCOTT & STRINGFELLOW, INC.
As Representatives of the several Underwriters
c/o Merrill Lynch & Co.
    Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
        Incorporated
    World Financial center
    North Tower
    New York, New York  10281-1326

Dear Sirs:


         United Dominion Realty Trust, Inc., a Virginia corporation (the "Compa
y"), proposes to issue and sell shares of common stock, par value $1.00 per
share (the "Common Stock"), and shares of preferred stock without par value (the
"Preferred Stock") from time to time, in one or more offerings on terms to be
determined at the time of sale. Each series of Preferred Stock may vary as to
the specific number of shares, title, stated value, liquidation preference,
issuance price, ranking, dividend rate or rates (or method of calculation),
dividend payment dates, any redemption or sinking fund requirements, any
conversion






provisions and any other variable terms as set forth in the applicable Articles
of Amendment to the Company's Articles of Incorporation (each, the "Articles of
Amendment") relating to such series of Preferred Stock. As used herein,
"Securities" shall mean the Common Stock and the Preferred Stock. As used
herein, "you" and "your", unless the context otherwise requires, shall mean the
parties to whom this Agreement is addressed together with the other parties, if
any, identified in the applicable Terms Agreement (as hereinafter defined) as
additional co-managers with respect to Underwritten Securities (as hereinafter
defined) purchased pursuant thereto.

         Whenever the Company determines to make an offering of Securities
through you or through an underwriting syndicate managed by you, the Company
will enter into an agreement (the "Terms Agreement") providing for the sale of
such Securities (the "Underwritten Securities") to, and the purchase and
offering thereof by, you and such other underwriters, if any, selected by you as
have authorized you to enter into such Terms Agreement on their behalf (the
"Underwriters", which term shall include you whether acting alone in the sale of
the Underwritten Securities or as a member of an underwriting syndicate and any
Underwriter substituted pursuant to Section 10 hereof). The Terms Agreement
relating to the offering of Underwritten Securities shall specify the number of
Underwritten Securities of each class or series to be initially issued (the
"Initial Underwritten Securities"), the names of the Underwriters participating
in such offering (subject to substitution as provided in Section 10 hereof), the
number of Initial Underwritten Securities which each such Underwriter severally
agrees to purchase, the names of such of you or such other Underwriters acting
as co-managers, if any, in connection with such offering, the price at which the
Initial Underwritten Securities are to be purchased by the Underwriters from the
Company, the initial public offering price, the time, date and place of delivery
and payment, any delayed delivery arrangements and any other variable terms of
the Initial Underwritten Securities (including, but not limited to, current
ratings (in the case of Preferred Stock only), designations, liquidation
preferences, conversion provisions, redemption provisions and sinking fund
requirements). In addition, each Terms Agreement shall specify whether the
Company has agreed to grant to the


                                       2




Underwriters an option to purchase additional Underwritten Securities to cover
over-allotments, if any, and the number of Underwritten Securities subject to
such option (the "Option Securities"). As used herein, the term "Underwritten
Securities" shall include the Initial Underwritten Securities and all or any
portion of the Option Securities agreed to be purchased by the Underwriters as
provided herein, if any. The Terms Agreement, which shall be substantially in
the form of Exhibit A hereto, may take the form of an exchange of any standard
form of written telecommunication between you and the Company. Each offering of
Underwritten Securities through you or through an underwriting syndicate managed
by you will be governed by this Agreement, as supplemented by the applicable
Terms Agreement.

         The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Com mission (the
"Commission") a registration statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-27221) (which also
constitutes post-effective amendment No. 1 to registration statement No.
33-64275) for the registration of the Securities (including the Underwritten
Securities) and certain of the Company's debt securities under the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), and the offering thereof from time to
time in accordance with Rule 415 of the rules and regulations of the Commission
under the 1933 Act (the "1933 Act Regulations"), and the Company has filed such
amendments thereto as may have been required prior to the execution of the
applicable Terms Agreement. Such registration statement (as amended, if
applicable) has been declared effective by the Commission. Such registration
statement (as amended, if applicable), on the one hand, and the prospectus
constituting a part thereof and each prospectus supplement relating to the
offering of Underwritten Securities provided to the Underwriters for use
(whether or not such prospectus supplement is required to be filed by the
Company pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations) (the "Prospectus
Supplement"), on the other hand, including in each case all documents
incorporated therein by reference and the information, if any, deemed to be a
part thereof pursuant to Rule 430A(b) or Rule 434 of the 1933 Act Regulations,
as from time to time amended or supplemented pursuant to the 1933 Act, the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act"), or otherwise, are
referred to herein as the "Registration Statement" and the "Prospectus",
respectively;


                                       3





provided, however, that a Prospectus Supplement shall be deemed to have
supplemented the Prospectus only with respect to the offering of Underwritten
Securities to which it relates. All references in this Agreement to financial
statements and schedules and other information which is "contained," "included"
or "stated" in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (and all other
references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such
financial statements and schedules and other information which is or is deemed
to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus,
as the case may be; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or
supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to
mean and include, without limitation, any document filed under the 1934 Act
which is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus, as the case may be. If the Company elects to rely
on Rule 434 under the 1933 Act Regulations, all references to the Prospectus
shall be deemed to include, without limitation, the form of prospectus and the
abbreviated term sheet, taken together, provided to the Underwriters by the
Company in reliance on Rule 434 under the 1933 Act (the "Rule 434 Prospectus").
If the Company files a registration statement to register a portion of the
Securities and relies on Rule 462(b) for such registration statement to become
effective upon filing with the Commission (the "Rule 462 Registration
Statement"), then any reference to "Registration Statement" herein shall be
deemed to be to both the registration statement referred to above (No.
333-27221) and the Rule 462 Registration Statement, as each such registration
statement may be amended pursuant to the 1933 Act.

         Section 1.  Representations and Warranties.

         (a) The Company represents and warrants to you, as of the date hereof,
and to you and each other Underwriter named in the applicable Terms Agreement,
as of the date thereof (such latter date being referred to herein as a
"Representation Date"), as follows:

                  (i)  The Registration Statement and the Prospectus, at the
         time the Registration Statement became effective, complied, and as of
         the applicable Representation Date will

                                       4





         comply, in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act
         and 1933 Act Regulations; the Registration Statement, at the time the
         Registration Statement became effective, did not and as of the
         applicable Representation Date will not, contain an untrue statement of
         a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated
         therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; the
         Prospectus, as of the date hereof does not, and as of the applicable
         Representation Date and at Closing Time (as hereinafter defined) will
         not, include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a
         material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the
         light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;
         provided, however, that the representations and warranties in this
         subsection shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the
         Registration Statement or the Prospectus made in reliance upon and in
         conformity with information furnished to the Company in writing by any
         Underwriter through you expressly for use in the Registration Statement
         or the Prospectus.

             (ii) The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by
         reference in the Prospectus pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the
         1933 Act, at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the
         Commission, complied and will comply in all material respects with the
         requirements of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations of the
         Commission under the 1934 Act (the "1934 Act Regulations"), and, when
         read together with the other information in the Prospectus, at the time
         the Registration Statement became effective and as of the applicable
         Representation Date or Closing Time or during the period specified in
         Section 3(f), did not and will not include an untrue statement of a
         material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated
         therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the
         circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

            (iii) The accountants who certified the financial statements and
         supporting schedules included in, or incorporated by reference into,
         the Registration Statement


                                       5




         and the Prospectus are independent public accountants as required by
         the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations.

             (iv) The financial statements and supporting schedules included in,
         or incorporated by reference into, the Regis tration Statement and the
         Prospectus present fairly in all material respects the financial
         position of the Company and its subsidiaries as of the dates indicated
         and the results of their operations for the periods specified; except
         as otherwise stated in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus,
         said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with
         generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis;
         and the supporting schedules included or incorporated by reference in
         the Registration Statement and the Prospectus present fairly in all
         material respects the information required to be stated therein.

                  (v) Since the respective dates as of which information is
         given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, except as
         otherwise stated therein, (A) there has been no material adverse change
         or development involving a prospective material adverse change in or
         affecting the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings,
         business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its
         subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not occurring in
         the ordinary course of business, (B) there have been no transactions or
         acquisitions entered into by the Company or any of its subsidiaries
         other than those arising in the ordinary course of business, and (C)
         except for regular quarterly dividends on the Company's shares of
         common stock, or dividends declared, paid or made in accordance with
         the terms of any series of the Company's preferred stock, there has
         been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by
         the Company on any series of its common stock or preferred stock.

             (vi) The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as
         a corporation in good standing under the laws of the Commonwealth of
         Virginia, with full power and authority to own, lease and operate its
         properties and conduct its business as described in the Prospectus; and
         the Company is


                                       6





         duly qualified to transact business in all jurisdictions in which the
         conduct of its business requires such qualification except where the
         failure to so qualify would not have a material adverse effect on the
         condition, financial or otherwise, or the earnings, business affairs or
         business prospects of the Company.

            (vii) Each subsidiary of the Company has been duly organized and is
         validly existing as a corporation, limited liability company, limited
         partnership or real estate investment trust in good standing under the
         laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, with
         power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and
         conduct its business as described in the Prospectus except where the
         failure to so be in good standing would not have a material adverse
         effect on the condition, financial or otherwise, or the earnings,
         business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its
         subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise; each such subsidiary is
         duly qualified to transact business in all jurisdictions in which the
         conduct of its business requires such qualification, or in which the
         failure to qualify would have a materially adverse effect upon the
         business of such subsidiary; all of the issued and outstanding capital
         stock of each such corporate subsidiary and all of the issued and
         outstanding shares of beneficial interest of each such real estate
         investment trust subsidiary have been duly authorized and validly
         issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned by the Company
         free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien,
         encumbrance, claim or equity; and the Company and one such corporate
         subsidiary are the only members of the Company's limited liability
         company or limited partnership subsidiaries and own the entire
         membership or general partnership interest in each such subsidiary free
         and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien,
         encumbrance, claim or equity.

           (viii) The authorized, issued and outstanding shares of common and
         preferred stock of the Company are as set forth in the Prospectus under
         "Capitalization" (except for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to
         reservations,



                                       7





         agreements or the conversion of convertible securities referred to in
         the Registration Statement including, without limitation, the exercise
         or grant of stock options pursuant to the Company's stock option plan
         or the issuance of shares pursuant to the Company's dividend
         reinvestment plan, stock purchase and loan plan or employees' stock
         purchase plan); and such shares of common stock and preferred stock of
         the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully
         paid and non-assessable and are not subject to preemptive or other
         similar rights.

             (ix) The applicable Underwritten Securities have been duly
         authorized by the Company for issuance and sale pursuant to this
         Agreement and, when issued and delivered pursuant to this Agreement
         against payment of the consideration therefor specified in the
         applicable Terms Agreement or any Delayed Delivery Contract (as
         hereinafter defined), such Underwritten Securities will be duly and
         validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable; the Preferred Stock, if
         applicable, conforms to the provisions of the Articles of Amendment;
         such Underwritten Securities conform in all material respects to all
         statements relating thereto contained in the Prospectus; and the
         issuance of such Underwritten Securities is not subject to preemptive
         or other similar rights.

             (x) If applicable, the shares of Common Stock issuable upon
         conversion of any of the Preferred Stock will have been duly and
         validly authorized and reserved for issuance upon such conversion or
         exercise by all necessary corporate action and such shares, when issued
         upon such conversion or exercise, will be duly and validly issued,
         fully paid and non-assessable, and the issuance of such shares upon
         such conversion or exercise will not be subject to preemptive or other
         similar rights; the Common Stock so issuable conforms in all material
         respects to all statements relating thereto contained in the
         Prospectus.

                  (xi)  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in
         violation of its Articles of Incorporation or By-Laws or in default in
         the performance or observance of any


                                       8





         obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract,
         indenture, mortgage, loan agreement, note, lease (other than as
         disclosed in the Prospectus) or other instrument to which the Company
         or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may
         be bound, or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or
         any of its subsidiaries is subject and which default is of material
         significance in respect of the business or financial condition of the
         Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise; and the
         execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the
         applicable Terms Agreement and the consummation of the transactions
         contemplated herein and therein and compliance by the Company with its
         obligations hereunder and thereunder have been duly authorized by all
         necessary corporate action on the part of the Company, and will not
         conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default under, or result in
         the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any
         property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant
         to any contract, indenture, mortgage, loan agreement, note, lease or
         other instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a
         party or by which it or any of them may be bound, or to which any
         property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is
         subject, or result in any violation of the Articles of Incorporation or
         By-Laws of the Company or any law, administrative regulation or
         administrative or court decree.

                  (xii) With respect to all tax periods regarding which the
         Internal Revenue Service is or will be entitled to assert any claim,
         the Company has met the requirements for qualification as a real estate
         investment trust under Sections 856 through 860 of the Internal Revenue
         Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), and the Company's present and
         contemplated operations, assets and income continue to meet such
         requirements.

                  (xiii) The Company is not and, after giving effect to the
         offering and sale of the Underwritten Securities, will not be an
         "investment company" or an entity "controlled" by


                                       9





         an "investment company" within the meaning of the Investment Company
         Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act").

                  (xiv) The conditions for use of registration statements on
         Form S-3 set forth in the General Instructions on Form S-3 have been
         satisfied and the Company is entitled to use such form for the
         transaction contemplated herein and in any applicable Terms Agreement.

                  (xv) There is no action, suit or proceeding before or by any
         court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, now pending,
         or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against the Company or
         any of its subsidiaries which is required to be disclosed in the
         Prospectus (other than as disclosed therein) or which might result in
         any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise,
         or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the
         Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, or which
         might materially and adversely affect the properties or assets thereof
         or which might materially and adversely affect the consummation of this
         Agreement or the applicable Terms Agreement or the transactions
         contemplated herein and therein; all pending legal or governmental
         proceedings to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party
         or of which any of their respective property is the subject which are
         not described in the Prospectus, including ordinary routine litigation
         incidental to the business, are, considered in the aggregate, not
         material; and there are no contracts or documents of the Company or any
         of its subsidiaries which would be required to be filed as exhibits to
         the Registration Statement by the 1933 Act or by the 1933 Act
         Regulations which have not been filed as exhibits to the Registration
         Statement.

                  (xvi) No authorization, approval or consent of any
         governmental authority or agency is necessary in connection with the
         consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated by this
         Agreement or the applicable Terms Agreement, except such as may be
         required under the 1933 Act



                                       10





         or the 1933 Act Regulations or state securities or Blue Sky laws.

                  (xvii) The Company has full right, power and authority to
         enter into this Agreement, the applicable Terms Agreement and the
         Delayed Delivery Contracts, if any, and this Agreement has been, and as
         of the applicable Representation Date, the applicable Terms Agreement
         and the Delayed Delivery Contracts, if any, will have been, duly
         authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

                  (xviii) The Company and its subsidiaries have good and
         marketable title to, or valid and enforceable leasehold estates in, all
         items of real and personal property referred to in the Prospectus as
         owned or leased by them, in each case free and clear of all liens,
         encumbrances, claims, security interests and defects, other than those
         referred to in the Prospectus or which are not material in amount. Each
         lease of real property by the Company or any of its subsidiaries as
         lessor requiring annual lease payments in excess of $100,000 is the
         legal, valid and binding obligation of the lessee in accordance with
         its terms (except that the remedy of specific performance and
         injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to
         equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any
         proceeding therefor may be brought and to the Bankruptcy Act) and the
         rents which at present have remained due and unpaid for more than 30
         days are not payable under leases such that, were no further rental
         payments to be received under such leases, the financial condition or
         results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries would be
         materially adversely affected thereby. The Company has no reason to
         believe that the lessee under any lease (excluding leases for which
         rent payments due for the remainder of such lease are less than
         $500,000) calling for annual lease payments in excess of $500,000 is
         not financially capable of performing its obligations thereunder.

                  (xix)  The Company has filed all Federal, local and foreign
         income tax returns which have been required to be


                                       11





         filed and has paid all taxes indicated by said returns and all
         assessments received by it to the extent that such taxes have become
         due and are not being contested in good faith.

                  (xx) The Company and each of its subsidiaries hold all
         material licenses, certificates and permits from governmental
         authorities which are necessary to the conduct of their respective
         businesses; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has
         infringed any patents, patent rights, trade names, trademarks or
         copyrights, which infringement is material to the business of the
         Company or any of its subsidiaries.

                  (xxi) The Company has no knowledge of (a) the unlawful
         presence of any hazardous substances, hazardous materials, toxic
         substances or waste materials (collectively, "Hazardous Materials") on
         any of the properties owned by it or any of its subsidiaries, or of (b)
         any unlawful spills, releases, discharges or disposal of Hazardous
         Materials that have occurred or are presently occurring off such
         properties as a result of any construction on or operation and use of
         such properties which presence or occurrence would materially adversely
         affect the condition, financial or otherwise, or the earnings, business
         affairs or business prospects of the Company or any of its
         subsidiaries. In connection with the construction on or operation and
         use of the properties owned by the Company or any of its subsidiaries,
         the Company represents that it has no knowledge of any material failure
         to comply with all applicable local, state and federal environmental
         laws, regulations, ordinances and administrative and judicial orders
         relating to the generation, recycling, reuse, sale, storage, handling,
         transport and disposal of any Hazardous Materials.


(b) Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company and delivered to you or
to counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the offering of the
Underwritten Securities shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the
Company to each Underwriter participating in such offering as to the matters
covered thereby


                                       12





on the date of such certificate and, unless subsequently amended or
supplemented, at the applicable Representation Date subsequent thereto.

         Section 2.  Purchase and Sale.

         (a) The several commitments of the Underwriters to purchase the
Underwritten Securities pursuant to the applicable Terms Agreement shall be
deemed to have been made on the basis of the representations and warranties
herein contained and shall be subject to the terms and conditions herein set
forth.

         (b) In addition, on the basis of the representations and warranties
herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the
Company may grant, if so provided in the applicable Terms Agreement relating to
the Initial Underwritten Securities, an option to the Underwriters named in such
Terms Agreement, severally and not jointly, to purchase up to the number of
Option Securities set forth therein at the same price per Option Security as is
applicable to the Initial Underwritten Securities less an amount equal to any
dividend paid by the Company and payable on the Initial Underwritten Securities
and not payable on such Option Securities. Such option, if granted, will expire
30 days (or such lesser number of days as may be specified in the applicable
Terms Agreement) after the Representation Date relating to the Initial
Underwritten Securities, and may be exercised in whole or in part from time to
time only for the purpose of covering over-allotments which may be made in
connection with the offering and distribution of the Initial Underwritten
Securities upon notice by you to the Company setting forth the number of Option
Securities as to which the several Underwriters are then exercising the option
and the time and date of payment and delivery for such Option Securities. Any
such time, date and place of delivery (a "Date of Delivery") shall be determined
by you, but shall not be later than seven full business days nor earlier than
two full business days after the exercise of said option, nor in any event prior
to Closing Time, unless otherwise agreed upon by you and the Company. If the
option is exercised as to all or any portion of the Option Securities, each of
the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, will purchase


                                       13





that proportion of the total number of Option Securities then being purchased
which the number of Initial Underwritten Securities each such Underwriter has
severally agreed to purchase as set forth in the applicable Terms Agreement
bears to the total number of Initial Underwritten Securities (except as
otherwise provided in the applicable Terms Agreement), subject to such
adjustments as you in your discretion shall make to eliminate any sales or
purchases of fractional Underwritten Securities.

         (c) Payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of, the
Underwritten Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters shall be made at the
office of Brown & Wood LLP, 58th Floor, One World Trade Center, New York, New
York 10048-0557, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by you and the
Company, at 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the third business day (unless
postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10 herein) following the
date of the applicable Terms Agreement or, if pricing takes place after 4:30
P.M., New York City time, on the date of the applicable Terms Agreement, on the
fourth business day (unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of
Section 10) following the date of the applicable Terms Agreement or at such
other time as shall be agreed upon by you and the Company (each such time and
date of payment and delivery being referred to herein as the "Closing Time"). In
addition, in the event that any or all of the Option Securities are purchased by
the Underwriters, payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of
certificates representing, such Option Securities, shall be made at the
above-mentioned offices of Brown & Wood LLP, or at such other place as shall be
agreed upon by you and the Company on each Date of Delivery as specified in the
notice from you to the Company. Unless otherwise specified in the applicable
Terms Agreement, payment shall be made to the Company by certified or official
bank check or checks in New York Clearing House funds payable to the order of
the Company against delivery to you for the respective accounts of the
Underwriters of the certificates for the Underwritten Securities to be purchased
by them. The Underwritten Securities shall be in such authorized denominations
and registered in such names as you may request in writing at least one business
day prior to the Closing Time or Date of Delivery, as the case may be. The
Underwritten Securities, which may be in temporary form, will be made available
for examination


                                       14





and packaging by you on or before 3:00 P.M. on the first business day prior to
the Closing Time or the Date of Delivery, as the case may be.

         If authorized by the applicable Terms Agreement, the Underwriters named
therein may solicit offers to purchase Underwritten Securities from the Company
pursuant to delayed delivery contracts ("Delayed Delivery Contracts")
substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto with such changes therein as the
Company may approve. As compensation for arranging Delayed Delivery Contracts,
the Company will pay to you at Closing Time, for the respective accounts of the
Underwriters, a fee specified in the applicable Terms Agreement for each of the
Underwritten Securities for which Delayed Delivery Contracts are made at the
Closing Time as is specified in the applicable Terms Agreement. Any Delayed
Delivery Contracts are to be with institutional investors of the types described
in the Prospectus. At the Closing Time, the Company will enter into Delayed
Delivery Contracts (for not less than the minimum number of Underwritten
Securities per Delayed Delivery Contract specified in the applicable Terms
Agreement) with all purchasers proposed by the Underwriters and previously
approved by the Company as provided below, but not for an aggregate number of
Underwritten Securities in excess of that specified in the applicable Terms
Agreement. The Underwriters will not have any responsibility for the validity or
performance of Delayed Delivery Contracts.

         You shall submit to the Company, at least two business days prior to
the Closing Time, the names of any institutional investors with which it is
proposed that the Company will enter into Delayed Delivery Contracts and the
number of Underwritten Securities to be purchased by each of them, and the
Company will advise you, at least one business day prior to the Closing Time, of
the names of the institutions with which the making of Delayed Delivery
Contracts is approved by the Company and the number of Underwritten Securities
to be covered by each such Delayed Delivery Contract.

         The number of Underwritten Securities agreed to be purchased by the
several Underwriters pursuant to the applicable Terms Agreement shall be reduced
by the number of Underwritten


                                       15





Securities covered by Delayed Delivery Contracts, as to each Underwriter as set
forth in a written notice delivered by you to the Company; provided, however,
that the total number of Underwritten Securities to be purchased by all
Underwriters shall be the total number of Underwritten Securities covered by the
applicable Terms Agreement, less the number of Underwritten Securities covered
by Delayed Delivery Contracts.

         SECTION 3. Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants with you,
and with each Underwriter participating in the offering of Underwritten
Securities, as follows:

         (a) If the Company does not elect to rely on Rule 434 under the 1933
Act Regulations, immediately following the execution of the applicable Terms
Agreement, the Company will prepare a Prospectus Supplement setting forth the
number of Underwritten Securities covered thereby and their terms not otherwise
specified in the Prospectus pursuant to which the Underwritten Securities are
being issued, the names of the Underwriters participating in the offering and
the number of Underwritten Securities which each severally has agreed to
purchase, the names of the Underwriters acting as co-managers in connection with
the offering, the price at which the Underwritten Securities are to be purchased
by the Underwriters from the Company, the initial public offering price, if any,
the selling concession and reallowance, if any, any delayed delivery
arrangements, and such other information as you and the Company deem appropriate
in connection with the offering of the Underwritten Securities; and the Company
will promptly transmit copies of the Prospectus Supplement to the Commission for
filing pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations and will furnish to
the Underwriters named therein as many copies of the Prospectus (including such
Prospectus Supplement) as you shall reasonably request. If the Company elects to
rely on Rule 434 under the 1933 Act Regulations, immediately following the
execution of the applicable Terms Agreement, the Company will prepare an
abbreviated term sheet that complies with the requirements of Rule 434 under the
1933 Act Regulations and will provide the Underwriters with copies of the form
of Rule 434 Prospectus, in such number as you shall reasonably request, and, if
necessary, promptly file or transmit for filing with the Commission the form

                                       16





of Prospectus complying with Rule 434(c)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations in
accordance with Rule 424(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations.

         (b) The Company will notify you immediately, and confirm such notice in
writing, of (i) the effectiveness of any amendment to the Registration
Statement, (ii) the transmittal to the Commission for filing of any Prospectus
Supplement or other supplement or amendment to the Prospectus to be filed
pursuant to the 1934 Act, (iii) the receipt of any comments from the Commission,
(iv) any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration
Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or for additional
information, and (v) the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending
the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the initiation of any
proceedings for that purpose; and the Company will make every reasonable effort
to prevent the issuance of any such stop order and, if any stop order is issued,
to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment.

         (c) At any time when the Prospectus is required to be delivered under
the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act in connection with sales of the Underwritten
Securities, the Company will give you notice of its intention to file or prepare
any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to
the Prospectus, whether pursuant to the 1933 Act, 1934 Act or otherwise
(including any revised prospectus which the Company proposes for use by the
Underwriters in connection with an offering of Underwritten Securities which
differs from the Prospectus on file at the Commission at the time the
Registration Statement first becomes effective, whether or not such revised
prospectus is required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the 1933 Act
Regulations, or any abbreviated term sheet prepared in reliance on Rule 434 of
the 1933 Act Regulations), and will furnish you with copies of any such
amendment or supplement or other documents proposed to be used or filed a
reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing and, unless required by
law, will not file or use any such amendment or supplement or other documents in
a form to which you or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object.


                                       17





         (d) The Company will deliver to you a signed copy of the Registration
Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto (including exhibits
filed therewith and documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item
12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act) as you reasonably request and will also
deliver to each Underwriter a conformed copy of the Registration Statement as
originally filed and of each amendment thereto (including documents incorporated
by reference but without exhibits).

         (e) The Company will furnish to each Underwriter, from time to time
during the period when the Prospectus is required to be delivered under the 1933
Act or the 1934 Act in connection with sales of the Underwritten Securities,
such number of copies of the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as such
Underwriter may reasonably request for the purposes contemplated by the 1933
Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act or the 1934 Act Regulations.

         (f) If at any time when the Prospectus is required to be delivered
under the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act in connection with sales of the Underwritten
Securities any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is
necessary, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, to amend or
supplement the Prospectus in order that the Prospectus will not include an
untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary
in order to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the
circumstances existing at the time it is delivered to a purchaser, or if it
shall be necessary, in the opinion of such counsel, at any such time to amend or
supplement the Registration Statement or the Prospectus in order to comply with
the requirements of the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations, then the Company
will promptly prepare and file with the Commission such amendment or supplement,
whether by filing documents pursuant to the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act or otherwise,
as may be necessary to correct such untrue statement or omission or to make the
Registration Statement and Prospectus comply with such requirements.

         (g)  If applicable, the Company will endeavor, in cooperation with the
Underwriters, to qualify the Underwritten


                                       18





Securities and the Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Preferred Stock,
if any, for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws and real
estate syndication laws of such states and other jurisdictions of the United
States as you may designate; and in each jurisdiction in which the Underwritten
Securities and the Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Preferred Stock,
if any, have been so qualified, the Company will file such statements and
reports as may be required by the laws of such jurisdiction to continue such
qualification in effect for so long as may be required for the distribution of
the Underwritten Securities and the Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the
Preferred Stock, if any; provided, however, that the Company shall not be
obligated to qualify as a foreign corporation in any jurisdiction where it is
not so qualified.

         (h) With respect to each sale of Underwritten Securities, the Company
will make generally available to its security holders as soon as practicable,
but not later than 90 days after the close of the period covered thereby, an
earnings statement (in form complying with the provisions of Rule 158 of the
1933 Act Regulations) covering a twelve month period beginning not later than
the first day of the Company's fiscal quarter next following the "effective
date" (as defined in such Rule 158) of the Regis tration Statement.

         (i) The Company will continue to elect to qualify as a "real estate
investment trust" under the Code and will use its best efforts to continue to
meet the requirements to qualify as a "real estate investment trust."

         (j) The Company, during the period when the Prospectus is required to
be delivered under the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act in connection with sales of the
Underwritten Securities, will file promptly all documents required to be filed
with the Commission pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15 of the 1934 Act within the
time periods prescribed by the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations.

         (k) The Company will not, during a period of 90 days from the date of
the applicable Terms Agreement, with respect to the Underwritten Securities
covered thereby, without your prior written consent, offer or sell, grant any
option for the sale of,


                                       19





or enter into any agreement to sell, any securities of the same class or series
or ranking on a parity with such Underwritten Securities (other than the
Underwritten Securities which are to be sold pursuant to such Terms Agreement),
or if such Terms Agreement relates to Preferred Stock that is convertible into
Common Stock, any Common Stock or any security convertible into Common Stock
(except for Common Stock issued pursuant to reservations, agreements, employee
benefit plans, dividend reinvestment plans, or employee and director stock
option plans), except as may otherwise be provided in the applicable Terms
Agreement.

         (l) If the applicable Terms Agreement relates to Common Stock, the
Company will cause each officer of the Company who owns Common Stock to agree
not to offer for sale, sell or otherwise dispose of any shares of Common Stock
during the 90 days following the date of such Terms Agreement without your prior
written consent.

         (m) If the Preferred Stock is convertible into Common Stock, the
Company will reserve and keep available at all times, free of preemptive rights
or other similar rights, a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock for the
purpose of enabling the Company to satisfy any obligations to issue such shares
upon conversion of the Preferred Stock.

         (n) If the Preferred Stock is convertible into Common Stock, the
Company will use its best efforts to list the shares of Common Stock issuable
upon conversion of the Preferred Stock on the New York Stock Exchange or such
other national exchange on which the Company's Common Stock is then listed.

         (o) The Company will use its best efforts to list the Underwritten
Securities on the New York Stock Exchange.

         (p)      The Company will use the net proceeds received by it from the
sale of the Underwritten Securities in the manner specified in the Prospectus
under the caption "Use of Proceeds."

         Section 4.  Payment of Expenses.  The Company will pay all expenses
incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement or the
applicable Terms Agreement, including (i)


                                       20





the printing and filing of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of
each amendment thereto, (ii) the cost of printing, filing and distributing to
the Underwriters copies of this Agreement and the applicable Terms Agreement,
(iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the Underwritten Securities to
the Underwriters, (iv) the fees and disbursements of the Company's counsel and
accountants, (v) if applicable, the qualification of the Underwritten Securities
and the Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Preferred Stock, if any,
under securities laws and real estate syndication laws in accordance with the
provisions of Section 3(g), including filing fees and the fees and disbursements
of counsel for the Underwriters in connection therewith and in connection with
the preparation of the Blue Sky Survey, (vi) the printing and delivery to the
Under writers of copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of
each amendment thereto, and of the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements
thereto, including each abbreviated term sheet delivered by the Company pursuant
to Rule 434 of the 1933 Act Regulations, (vii) the cost of reproducing and
distributing to the Underwriters copies of the Blue Sky Survey, (viii) any fees
charged by nationally recognized statistical rating organizations for the rating
of the Underwritten Securities, (ix) the fees and expenses, if any, incurred
with respect to the listing of the Underwritten Securities or the Common Stock
issuable upon conversion of the Preferred Stock, if any, on any national
securities exchange, and (x) the fees and expenses, if any, incurred with
respect to any filing with the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.

         If the applicable Terms Agreement is canceled or terminated by you in
accordance with the provisions of Section 5 or Section 9(b)(i), the Company
shall reimburse the Underwriters named in such Terms Agreement for all of their
out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of
counsel for the Underwriters.

         Section 5.  Conditions of Underwriters' Obligations.  The several
obligations of the Underwriters to purchase Underwritten Securities pursuant to
the applicable Terms Agreement are subject to the accuracy of the
representations and warranties of the Company herein contained, to the accuracy
of the statements of

                                       21





the Company's officers made in any certificate pursuant to the provisions
hereof, to the performance by the Company of all of its covenants and other
obligations hereunder, and to the following further conditions:

         (a) At Closing Time, (i) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of
the Registration Statement shall have been issued under the 1933 Act or
proceedings therefor initiated or threatened by the Commission and (ii) if
Preferred Stock is being offered, the rating assigned by any nationally
recognized statistical rating organization to any preferred stock of the Company
as of the date of the applicable Terms Agreement shall not have been lowered
since such date nor shall any such rating organization have publicly announced
that it has placed the Company on what is commonly termed a "watch list" for
possible downgrading.

         (b)  At Closing Time, you shall have received:

                  (1) The favorable opinion, dated as of Closing Time, of Hunton
         & Williams, counsel for the Company, in form and substance satisfactory
         to counsel for the Underwriters, to the effect that:

                           (i) The Company has been duly organized and is
                  validly existing as a corporation and in good standing under
                  the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, with corporate power
                  and authority to own its properties and conduct its business
                  as described in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented.

                      (ii) The Company is duly qualified to transact business in
                  all jurisdictions in which the conduct of its business
                  requires such qualification, or in which the failure to
                  qualify would have a materially adverse effect upon the
                  business of the Company.

                     (iii) Each subsidiary of the Company has been duly
                  organized and is validly existing as a corporation, limited
                  liability company, limited partnership or real estate
                  investment trust in good standing under the laws



                                       22





                  of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, with
                  power and authority to own its properties and conduct its
                  business as described in the Prospectus as amended or
                  supplemented except where the failure to so be in good
                  standing would not have a material adverse effect on the
                  condition, financial or otherwise, or the earnings, business
                  affairs or business prospects of the Company and its
                  subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise; each such
                  subsidiary is duly qualified to transact business in all
                  jurisdictions in which the conduct of its business requires
                  such qualification, or in which the failure to qualify would
                  have a materially adverse effect upon the business of such
                  subsidiary; all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of
                  each such corporate subsidiary and all of the issued and
                  outstanding shares of beneficial interest of each such real
                  estate investment trust subsidiary have been duly authorized
                  and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are
                  owned by the Company or a corporate subsidiary of the Company
                  free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge,
                  lien, encumbrance, claim or equity; and the Company and/or one
                  such corporate subsidiary are the only members or general
                  partners of the Company's limited liability company or limited
                  partnership subsidiaries and own the entire membership or
                  general partnership interest in each such subsidiary free and
                  clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien,
                  encumbrance, claim or equity.

                           (iv) The Company has authorized and outstanding
                  capital stock as set forth in the Prospectus under
                  "Capitalization" (except for subsequent issuances, if any,
                  pursuant to reservations, agreements or the conversion of
                  convertible securities referred to in the Registration
                  Statement including, without limitation, the exercise or grant
                  of stock options pursuant to the Company's stock option plan
                  or the issuance of shares pursuant to the Company's dividend
                  reinvestment plan, stock purchase and loan plan or employees'
                  stock purchase plan); the authorized capital stock of the


                                       23





                  Company has been duly authorized; and the outstanding shares
                  of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and
                  validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable and are
                  not subject to preemptive or other similar rights arising by
                  operation of law or, to the best of such counsel's knowledge,
                  otherwise.

                      (v) The applicable Underwritten Securities have been duly
                  and validly authorized by all necessary corporate action and,
                  when issued and delivered pursuant to this Agreement against
                  payment of the consideration therefor specified in the
                  applicable Terms Agreement or the Delayed Delivery Contracts,
                  the applicable Underwritten Securities will be validly issued,
                  fully paid and non-assessable; the Underwritten Securities are
                  not subject to preemptive or other similar rights arising by
                  operation of law or, to the best of such counsel's knowledge,
                  otherwise; and the Preferred Stock, if applicable, conforms to
                  the provisions of the Articles of Amendment.

                    (vi) If applicable, the shares of Common Stock issuable upon
                  conversion of any of the Preferred Stock have been duly and
                  validly authorized and reserved for issuance upon such
                  conversion or exercise by all necessary corporate action and
                  such shares, when issued upon such conversion or exercise,
                  will be duly and validly issued and will be fully paid and
                  non-assessable, and the issuance of such shares upon such
                  conversion or exercise will not be subject to preemptive or
                  other similar rights arising by operation of law or, to the
                  best of such counsel's knowledge, otherwise.

                      (vii) Each of this Agreement, the applicable Terms
                  Agreement and the Delayed Delivery Contracts, if any, has been
                  duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

                     (viii) The Registration Statement is effective under the
                  1933 Act and, to the best of such counsel's

                                       24





                  knowledge, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the
                  Registration Statement has been issued under the 1933 Act or
                  proceedings therefor initiated or threatened by the
                  Commission.

                    (ix) The Registration Statement and the Prospectus,
                  excluding the documents incorporated by reference therein, as
                  of their respective effective or issue dates, comply as to
                  form in all material respects with the requirements of the
                  1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations; it being understood,
                  however, that no opinion need be rendered with respect to the
                  financial statements, schedules and other financial and
                  statistical data included or incorporated by reference in the
                  Registration Statement or the Prospectus. If applicable, the
                  Rule 434 Prospectus conforms in all material aspects to the
                  requirements of Rule 434 under the 1933 Act Regulations.

                     (x) Each document filed pursuant to the 1934 Act (other
                  than the financial statements, schedules and other financial
                  and statistical data included therein, as to which no opinion
                  need be rendered) and incorporated or deemed to be
                  incorporated by reference in the Prospectus complied when so
                  filed (or as when amended prior to the Representation Date) as
                  to form in all material respects with the 1934 Act and the
                  1934 Act Regulations.

                      (xi) If applicable, the relative rights, preferences,
                  interests and powers of the Preferred Stock are as set forth
                  in the Articles of Amendment relating thereto, and all such
                  provisions are valid under applicable Virginia law; and the
                  form of certificate used to evidence the Preferred Stock is in
                  due and proper form under applicable Virginia law, and
                  complies in all material respects with all applicable
                  statutory requirements.

                      (xii) The Underwritten Securities and, if applicable, the
                  Common Stock issuable upon conversion

                                       25





                  of the Preferred Stock conform in all material respects to the
                  statements relating thereto contained in the Prospectus.

                     (xiii) To the best of such counsel's knowledge and
                  information, there are no legal or governmental proceedings
                  pending or threatened which are required to be disclosed in
                  the Prospectus, other than those dis closed therein, and all
                  pending legal or governmental proceedings to which the Company
                  or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any of the
                  property of the Company or its subsidiaries is the subject
                  which are not described in the Prospectus, including ordinary
                  routine litigation incidental to the business, are, considered
                  in the aggregate, not material to the business of the Company
                  and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise.

                    (xiv) To the best of such counsel's knowledge and
                  information, there are no contracts, indentures, mortgages,
                  loan agreements, notes, leases or other instruments required
                  to be described or referred to in the Registration Statement
                  or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the
                  Registration Statement other than those described or referred
                  to therein or filed as exhibits thereto, the descriptions
                  thereof or references thereto are correct, and, to the best of
                  such counsel's knowledge and information, no default exists in
                  the due performance or observance of any obligation,
                  agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract,
                  indenture, mortgage, loan agreement, note, lease or other
                  instrument so described, referred to or filed which would have
                  a material adverse effect on the condition, financial or
                  otherwise, or on the earnings, business affairs or business
                  prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as
                  one enterprise.

                   (xv) No authorization, approval or consent of any court or
                  governmental authority or agency is required that has not been
                  obtained in connection with the


                                       26





                  consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated
                  by this Agreement and the applicable Terms Agreement, except
                  such as may be required under the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act and
                  state securities laws or real estate syndication laws.

                     (xvi) To the best of such counsel's knowledge and
                  information, the execution and delivery of this Agreement and
                  the applicable Terms Agreement and the consummation of the
                  transactions contemplated herein and therein and compliance by
                  the Company with its obligations hereunder and thereunder will
                  not conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default under
                  or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or
                  encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any
                  of its subsidiaries pursuant to any contract, indenture,
                  mortgage, loan agreement, note, lease or other instrument to
                  which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by
                  which they may be bound or to which any of the property or
                  assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject,
                  nor will such action result in violation of the provisions of
                  the Articles of Incorporation or By-Laws of the Company or any
                  law, administrative regulation or court decree.

                    (xvii) The Company is not required to be registered under
                  the 1940 Act.

                    (xviii) The statements under the caption "Description of
                  Capital Stock" in the Prospectus, insofar as such statements
                  constitute a summary of documents referred to therein or
                  matters of law, are accurate summaries and fairly and
                  correctly present the information called for with respect to
                  such documents and matters.

                  (2) The favorable opinion, dated as of Closing Time, of Hunton
         & Williams, counsel for the Company, in form and substance satisfactory
         to counsel for the Underwriters, to the effect that the Company has
         qualified to be taxed as a real estate investment trust pursuant to
         Sections 856 through 860 of the Code for its most recently ended fiscal

                                       27





         year and for the four fiscal years immediately preceding such year, and
         the Company's organization and contemplated method of operation are
         such as to enable it to continue to so qualify for its current fiscal
         year.


         (3) The favorable opinion, dated as of the Closing Time, of Brown &
         Wood LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, with respect to the due
         organization of the Company and the matters set forth in (v) to (ix),
         inclusive, and (xii), (xv) and (xviii) of subsection (b)(1) of this
         Section. In rendering their opinion, Brown & Wood LLP may rely as to
         matters of Virginia law upon the opinion of Hunton & Williams.

                  (4) In giving their opinions required by subsections (b)(1)
         and (b)(3), respectively, of this Section, Hunton & Williams and Brown
         & Wood LLP shall each additionally state that nothing has come to their
         attention that would lead them to believe that the Registration
         Statement or any amendment thereto (excluding the financial statements
         and financial schedules included or incorporated by reference therein,
         as to which such counsel need express no belief), at the time it became
         effective or at the time an Annual Report on Form 10-K was filed by the
         Company with the Commission (whichever is later), or at the
         Representation Date, contained an untrue statement of a material fact
         or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or
         necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or that the
         Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto (excluding the
         financial statements and financial schedules included or incorporated
         by reference therein, as to which such counsel need express no belief),
         at the Representation Date or at Closing Time, included or includes an
         untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a
         material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the
         light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.


(c) At Closing Time, there shall not have been, since the date of the applicable
Terms Agreement or since the respective dates


                                       28





as of which information is given in the Prospectus, any material adverse change
in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs
or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one
enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business; and you
shall have received a certificate of the President, Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer and the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the
Company, dated as of such Closing Time, to the effect that (i) there has been no
such material adverse change and (ii) the representations and warranties in
Section 1 are true and correct with the same force and effect as though such
Closing Time were a Representation Date. As used in this Section 5(c), the term
"Prospectus" means the Prospectus in the form first used to confirm sales of the
Underwritten Securities.

         (d) At the time of execution of the applicable Terms Agreement, you
shall have received from Ernst & Young LLP a letter dated such date, in form and
substance satisfactory to you, to the effect that (i) they are independent
accountants with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries within the meaning
of the 1933 Act and the 1934 Act and the applicable published rules and
regulations thereunder; (ii) it is their opinion that the consolidated financial
statements and supporting schedules of the Company and its subsidiaries included
or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus
and covered by their opinions therein comply in form in all material respects
with the applicable accounting requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1934 Act and
the related published rules and regulations thereunder; (iii) based upon limited
procedures set forth in detail in such letter (which shall include, without
limitation, the procedures specified by the American Institute of Certified
Public Accountants for a review of interim financial information as described in
SAS No. 71, Interim Financial Information, with respect to the unaudited
condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries
included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement), nothing
came to their attention that caused them to believe that (A) any material
modifications should be made to the unaudited financial statements and financial
statement schedules of the Company and its subsidiaries included or incorporated
by


                                       29





reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus for them to be in
conformity with generally accepted accounting principles, (B) the unaudited
financial statements and financial statement schedules of the Company included
or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus do
not comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting
requirements of the 1934 Act and the related published rules and regulations
thereunder, or (C) at a specified date not more than three days prior to the
date of the applicable Terms Agreement, there has been any change in the capital
stock of the Company or in the notes payable or mortgage notes payable of the
Company or any decrease in the total assets of the Company, as compared with the
amounts shown in the most recent consolidated balance sheet included or
incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or,
during the period from the date of the most recent consolidated statement of
operations included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement
and the Prospectus to a specified date not more than three days prior to the
date of the applicable Terms Agreement, there were any decreases, as compared
with the corresponding period in the preceding year, in rental income or in the
total or per share amounts of net income or income before gains (losses) on
investments and extraordinary items of the Company, except in all instances for
changes, increases or decreases which the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus disclose have occurred or may occur; (iv) they have compared the
information in the Prospectus under selected captions with the disclosure
requirements of Regulation S-K and on the basis of limited procedures specified
in such letter nothing came to their attention as a result of the foregoing
procedures that caused them to believe that this information does not conform in
all material respects with the disclosure requirements of Items 301, 402 and
503(d) of Regulation S-K; and (v) in addition to the audit referred to in their
opinions and the limited procedures referred to in clause (iii) above, they have
carried out certain specified procedures, not constituting an audit, with
respect to certain amounts, percentages and financial information which are
included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus and which are specified by you, and have found such amounts,
percentages and financial information to be in agreement with the relevant
accounting, financial and other


                                       30





records of the Company and its subsidiaries identified in such letter.

         (e) At Closing Time, you shall have received from Ernst & Young LLP a
letter dated as of such Closing Time to the effect that they reaffirm the
statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to subsection (d) of this
Section, except that the "specified date" referred to shall be a date not more
than three days prior to such Closing Time.

         (f) At Closing Time, counsel for the Underwriters shall have been
furnished with such documents and opinions as they may reasonably require for
the purpose of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the
Underwritten Securities as herein contemplated and related proceedings, or in
order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or
the fulfillment of any of the conditions, herein contained; and all proceedings
taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and sale of the
Underwritten Securities as herein contemplated shall be satisfactory in form and
substance to you and counsel for the Underwriters.

         (g) In the event the Underwriters exercise their option provided in a
Terms Agreement as set forth in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any
portion of the Option Securities, the representations and warranties of the
Company contained herein and the statements in any certificates furnished by the
Company hereunder shall be true and correct as of each Date of Delivery, and you
shall have received:

                  (1) A certificate, dated such Date of Delivery, of the
         President, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and the Executive Vice
         President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company, in their
         capacities as such, confirming that the certificate delivered at
         Closing Time pursuant to Section 5(c) hereof remains true and correct
         as of such Date of Delivery.

                  (2) The favorable opinions of Hunton & Williams, counsel for
         the Company, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the
         Underwriters, dated such Date of

                                       31





         Delivery, relating to the Option Securities and otherwise substantially
         to the same effect as the opinions required by Sections 5(b)(1) and
         5(b)(2) hereof.

                  (3) The favorable opinion of Brown & Wood LLP, counsel for the
         Underwriters, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option
         Securities and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by
         Section 5(b)(3) hereof.

                  (4) A letter from Ernst & Young LLP, in form and substance
         satisfactory to you and dated such Date of Delivery, substantially the
         same in scope and substance as the letter furnished to you pursuant to
         Section 5(e) hereof, except that the "specified date" in the letter
         furnished pursuant to this Section 5(g)(4) shall be a date not more
         than three days prior to such Date of Delivery.

         If any condition specified in this Section shall not have been
fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, the applicable Terms Agreement
may be terminated by you by notice to the Company at any time at or prior to the
Closing Time, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to
any other party except as provided in Section 4 hereof.

         Section 6.  Indemnification.  (a)  The Company agrees to indemnify and
hold harmless each Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls any
Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act as follows:

                  (1) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and
         expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of any un true statement
         or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the
         Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the
         information deemed to be a part of the Registration Statement pursuant
         to Rule 430A(b) or Rule 434 of the 1933 Act Regulations, if applicable,
         or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact
         required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
         therein not misleading or arising out of any untrue statement or
         alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any preliminary
         prospectus or the

                                       32





         Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or the omission, or
         alleged omission therefrom, of a material fact necessary in order to
         make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under
         which they were made, not misleading;

                  (2) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and
         expense whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate amount
         paid in settlement of any litigation, or investigation or proceeding by
         any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or of any
         claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission
         referred to in subsection (1) above, or any such alleged untrue
         statement or omission, if such settlement is effected with the written
         consent of the Company; and

                  (3) against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred
         (including, the fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by you),
         reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against
         any litigation, or any investigation or proceedings by any governmental
         agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based
         upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue
         statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid
         under (1) or (2) above;

provided, however, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss,
liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of any untrue
statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance
upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any
Underwriter through you expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any
amendment thereto) or any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any
amendment or supplement thereto).

         (b) Each Underwriter severally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless
the Company, its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration
Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning
of Section 15 of the 1933 Act, against any and all loss, liability, claim,
damage and

                                       33





expense described in the indemnity contained in subsection (a) of this Section,
but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue
statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment
thereto) or any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or
supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with written information
furnished to the Company by such Underwriter through you expressly for use in
the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) or any preliminary
prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto).

         (c) Each indemnified party shall give notice as promptly as reasonably
practicable to each indemnifying party of any action commenced against it in
respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but failure to so notify an
indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability
which it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement. An
indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in the defense of such
action. In no event shall the indemnifying parties be liable for fees and
expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate
from their own counsel for all indemnified parties in connection with any one
action or separate but similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction
arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances.

         Section 7. Contribution. In order to provide for just and equitable
contribution in circumstances in which the indemnity agreement provided for in
Section 6 is for any reason held to be unenforceable by the indemnified parties
although applicable in accordance with its terms, the Company and the
Underwriters with respect to the offering of the Underwritten Securities shall
contribute to the aggregate losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses of
the nature contemplated by said indemnity agreement incurred by the Company and
one or more of the Underwriters in respect of such offering, as incurred, in
such proportions that the Underwriters are responsible for that portion
represented by the percentage that the underwriting discount appearing on the
cover page of the applicable Prospectus Supplement in respect of such offering
bears to the initial public offering price appearing thereon and the Company is

                                       34





responsible for the balance; provided, however, that no person guilty of
fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933
Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of
such fraudulent misrepresentation. Notwithstanding the provisions of this
Section 7, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess
of the amount by which the total price at which the Underwritten Securities
purchased by it pursuant to the applicable Terms Agreement and distributed to
the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which
such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay in respect of such losses,
liabilities, claims, damages and expenses. For purposes of this Section 7, each
person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of
the 1933 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and
each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the
Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within
the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act shall have the same rights to
contribution as the Company.

         Section 8. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive
Delivery. All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this
Agreement or the applicable Terms Agreement, or contained in certificates of
officers of the Company submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in
full force and effect, regardless of any termination of this Agreement, or
investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any controlling person,
or by or on behalf of the Company and shall survive delivery of and payment for
the Underwritten Securities to the Underwriters.

         Section 9. Termination of Agreement. (a) This Agreement (excluding the
applicable Terms Agreement) may be terminated for any reason at any time by the
Company or by you upon the giving of 30 days' written notice of such termination
to the other party hereto; provided that this Agreement may not be terminated
prior to the Closing Time set forth in any applicable Terms Agreement.

         (b) You may also terminate the applicable Terms Agreement, by notice to
the Company, at any time at or prior to the Closing Time (i) if there has been,
since the date of such Terms

                                       35





Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the
Prospectus, any material adverse change in the condition, financial or
otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the
Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not
arising in the ordinary course of business, or (ii) if there has occurred any
material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States or any
outbreak of hostilities or other calamity or crisis or escalation of any
existing hostilities, the effect of which is such as to make it, in your
judgment, impracticable to market the Underwritten Securities or enforce
contracts for the sale of the Underwritten Securities, or (iii) if trading in
any of the securities of the Company has been suspended by the Commission or the
New York Stock Exchange, or if trading generally on either the New York Stock
Exchange or the American Stock Exchange has been suspended, or minimum or
maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices for
securities have been required, by either of said exchanges or by order of the
Commission or any other governmental authority, or if a banking moratorium has
been declared by Federal, New York or Virginia authorities, or (iv) if Preferred
Stock is being offered and the rating assigned by any nationally recognized
statistical rating organization to any preferred stock or debt of the Company as
of the date of the applicable Terms Agreement shall have been lowered since such
date or if any such rating organization shall have publicly announced that it
has placed any preferred stock or debt of the Company on what is commonly termed
a "watch list" for possible downgrading. As used in this Section 9(b), the term
"Prospectus" means the Prospectus in the form first used to confirm sales of the
Underwritten Securities.

         (c) In the event of any such termination, (x) the covenants set forth
in Section 3 with respect to any offering of Underwritten Securities shall
remain in effect so long as any Underwriter owns any such Underwritten
Securities purchased from the Company pursuant to the applicable Terms Agreement
and (y) the covenant set forth in Section 3(h) hereof, the provisions of Section
4 hereof, the indemnity and contribution agreements set forth in Sections 6 and
7 hereof, and the provisions of Sections 8 and 13 hereof shall remain in effect.


                                       36





         Section 10.  Default by One or More of the Underwriters.  If one or
more of the Underwriters shall fail at the Closing Time to purchase the
Underwritten Securities which it or they are obligated to purchase under the
applicable Terms Agreement (the "Defaulted Securities"), then you shall have the
right, within 48 hours thereafter, to make arrangements for one or more of the
non-defaulting Underwriters, or any other underwriters, to purchase all, but not
less than all, of the Defaulted Securities in such amounts as may be agreed upon
and upon the terms herein set forth; if, however, you shall not have completed
such arrangements within such 48-hour period, then:

         (a) if the total number of Defaulted Securities does not exceed 10% of
the total number of Underwritten Securities to be purchased pursuant to such
Terms Agreement, the non-defaulting Underwriters named in such Terms Agreement
shall be obligated to purchase the full amount thereof in the proportions that
their respective underwriting obligations hereunder bear to the underwriting
obligations of all non-defaulting Underwriters, or

         (b) if the total number of Defaulted Securities exceeds 10% of the
total number of Underwritten Securities to be purchased pursuant to such Terms
Agreement, the applicable Terms Agreement shall terminate without liability on
the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter.

         No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve any defaulting
Underwriter from liability in respect of its default under this Agreement and
the applicable Terms Agreement.

         In the event of any such default which does not result in a termination
of the applicable Terms Agreement, either you or the Company shall have the
right to postpone the Closing Time for a period not exceeding seven days in
order to effect any required changes in the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements.

         Section 11.  Notices.  All notices and other communications hereunder
shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or
transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication.  Notices to the
Underwriters shall be directed

                                         37





c/o Merrill Lynch & Co., Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated,
North Tower, World Financial Center, New York, New York 10281, attention of
Tjarda van S. Clagett, Director; and notices to the Company shall be directed to
it at 10 South 6th Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, attention of John P.
McCann, President, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

         Section 12. Parties. This Agreement and the applicable Terms Agreement
shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon you and the Company and any
Underwriter who becomes a party to such Terms Agreement, and their respective
successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement or the applicable
Terms Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or
corporation, other than those referred to in Sections 6 and 7 and their heirs
and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under
or in respect of this Agreement or such Terms Agreement or any provision herein
or therein contained. This Agreement and the applicable Terms Agreement and all
conditions and provisions hereof and thereof are intended to be for the sole and
exclusive benefit of the parties hereto and thereto and their respective
successors and said controlling persons and officers and directors and their
heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or
corporation. No purchaser of Underwritten Securities from any Underwriter shall
be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.

         Section 13.  Governing Law and Time.  This Agreement and the applicable
Terms Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws
of the State of New York applicable to agreements made and to be performed in
said State.  Specified times of day refer to New York City time.

         Section 14.  Counterparts.  This Agreement and the applicable Terms
Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, and if executed in more
than one counterpart the executed counterparts shall constitute a single
instrument.

                                       38





2    If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement,
please sign and return to the Company a counter part hereof, whereupon this
instrument along with all counter parts will become a binding agreement between
you and the Company in accordance with its terms.

                                          Very truly yours,

                                          UNITED DOMINION REALTY TRUST, INC.


                                          By:
                                             --------------------------------
                                             Name:  James Dolphin
                                             Title: Executive Vice President
                                                    and Chief Financial Officer



CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED,
  as of the date first
  above written:

MERRILL LYNCH & CO.
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
        Incorporated
A.G. EDWARDS & SONS, INC.
MORGAN STANLEY & CO. INCORPORATED
SCOTT & STRINGFELLOW, INC.

For themselves and as Representatives
of the several Underwriters named in
the Terms Agreement

By:      MERRILL LYNCH & CO.
         Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
                       Incorporated




By:
   ------------------------------------------



                                       39





         Name:   Tjarda van S. Clagett
         Title:  Director



                                       40




                                                                     Exhibit A


                                 _______ Shares
                       UNITED DOMINION REALTY TRUST, INC.
                            (a Virginia corporation)

                             [Title of Securities]

                                TERMS AGREEMENT


                                                   Dated: _____________, 199__


To:      United Dominion Realty Trust, Inc.
         10 South 6th Street
         Richmond, Virginia  23219

Attention:  President, Chairman and
            Chief Executive Officer

Dear Sirs:

         We (the "Representative[s]") understand that United Dominion Realty
Trust, Inc., a Virginia corporation (the "Company"), proposes to issue and sell
the number of its [shares of common stock (the "Common Stock")] [shares of
preferred stock (the "Preferred Stock")] (such [Common Stock]) [Preferred Stock]
being collectively hereinafter [also] referred to as the "Underwritten
Securities"). Subject to the terms and conditions set forth or incorporated by
reference herein, the underwriters named below (the "Underwriters") offer to
purchase, severally and not jointly, the respective numbers of [Initial
Underwritten Securities (as defined in the Underwriting Agreement referred to
below)] set forth below opposite their respective names, and a proportionate
share of Option Securities (as defined in the Underwriting Agreement referred to
below) to the extent any are purchased, at the purchase price set forth below.

                                      A-1





                                                        Number of Shares
                                                            of Initial
Underwriter                                          Underwritten Securities




                                                          ----------
         Total                                           $
                                                          ==========





         The Underwritten Securities shall have the following terms:
                     [Common Stock]      [Preferred Stock]

 
Title of Securities:
Number of Shares:
[Current Ratings:]
[Dividend Rate: [$             ] [      %], Payable:]
[Stated Value:]
[Liquidation Preference:]
[Ranking:]
Public Offering Price Per Share: $          [, plus accumulated dividends, if any, from            , 19  .]
Purchase Price Per Share:  $          [, plus accumulated dividends, if any, from               , 19  .]
[Conversion Provisions:]
[Redemption Provisions:]
[Sinking Fund Requirements:]
Number of Option Securities, if any, that may be purchased by the Underwriters:
Delayed Delivery Contracts: [authorized] [not authorized]
         [Date of Delivery:
         Minimum Contract:
         Maximum Number of Shares:
         Fee:] Additional co-managers, if any:
Other terms:
Closing time, date and location:


         All the provisions contained in the document attached as Annex A hereto
entitled "United Dominion Realty Trust, Inc.- Common Stock and Preferred
Stock-Underwriting Agreement" are hereby incorporated by reference in their
entirety herein and shall be deemed to be a part of this Terms Agreement to the
same extent as if such provisions had been set forth in full herein. Terms
defined in such document are used herein as therein defined.


                                      A-2





         Please accept this offer no later than    o'clock P.M. (New York City
time) on         by signing a copy of this Terms Agreement in the space set
forth below and returning the signed copy to us.

                                      Very truly yours,

                                      [NAME[S] OF REPRESENTATIVE[S]


                                      By:_________________________

                                      Acting on behalf of
                                        [itself] [themselves] and
                                        the other named
                                        Underwriters.

Accepted:

UNITED DOMINION REALTY TRUST, INC.

By:_________________________
   Name:
   Title:


                                      A-3




                                                                     Exhibit B


                       UNITED DOMINION REALTY TRUST, INC.
                            (a Virginia corporation)

                             [Title of Securities]

                           DELAYED DELIVERY CONTRACT



                                                          _____________, 19__


United Dominion Realty Trust, Inc.
10 South 6th Street
Richmond, Virginia  23219

Attention:  President, Chairman and
            Chief Executive Officer

Dear Sirs:

         The undersigned hereby agrees to purchase from United Dominion Realty
Trust, Inc. (the "Company"), and the Company agrees to sell to the undersigned
on __________, 19__ (the "Delivery Date"),

of the Company's [insert title of security] (the "Securities"), offered by the
Company's Prospectus dated __________, 19__, as supplemented by its Prospectus
Supplement dated ___________, 19__, receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, at
a purchase price of [$__________], on the Delivery Date, and on the further
terms and conditions set forth in this contract.

         Payment for the Securities which the undersigned has agreed to purchase
on the Delivery Date shall be made to the Company or its order by certified or
official bank check in New York Clearing House funds at the office of


                                      B-1





                           , on the Delivery Date, upon delivery to the
undersigned of the Securities to be purchased by the undersigned in definitive
form and in such denominations and registered in such names as the undersigned
may designate by written or telegraphic communication addressed to the Company
not less than five full business days prior to the Delivery Date.

         The obligation of the undersigned to take delivery of and make payment
for Securities on the Delivery Date shall be subject only to the conditions that
(1) the purchase of Securities to be made by the undersigned shall not on the
Delivery Date be prohibited under the laws of the jurisdiction to which the
undersigned is subject and (2) the Company, on or before __________, 199_, shall
have sold to the Underwriters of the Securities (the "Underwriters") such
principal amount of the Securities as is to be sold to them pursuant to the
Terms Agreement dated __________, 199_ between the Company and the Underwriters.
The obligation of the undersigned to take delivery of and make payment for
Securities shall not be affected by the failure of any purchaser to take
delivery of and make payments for Securities pursuant to other contracts similar
to this contract. The undersigned represents and warrants to you that its
investment in the Securities is not, as of the date hereof, prohibited under the
laws of any jurisdiction to which the undersigned is subject and which govern
such investment.

         Promptly after completion of the sale to the Underwriters, the Company
will mail or deliver to the undersigned at its address set forth below notice to
such effect, accompanied by a copy of the opinion of counsel for the Company
delivered to the Underwriters in connection therewith.

         By the execution hereof, the undersigned represents and warrants to the
Company that all necessary action for the due execution and delivery of this
contract and the payment for and purchase of the Securities has been taken by it
and no further authorization or approval of any governmental or other regulatory
authority is required for such execution, delivery, payment or purchase, and
that, upon acceptance hereof by the Company and mailing or delivery of a copy as
provided below, this contract


                                      B-2





will constitute a valid and binding agreement of the undersigned in accordance
with its terms.

         This contract will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the
parties hereto and their respective successors, but will not be assignable by
either party hereto without the written consent of the other.

         It is understood that the Company will not accept Delayed Delivery
Contracts for a number of Securities in excess of ________ and that the
acceptance of any Delayed Delivery Contract is in the Company's sole discretion
and, without limiting the foregoing, need not be on a first-come, first-served
basis. If this contract is acceptable to the Company, it is requested that the
Company sign the form of acceptance on a copy hereof and mail or deliver a
signed copy hereof to the undersigned at its address set forth below. This will
become a binding contract between the Company and the undersigned when such copy
is so mailed or delivered.

         This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of New York.

                                  Yours very truly,

                                  -----------------------------
                                   (Name of Purchaser)

                                  By:__________________________
                                                    (Title)

                                  -----------------------------

                                  -----------------------------
                                                    (Address)
Accepted as of the date first above written.

UNITED DOMINION REALTY TRUST, INC.



                                      B-3




By:__________________________
         (Title)

                  PURCHASER-PLEASE COMPLETE AT TIME OF SIGNING

         The name and telephone number of the representative of the Purchaser
with whom details of delivery on the Delivery Date may be discussed are as
follows: (Please print.)

                                                             Telephone No.
                                                              (including
        Name                                                   Area Code)


                                      B-4


                                6,000,000 Shares

                       UNITED DOMINION REALTY TRUST, INC.
                            (a Virginia corporation)

                           8.60% Series B Cumulative
                           Redeemable Preferred Stock
                                 (No Par Value)
                    (Liquidation Preference $25.00 Per Share

                                TERMS AGREEMENT


                                                      Dated: May 23, 1997


To:      United Dominion Realty Trust, Inc.
         10 South 6th Street
         Richmond, Virginia  23219

Attention:  President, Chairman
            and Chief Executive Officer

Ladies and Gentlemen:

         We (the "Representatives") understand that United Dominion Realty
Trust, Inc., a Virginia corporation (the "Company"), proposes to issue and sell
shares of its Series B Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, no par value (the
"Preferred Stock") (such Preferred Stock being hereinafter referred to as the
"Underwritten Securities"). Subject to the terms and conditions set forth or
incorporated by reference herein, the underwriters named below (the
"Underwriters") offer to purchase, severally and not jointly, the respective
numbers of Initial Underwritten Securities (as defined in the Underwriting
Agreement dated May 23, 1997 (the "Underwriting Agreement")) set forth below
opposite their respective names, and a proportionate share of Option Securities
(as defined in the Underwriting Agreement) to the extent any are purchased, at
the purchase price set forth below.








                                                         Number of Shares
                                                            of Initial
Underwriter                                          Underwritten Securities
- -----------                                          -----------------------
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
            Incorporated                                      1,320,000
A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc.                                     1,320,000
Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated                             1,320,000
Scott & Stringfellow, Inc.                                    1,320,000
Alex. Brown & Sons Incorporated                                  60,000
Cowen & Company                                                  60,000
Dain Bosworth Incorporated                                       60,000
Davenport & Company LLC                                          60,000
Dean Witter Reynolds Inc.                                        60,000
EVEREN Securities, Inc.                                          60,000
The Ohio Company                                                 60,000
Oppenheimer & Co., Inc.                                          60,000
Piper Jaffray Inc.                                               60,000
Raymond James & Associates, Inc.                                 60,000
Tucker Anthony Incorporated                                      60,000
Wheat, First Securities, Inc.                                    60,000
                                                              ---------
                                                              6,000,000
                                                              =========

         The Underwritten Securities shall have the following terms:


Title of Securities:  8.60% Series B Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock

Number of Shares:  6,000,000

Current Ratings:  Standard & Poor's Ratings Services - BBB; Moody's Investors
  Service, Inc. - Baa2.

Dividend Rate:  8.60% per annum

Dividend Payment Dates:  The last day of February, May, August, and November of
each year, commencing August 31, 1997.

Liquidation Preference:  $25.00 per share

Public Offering Price Per Share: $25.00, plus accrued dividends, if any, from
  May 23, 1997.


                                       2





Purchase Price Per Share:  $24.2125, plus accrued dividends, if any, from May
  23, 1997.

Conversion Provisions:  Not convertible into any other securities of the
  Company.

Optional Redemption Provisions: The Preferred Stock is not redeemable prior to
  May 29, 2007. On and after May 29, 2007, the Preferred Stock may be redeemed
  for cash at the option of the Company, in whole or in part, at a redemption
  price of $25.00 per share plus accrued and unpaid dividends, if any, thereon.
  The redemption price (other than the portion thereof consisting of accrued and
  unpaid dividends) is payable solely out of the sale proceeds of other capital
  stock of the Company.

Mandatory Redemption Provisions:  None, except in connection with a violation of
  certain ownership restrictions.

Sinking Fund Requirements:  None

Number of Option Securities, if any, that may be purchased by the Underwriters:
  900,000

Delayed Delivery Contracts:  Not authorized

Closing time, date and location: 9:00 a.m. New York City time on May 29, 1997 at
  the offices of Brown & Wood LLP, One World Trade Center, New York, New York
  10048.


         All the provisions contained in the document attached as Annex A hereto
entitled "United Dominion Realty Trust, Inc. Common Stock and Preferred Stock -
Underwriting Agreement" are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety
herein and shall be deemed to be a part of this Terms Agreement to the same
extent as if such provisions had been set forth in full herein. Terms defined in
such document are used herein as therein defined.


                                       3




         Please accept this offer no later than five o'clock P.M. (New York City
time) on May 23, 1997 by signing a copy of this Terms Agreement in the space set
forth below and returning the signed copy to us.

                                 Very truly yours,

                                 MERRILL LYNCH & CO.
                                 Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
                                              Incorporated
                                 A.G. EDWARDS & SONS, INC.
                                 MORGAN STANLEY & CO. INCORPORATED
                                 SCOTT & STRINGFELLOW, INC.


                                 By:  MERRILL LYNCH & CO.
                                      Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
                                               Incorporated



                                 By: _____________________________
                                     Name:   Tjarda van S. Clagett
                                     Title:  Director

                                 Acting on behalf of themselves and
                                 the other named Underwriters.



Accepted:

UNITED DOMINION REALTY TRUST, INC.



By:_________________________
   Name: James Dolphin
   Title: Executive Vice President
          and Chief Financial Officer


                                       4