Exhibit 99.1



Thursday January 29, 8:35 am Eastern Time

Company Press Release

SOURCE: United Dominion Realty Trust

United Dominion Realty Trust Announces Rights Plan

RICHMOND, Va., Jan. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- United Dominion Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:
UDR news)  announced today that its Board of Directors has adopted a Shareholder
Rights  Plan,  which is similar  to other  plans  adopted  by most large  public
companies.  Details of the Plan are contained in a separate  letter that will be
mailed to all  shareholders  of the Company in the near future.  A spokesman for
the Company  indicated that the Plan was not adopted in response to any specific
takeover effort, and the Board is not aware of any such effort.

United  Dominion owns apartment  homes in 224  communities in the Mid- Atlantic,
Southeast and Southwest.

SOURCE: United Dominion Realty Trust