AvalonBay Communities Inc., which has been facing a civil rights lawsuit for attempting to evict a tenant and her small children from a Woburn apartment, has agreed to make payments to the victim and institute a broad range of preventive measures to ensure future compliance with the law, according to Attorney General Martha Coakley’s office.

Beginning in November 2009, a neighbor repeatedly made unreasonable and unsubstantiated complaints about noise made by another tenant’s children, according to a complaint filed in Suffolk Superior Court. An investigation revealed the tenant had taken steps to address the concerns, enrolling her children in additional daycare and keeping her children out of the apartment for long periods of time on the weekends. The complaint alleges the neighbor complained about noise when the children were not even in the apartment.

The complaint further alleges that instead of investigating the complaints, Avalon served the tenant with a notice to evict her and her two small children, ages two and four, according to a statement. Avalon is accused of engaging in discrimination against a family with children in violation of state and federal fair housing laws.

"Parents with small children should not be subjected to additional burdens or barriers in housing rentals," Coakley said. "Realtors, brokers and landlords in Massachusetts must understand that discrimination against families with young children is illegal and we will seek to hold accountable those who break the law."

Under the terms of the consent judgment, Avalon is required to make payments totaling $6,500 to the victim and to the commonwealth. Avalon has agreed to implement improved training and to adjust its best practices to ensure future compliance with the law. Avalon must also provide the attorney general’s office with written certification that it has implemented the changes.

Avalon is the owner and operator of 26 rental properties in Massachusetts.