POA DOCUMENT

LIMITED POWER OF ATTORNEY FOR
SECTION 16 REPORTING OBLIGATIONS



Know all by these presents, that the undersigned hereby constitutes and
appoints each of Thomas J. Sargeant, Joanne M. Lockridge, and Edward M.
Schulman, signing singly, the undersigned's true and lawful
attorney-in-fact to:

(1) Execute for and on behalf of the undersigned,
in the undersigned's capacity as an officer, director and/or stockholder of
AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (the "Company"), Forms 3, 4, and 5 and
amendments thereto in accordance with Section 16(a) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules thereunder;

(2) Do and perform any
and all acts for and on behalf of the undersigned which may be necessary or
desirable to complete and execute any such Form 3, 4, or 5 or amendment
thereto and timely file such form with the United States Securities
Commission (the "SEC") and any stock exchange or similar authority; and


(3) Take any other action of any type whatsoever which, in the opinion of
such attorney-in-fact, may be necessary or desirable in connection with the
foregoing authority, it being understood that the documents executed by
such attorney-in-fact on behalf of the undersigned pursuant to this Power
of Attorney shall be in such form and shall contain such terms and
conditions as such attorney-in-fact may approve.

The undersigned
hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact full power and authority to do
and perform any and every act and thing whatsoever requisite, necessary, or
proper to be done in the exercise of any of the rights and powers herein
granted, as fully to all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or
could do if personally present, with full power of substitution or
revocation, hereby ratifying and confirming all that such attorney-in-fact,
or such attorney-in-fact's substitute or substitutes, shall lawfully do or
cause to be done by virtue of this Power of Attorney and the rights and
powers herein granted. The undersigned acknowledges that the foregoing
attorneys-in-fact, in serving in such capacity at the request of the
undersigned, are not assuming, nor is the Company assuming, any of the
undersigned's responsibilities to comply with Section 16 of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934.

This Power of Attorney shall remain in full
force and effect until the undersigned is no longer required to file Forms
3, 4 and 5 with respect to the undersigned's holdings of and transaction in
securities of the Company, unless earlier revoked by the undersigned in a
signed writing delivered to the foregoing attorneys-in-fact. This Power of
Attorney may be filed with the SEC as a confirming statement of the
authority granted herein.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has
caused this Power of Attorney to be executed as of this 6th day of July,
2005.





/s/ H. Jay Sarles
_________________________________