A report compiled by tenants and Arkansas Renters United reveals unsuitable living conditions at Jefferson Manor Apartments in North Little Rock.
Tenants commonly report problems like, “mold, roaches, spiders, leaks, gas issues, HVAC issues, foundational issues, as well as sewage and plumbing issues” with one tenant having a spider infestation so bad they had to have their child sleeping somewhere else.
Living conditions and complaints:
Collapsed Pipes are found in every building and they cause lots of flooding and sewage backups.
Lack of Fire Extinguishers put all residents at risk of not being able to put out a fire if one occurs.
Unsteady and Broken Stairs put all residents at risk of slipping and falling. Children and elderly folks are most at risk of falling.
Leaky Overhangs put all residents at risk of slipping and falling down the stairs. It also allows more moisture to leak into the ceiling and walls and cause more issues like mold, mildew, and mushrooms. They retain water after it rains and continue to leak on tenants when they walk on the walkways for days.
Mold Infestations continually send residents to the hospital and cause respiratory issues, damage to any personal property in proximity, and have even forced some tenants to relocate or send their children away.
Roach Infestations are an environmental health hazard for all residents. Roach debris can cause asthma and aggravate it in those who already suffer. Additionally, they can carry disease-causing germs that further risk the health of all residents.
Spider Infestations are a health hazard to residents, especially the black widows and brown recluses found across this complex. Resident at E-109 sent their child away because their spider infestation has gotten so bad.
Poor Maintenance is the result of the owners and management company not allocating adequate funds to resolve the sources of problems across the complex.
Tenants have not taken this abuse sitting down. They’ve worked together to form a petition demanding the owners:
- Address widespread issues caused by plumbing, such as leaks, sewage
- backups, and breaches in the sewer pipes
- Address and resolve all issues with mold
- Take preventative measures regarding gas leaks and outages
- Resolve problems with HVAC
- Take measures to reduce rodent and insect infestations
- Resolve record-keeping issues
- Resolve foundational issues
- Resolve electrical issues
- Provide functional, accessible washers and dryers that meet the needs of the complex
- Return the camera system to a functional state
Where are the landlords?
Out of state, of course. The company “managing” these properties is Apex Equity Group, LLC who last week was sued by Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge.
What’s the law say?
For those not familiar, Arkansas is at this time the only state in the U.S. to not adopt the implied warrant of habitability, a law that guarantees tenants minimum living requirements such as water, heat and sewage. This essentially means that the landlord is able to rent an apartment “as is” with no law saying they should have to make even basic repairs to critical systems like HVAC or plumbing.
What can we do about it?
Join Arkansas Renters United, they do good work and are a trustworthy organization.
Make a complaint to the city and Arkansas HUD.
Arkansas Renters United ends their report with:
We recommend that HUD and the City of North Little Rock do a full inspection of the property. We also urge the Attorney General to send investigators out because it is under the same network of ownership as Big Country Chateau, which is currently being sued by their office.
