I was a tenant at 510 Garfield Avenue Apartments for 12 months…read more
Built in 1950, the steam radiant heaters broke down in 21- degree winter weather. Despite my reporting this serious incident, the landlord did nothing. For more than 13 months, a resident in a basement unit apparently discarded used tampons in an open garbage pail, creating an airborne stench upon entering the interior lobby. I submitted complaints to the landlord, along with three other tenants. Two of us lived on the second floor, and two tenants resided on the ground floor. I contacted the Clermont County Health Department twice for a sanitarian to inspect the property and investigate the source of the odor each of us reported to the landlord via emails, texts and telephone calls. Despite this, no inspectors were ever seen at the property. When I approached the landlord in-person about the odor, her reply was "I'll handle it"; she never did.
The apartment units do not have dishwashers, kitchen sink disposals, and there are no stackable washer/dryers in the units. The closets are tiny. Noise levels from traffic on Garfield Avenue is very loud. Noise levels are far worse on Mill Street, located at the back of the building from fire engines with sirens blaring and car horns sounding at all hours. Diesel trucks, and motorcycles with straight exhaust pipes (and no mufflers) travel 24/7 on both Garfield Avenue (front of the building) and Mill Street (rear of the building). There is no on-duty maintenance. The landlord stated when asked maintenance: "That would be me". Requests for repairs are "handled" when the landlord delegates tasks to an octogenarian retired Navy veteran living in a basement unit of an apartment next door to 510 Garfield Avenue, in exchange for reduced monthly rent. He is incompetent.
The landlord presents a lengthy history verbally threats towards tenants who question her abuse of authority. To cite an example, after purchasing the property, she immediately raised rents by 32%. When tenants objected, the landlord replied: "Well, I guess you can't afford to live here."
In my own experience, a short time after recovering from Covid, the radiant heat to my unit failed in 21-degree Winter weather. The landlord, who can only be reached on her cell phone, by text or email responded to my complaint with a text stating: "You have my permission to purchase and use a portable heater." In another instance, a male bully from a nearby Milford Heating Company appeared on-site to check the radiators in my unit that were cool to the touch. He stated to me: "None of the other units are out. I can't predict what these old buildings will do. You'll have to take it up with her (the landlord)." His visit lasted 7 minutes before he stormed out. More recently, water to the building was shut off. The landlord, who owns a $575,000.00 home just 20 minutes away and a second home in Laguna Beach, California failed to respond to numerous calls from tenants.
In summary, there is no maintenance, no security patrol, outdated and intermittent heating, and limited air conditioning in summer. The apartment has been advertised as having air conditioning. This equates to a 1970's era portable window unit for use in one of the two bedrooms and a second air conditioner is a 1950's era "through the wall" engineered unit in a front room.
The second bedroom is without any air conditioner and reached summer temperatures of 82 degrees. When I complained, the landlord again replied by text: "You have my permission to purchase and use a portable air conditioning unit." This person has no accountability or compassion.
Tenants must carry their laundry down two flights of stairs into a basement and enter a storage area with a "FIRE ROOM" sign installed on the door. A 30-year-old Speed Queen coin-operated washer and dryer requires each tenant to have a supply of quarters to place in coin slots to begin operation.
Conversation and noise from neighbors are heard through the unit walls and the floors. A front entry Black metal screen door partially fell off the door frame and remained an unrepaired hazard for two weeks. Wooden garages are leased at $75.00 per month. A padlock on a small Rumpke Dumpster requires tenants to use a key to unlock the lids to dispose of trash in bags.
Every renter has rights on the federal, state, and local levels under the 1970 Federal Fair Housing Act, including "reasonable accommodation". When I was advised that exposure to chilled air so soon after recovering from Covid could have caused lung, kidney or liver damage, the landlord taunted me by stating in-person: "Aw, should I buy you some jammies to help keep you warm?" No one should have to endure a landlord this abusive. Avoid Garfield Avenue Apartments at all costs!