Students Promised Private Rooms Upset After Code Violation Fixes
By Andrea Flores
BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4)- Classes for the University of Colorado Boulder begin Monday and while many living here say they should be getting ready for the first day of school, most are looking to get out of leases they say were too good to be true.
"It's kind of like living in the dorms all over again," said student Claire Alexander.
Alexander says sharing a small room isn't what she had in mind for her sophomore year.
She's one of hundreds allowed back into their Sterling University Peaks Apartments Thursday despite being forced out after the city deemed them unlivable Wednesday afternoon.
"At the time of our inspection, there were 96 units in the building, and they were all approved to be two bedroom units," said Sarah Huntley with the City of Boulder.
But a call from a concerned parent Tuesday revealed 92 of the units were modified from two bedrooms to four bedrooms by installing book cases designed to split the room in half, against city code.
The apartment complex offered to repay students that were forced to stay in a hotel Wednesday night.
Alexander says her 12-month lease promised all four occupants their own room at what she thought was a steal.
"This isn't what we're paying for, and this is not what I signed my lease for," Alexander said.
Andi Kupferberg traveled all the way from Houston to help her daughter move in, and quickly caught on.
"It's what I would call the classic bait and switch," Kupferberg said. "They showed you a product, you thought you were getting this product, they were in violation of code, and now they're scrambling."
While Alexander says she's not necessarily out of a place to live, her roommate situation is still up in the air.
"If there's a way to get out, I'm definitely getting out," Alexander said.
The city says it's unclear if the owners of the apartment complex will face any violations for modifying the units without their approval.
For now, CU Boulder is helping students find off-campus housing that fits their needs.
Sterling University Peaks Apartments released this statement: "Sterling University Peaks Apartments was notified by the city of Boulder building department Wednesday afternoon that the newly renovated building was uninhabitable because of a bookcase provided to the residents. That evening city officials helped escort over three hundred students out of the building. Simple city-approved modifications quickly brought the units into compliance by permanently affixing the bookcase to a wall, a process that took approximately ten minutes per unit. The city inspected the building the next morning and declared the building habitable for all residents except for two units for which management did not have access. Attempts to contact those residents are ongoing to get those units to compliance. Transportation to hotels and hotel expenses will be reimbursed to the residents along with two days rent to help compensate for their inconvenience. Also, each resident will be offered a $500 cash payment for this unexpected modification."
Andrea Flores is a reporter for CBS4. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter @AndreaFloresTV.
