Woman Living In Apartment With No Heat Since October Worried As Cold Temps Approach
WESTMINSTER, Colo. (CBS4) - A woman living at the Westcliff Apartments complex in Westminster says she's been without heat for months, and isn't the only one.
Alana Martin worries a small space heater provided by her Westcliff landlord isn't a solution to an ongoing problem.
"The heater never turns off; it's just always going," Martin said. "It's getting cold outside and I don't have heat."
Martin says she's been living with the issue since October.
"I think I notified them five times, and they just kept not showing up for appointments," Martin said.
She hoped writing a letter would get their attention.
"The contract says it's the owner's responsibility is to make sure that the heat and air conditioner are in working order at all times," Martin said. "If you don't have heat in your apartment, then the apartment can be uninhabitable because it isn't safe."
When the letter got the management team's attention, Martin says it wasn't the response she was hoping for.
"The maintenance guy said he didn't know how to fix it, and they were going to have the manager come take a look," Martin said. "He just didn't come."
Instead, Martin says she was told other tenants were also in the same position.
"The office lady told me we're on the list, and that they're going to be coming because there are multiple people in the complex that don't have heat," Martin said.
With temperatures expected to drop into the single digits next week, Martin says she's not sure how much more she can handle.
"We pay our rent on time, every month," Martin said. "We pay $1,300 for a one bedroom, which is a lot of money for us not to have heat. It just doesn't make sense."
The Westcliff office was closed when CBS4 reached out to managers Saturday afternoon. CBS4 also called and left a message for the landlord. The request for a comment was not returned as of late Saturday night.
Andrea Flores is a reporter for CBS4. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter @AndreaFloresTV.
