LTE: Renters Beware

In June, my apartment was bought by River Valley Property Management and we were informed our rent would be going up, with no improvements.

In July, our building ran out of propane. I sent a maintenance request to which there was no reply until the next afternoon when we received a generic email.

I assumed they would offer up a solution we could all be happy with. Two days later, we still had no propane, and only excuses from them. Propane was restored on day three without so much of an apology.

A couple of weeks ago we received another email informing us that there was a “propane disruption” in the building and they were “working on a solution.” The solution this time was by Tuesday we would be having the tank removed and a temporary tank set up until spring. By the time the email got to us, we were already out of propane and unable to even precook meals. We had also already purchased food, including fresh vegetables that we now had no way of cooking.

On Tuesday, we had no communication from the landlords and arrived home to no propane. This went on for another 3 days with cold showers and no heat. On Thursday, we finally arrived home to propane, but no new tank.

I try to be an understanding person, but this is beyond unacceptable. With the way the housing market is, and the astronomical amounts apartments are charging for rent, my hands are tied. Many of us are unable to purchase homes and unable to afford alternate housing. When we heard our building was being purchased, we feared our rent would skyrocket, but we weren’t prepared for being taken advantage of and neglected by someone who promised to keep us safe.

Now I anticipate further propane disruptions this winter, and no real ability to change my living situation. I want people to know this is real, and this is happening in your community. We are here, we are angry, we demand change and landlords we can rely on to provide us with the basic necessities they have promised.

Hayley Russell

Springfield, VT