LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Residents in an apartment complex in East Lansing are speaking out after they say they’ve been going without heat for weeks.
As Michigan’s colder temperatures move in, their problems are only getting worse.
Multiple tenants from Collingwood Apartments in East Lansing say they’re having to find alternative ways to keep warm after multiple maintenance requests to fix the heat have gone unresolved.
Haileigh Kalenchick, a Michigan State University sophomore, has been relying on her electric fireplace to stay warm. “It’s been this way for weeks,” she said.
Whenever she reaches out to DTN Management, which owns the complex, the company says it’s between contractors and cannot give a solid estimate on when the heat will get fixed.
Other tenants in the same 12-unit building say they’ve submitted multiple complaints and requests, but they’re still having to sleep in 50-degree temperatures. And while the complex says it has “alternative heating options” available, Kalenchick says it’s only hurting their wallets.
“I’ve been cold two, almost three, weeks now. Today is the first time they are finally offering that. Me plugging in a space heater is just going to rack up my utilities, which I’m already doing with my electric fireplace on,” Kalenchick said.
“I’m responsible for that payment at the end of the day. I was given a call back and they told me they could not compensate me for my rent or anything. It’s the end of October, snow is going to start coming soon and I’d like to have heat by then,” she added.
DTN representatives said they were not made aware of the lack of heat until Oct. 17, and explained they have two contractors “lined up,” who are expected to give them a bid by Tuesday.
DTN also claimed the heat should be back on within three to four days, but there’s no word yet on monetary compensation for the cold tenants.
