AURORA, Colo. — People who live at The Richfield Apartments in Aurora have been fighting to stay warm since October, after a boiler issue cut off heat to several buildings months ago.
Resident Kayla Rager said the problem still isn't fixed, and the heat in her apartment still isn’t working.
“It's just ridiculous and I'm fed up with it at this point,” she said. “I just knew it was going to be an ongoing problem, which is sad.”
Kayla Rager shares an apartment with her 5-year-old daughter, her twin sister Kylee Rager, and Kylee Rager's 3-year-old son.
“This past weekend, I think was -7 degrees,” Kayla Rager said. “It was freezing, like really freezing. We’ve got two kids here and we have to send them off to our mom’s house, our dad’s house, grandpa’s house just because it’s just too cold.”
“It honestly makes me just want to go sit in my car, sleep in my car, and run the heat,” Kylee Rager said. “Your nose, face, toes, fingers, your whole body is just cold.”
9NEWS asked the property managers what they're doing to fix the heat. They didn't answer, but told us the City of Aurora inspected the place sometime between July and September and found no problems.
In a statement, Cardinal Group Management said:
"Thank you for reaching out to us regarding The Richfield Apartments. We want to clarify that our responsibility for the property began when we took over management in October 2023, and we cannot speak to any incidents or issues that occurred prior to that time.
Over the past 4 months, Cardinal and the property owner have been dedicated to enhancing the property conditions. In Q3 of 2023, the City of Aurora conducted a comprehensive unit-by-unit property inspection, and no units were deemed uninhabitable during this thorough examination. This inspection is a testament to our dedication to maintaining a safe and habitable living environment for our residents.
We acknowledge the unfortunate impact of burst water pipes during extreme cold weather on our residents. We are actively addressing the challenges posed by the cold weather and working diligently to rectify the situation and provide resolutions to our residents. We will communicate directly with our residents once the heat is restored to the community."
Kayla and Kylee Rager said the response from the management company doesn’t calm any of their concerns.
“That just upsets me, honestly,” Kayla Rager said. “That's just ridiculous. It's like hearing excuses from a 3-year-old boy. That's what it sounds like to me.”
The sisters have purchased space heaters to try to keep their kids warm, but it’s caused their electric bill to jump from $200 to $700 a month. They've since started a GoFundMe account to help pay for the extra expense.
The city of Aurora told 9NEWS they're working with property managers to make sure the repairs get done.
“The city has been in close, frequent contact with Cardinal Group about Richfield Apartments about the complaints we have received from tenants,” city spokesperson Michael Brannen said. “We have been working with the owners of the property to ensure they are making necessary repairs and offering adequate remedies to its tenants.”
9NEWS reached out to The Richfield Apartments leasing office in October and got disconnected. When we went there in person, we were told “no comment,” and that their attorneys would be contacting us. It has been nearly three months, and we have yet to hear from any attorney representing the apartment complex.
Renters are protected under Colorado’s Warranty of Habitability. For help finding an affordable attorney, check out the Colorado Law Project at the University of Denver or Colorado Legal Services.
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