Tenants say life at Woodridge Apartments in Arcata, California, worsened after a private equity firm purchased the property in May.
At the 126-unit complex, residents described lease mix-ups, added charges, and late-night episodes they say have left them feeling unsafe at home.
Here's what to know
According to the Lost Coast Outpost, Bay Area firm Ridge Capital Investors bought Woodridge Apartments and then hired Asset Living to manage it. Asset Living oversees more than 440,000 units across the country and ranks as the nation's second-largest property manager.
Tenants said the problems surfaced after the handoff. They described stalled lease renewals, emails and phone calls that went unanswered, errors in rent paperwork, and utility charges they said were not part of life under the former owner.
"It's filling me with a lot of stress," one resident, Tyler, said, according to the Outpost.
The report also described a July 26 tenant barbecue. It said someone complained about people knocking on doors to invite neighbors to the event and see if they wanted to join a tenants union. People who attended the barbecue believed the person who filed the complaint was Paul Trujillo, the maintenance supervisor at the building. According to their account, Trujillo said that he could have people arrested.
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Arcata Police Department Lt. Luke Scown confirmed that officers responded to a complaint, though police determined no laws were broken.
Humboldt Tenants Union representative Drew David and other members believed Trujillo filed the complaint to prevent tenants from sharing information. "This sort of intimidation and harassment of tenants by representatives of the property owner is beyond inappropriate," David said, per the Outpost.
More background
Roommates Sean and Maya said a frightening event happened around 2:45 a.m. Aug. 25. They said someone came through a shared hallway, entered a neighboring vacant unit, and tried to get into their locked apartment. They later identified the person as Trujillo, the same man who called law enforcement.
Police responded, though a report said officers did not find anyone trying to enter apartments.
On Aug. 26, Sean and Maya confronted Trujillo in the office. "I don't know what happened," Trujillo told the Outpost. He also said he did not remember "playing with the locks."
Asset Living did not respond to repeated requests for comment, and on-site manager Midori Thompson declined an interview request.
What can be done?
Residents told the Outpost they connected with the Humboldt Tenants Union to share information, compare lease documents, and push management to put commitments in writing rather than rely on verbal assurances.
Keeping copies of leases, photographing needed repairs, documenting the dates and times of incidents, and communicating by email can create a paper trail.
Tenant unions, legal aid organizations, and city or county housing offices may also help renters better understand notice requirements, billing rules, and habitability protections.
When disputes involve outdated property rules, it can also help to work through formal rule-change channels. Anyone trying to negotiate with a landlord or housing association may want to try changing bylaws.
"At this point, I feel like we moved on from being a little bit fearful to being very frustrated and angry that our safety has been taken away from us like that," Maya told the Outpost. "And after seeing this place for so long as home, it doesn't even feel like that anymore. It's just — we don't see it in that light anymore. It just feels like a really dangerous place to be."
Where can I learn more?
The concerns at Woodridge echo housing fights involving private equity ownership, tenant protections, and price gouging.
• In Wisconsin, rents soared for manufactured home residents after private equity firms bought their parks.
• In Redwood City, voters were to weigh a rent cap and rollback with new tenant protections.
• In Los Angeles, landlords took advantage of fire evacuees with rental prices critics called gouging.
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