SAN ANTONIO — Ruby Cortinas has lived at Thompson Place for more than 10 years. She said the apartment AC once kept them cool during the hot Texas summer, but over the last few years it wasn’t able to keep up.
By early July, Cortinas was using two additional window units to try and cool the unit down and she said her kids were going to bed with cold towels in order to sleep.
“It’s been really, really hot. It hurts me to see them. We can’t even sleep comfortably, you know?” Cortinas said.
The tenant told KENS 5 that she had reported the issue multiple times earlier in the year, and she said local maintenance had come to the apartments to look at her AC unit several months ago, but she said they were not able to fix the AC.
Eventually a friend suggested she call KENS 5.
"It was my last option to see if I could get somebody to help me," Cortinas said.
KENS 5 came out to the apartment unit and used a laser thermometer to get the temperature of the ceiling AC vents.
Cortinas had set the thermostat 75 degrees. KENS 5 discovered the surface of the metal air vents on the ceiling were around 77, which suggested the system wasn't actually cooling at all. According to Goettl Air Conditioning and Plumbing, the metal surface of the air vents should have been around 53 to 57 degrees (18 to 22 degrees lower than air temperature) if the system was working correctly.
KENS 5 then took photos of our temperature readings and showed them to the complex manager. Management would not provide an official response but said they would take a look at the issue.
When KENS 5 returned the next week, Cortinas said management had hired a professional company to fix the unit right after we spoke to them.
"The next day after you left they sent a professional AC guy to come out here. He was here for about two hours, he found the problem, and my AC is working now!"
KENS 5 also contacted Alamo Community Group which oversees management at Thompson Place. Alamo Community Group Director Christine Drennon later traveled to the property personally to investigate. Drennon found that the local property management company, Foresight Asset Management, could have acted sooner in this matter. She sent KENS 5 the following statement:
"I just returned from Thompson Place where I spoke with Ms. Cortinas and the property management staff about this issue; I also visited Ms. Cortinas in her home. We agreed that the problems she was experiencing in her apartment had been overlooked or not addressed promptly or thoroughly.
As ownership, Alamo Community Group relies heavily on our property management firm, Foresight Asset Management, to oversee the day-to-day maintenance of our buildings (while our focus is on rehabilitation and the production of new affordable housing). Unfortunately, ACG was not aware of this situation until you brought it to our attention. We are now working closely with Foresight to ensure that all issues are addressed in a timely manner and that similar situations are avoided."
Fortunately, other tenants don't necessarily need to call KENS 5 in order to get help with their AC. If a tenant lives in San Antonio, they can also call the City of San Antonio at 3-1-1 and made a report to Code Enforcement.
City Development Services Department spokeswoman Ximena Copa-Wiggins said landlords have a responsibility to maintain "mechanical equipment" on the property and the central air conditioning system is included in that requirement. Tenants can direct a report to Code Enforcement online or call 3-1-1 and ask for Code Enforcement. If a landlord does not address an AC issue after tenants make the original report to code enforcement, Copa-Wiggins said tenants can still make follow-up reports to try and get the issue resolved.
The City of San Antonio must still give a landlord 10 days to correct an issue from the time the landlord was notified.
Additionally, a tenant's first step should be for formally request that their landlord fix the issue by sending the landlord the request in writing. If a tenant is worried their land lord is not keeping track of their request, they can send the request via certified mail from their local post office.
KENS 5 also contacted the Bexar County Housing Authority to find out if tenants have any protections under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Section 8 voucher program. Bexar County Housing Authority spokesman Vince Michel said the tenant's rights depend on their situation.
Michel said HUD does not require AC as an "essential item." However, if a housing unit had working AC at the time a tenant moved in, HUD would have an expectation that the AC will continue to function. If the AC stops working, and the landlord refuses to fix it, Michel said a tenant has the right to take their HUD voucher and go somewhere else. He said a tenant's options could still be affected by the written lease they have with the landlord.
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