SEATTLE — Power will be shut off for a week at an apartment complex in Seattle’s Lake City neighborhood, leaving tenants frustrated with the short notice and lack of communication from management.
The outage, set to begin next week, is due to repairs on a damaged electrical panel caused by a distracted driver crashing into it months ago.
Tenants say they received only a week’s notice about the upcoming outage, which they feel is insufficient time to prepare for the inconvenience of being without power and hot water.
“They’ve been very, very good to me. I’m a good renter. And they just cut off all communication. They wouldn’t talk to me,” said Lori Stone, a tenant at the Promenade at the Park.
“I would have preferred way more communication than what we’ve received,” said her husband, Gary Schwartz.
Stone, who has lived at the Promenade at the Park longer than any other tenant, expressed frustration over the lack of communication from Epic Asset Management, the management company of the complex. She showed the damage to the electrical panel, which occurred when a distracted driver crashed into it, causing power outages and inconvenient repairs.
Tenants have been dealing with generators running hallway and stairway lights, and no elevators for a couple of months.
Stone described the difficulty of having to climb stairs to her apartment on the fifth floor, saying, “It was bad. We’d have to figure out what groceries we could bring up. Couldn’t bring heavy stuff up.”
Two days ago, tenants received a notice stating that permanent repairs would start next week, resulting in no power to residential units and elevators, and no hot water.
Stone acknowledged the need for repairs but criticized the short notice, saying, “I understand that it needs to be fixed, obviously, but to get a week’s notice?”
“This is not okay,” says Leah G., another tenant. “It’s cold.”
Attempts to get a response from the management company were unsuccessful.
The notice mentioned that rent would be reduced during the outage, which the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) says is above the legal requirement for such situations. However, tenants still feel left in the dark.
SDCI has advised tenants that they can file a complaint once the outage begins either online or by phone at (206) 615-0808, adding that those with mobility issues may “have additional protections which may require temporary relocation or accommodations while the elevator is out of service.”