LANSING, Mich. — April Gant says she’s given up hope that Sycamore Townhomes property managers will fix any of the issues after her unit was pink tagged last week.
"For something to say final notice, this had to be going on for quite sometime,” she said.
And the city of Lansing confirmed that this problem at Sycamore Townhomes has been going on for while. We’re told the apartment complex hasn’t had a valid renter’s certificate in at least five years, which led to the city pink tagging all 344 units at the complex last Friday.
“I pay my rent every month. If you don’t have a renter’s license, you shouldn’t be taking rent from tenants,” Gant said.
I went to the leasing office to get some answers. When we pulled up, I saw an employee lock the door from the inside, but that didn’t stop us from knocking.
We knocked for about five minutes, but no one answered. So, we called the corporate number that Gant gave us, but no one answered.
Here in Lansing, a pink tag is the stage before red tag. A pink tag is given when a rental property does not have a valid Certificate of Compliance issued by the city, according to the city of Lansing's website. A red tag means that the apartment or complex is considered unsafe, and the placard remains on the property until management fixes all of the violations and the building passes inspection.
If the complex is red tagged, all residents will be asked to move out immediately. Gant said she’s not sticking around for that to happen.
“I’m more so angry that I didn’t explore other options before I moved here,” Gant.
I've been following the issue of red tagged and pink tagged apartments in Lansing for a few months.
RELATED | 'I've seen these properties, they’re slumlords,' Red tag issue continues to grow in Lansing
Sycamore Townhomes is one of many apartment complexes in the city with a pink tag. In total, the city has issued almost 700 red tags and, with the addition of Sycamore Townhomes, over 650 pink tags.
The issue has drawn the attention of not just the Lansing City Council but also state representatives.
Other related stories:
- Holmes Apartments slapped with lawsuit from city after being red tagged, tenants evacuated
- Autumn Ridge Apartments under fire after city confirms 26 red tag units
- With the growing red-tag issue in Lansing, MSU Housing Justice Clinic is helping residents
- Lansing looks for new code compliance manager in the midst of red tag problem
