Residents at Cypress Oaks Apartments in Leesburg are fed up

Kyle Praete raises his 10-year-old daughter, Ivy, on his own with the occasional help of his girlfriend. He gets her ready for school and makes sure she completes her homework assignments.

Adding to the challenges of child rearing with an ever-rising cost of living, he has had trouble communicating with the onsite management office for numerous repairs in his two-bedroom home at Cypress Oaks Apartments, 336 Sandy Oak Circle.

Over the past year, he reported a hole in a bathroom closet causing a black mold problem, a broken power outlet, an old microwave with visible roaches in it (originally provided by the complex). One dead cockroach is visible in the LED display. He's also had minor problems with fixtures such as broken kitchen drawers and a cabinet.

Praete said it took the apartment staff six months to send someone to patch the hole in his bathroom. He had to report the problem to the city of Leesburg's code enforcement. When they get involved, the problem was addressed.

"They (management) were supposed to do a mold test and they never did," Praete said. "That was one of the five cases that code enforcement went through (at the apartment complex). I had code enforcement down here because it took them six months to fix it, and code enforcement told them to run a mold test and they haven't yet. ... I have had a literal dead bug in my microwave screen for over three years and have shown both maintenance and management and asked for replacements. All ignored."

The apartment complex is located in an area residents described as "swampy," so it stands to reason that mold can become pervasive if not monitored carefully.

Water damage seeped behind an electric panel. "The wall itself caved in before they actually sent someone over," Praete added.

The tenant of 10 years also has reported a broken outlet that he's had to cover up and a leaking bedroom window with mold growing around the frame.

"No one has ever come out her to clean out air-conditioning ducts, either," he added.

The rents are somewhat more affordable than the city's average of $1,271 a month, according to RentCafe.com. Tenants needing affordable housing pay around $850 to $1,000 a month.

Praete's neighbors told the Daily Commercial about a range of problems from minor but concerning to downright disturbing. There is drug paraphernalia on the playground and rampant crime, including a recent shooting, but there is scant security, if any.

"The roof is leaking water in the kitchen," said Cypress Oaks resident Traci Crumbley. "You can see the whole line where it is. The water's about to come down, and there's a drawer in the kitchen where the front is off, and the silverware is just sliding."

On Oct. 2 WFTV-Channel 9 showed up to Cypress Oaks to report on a giant pile of garbage that had been neglected by the dumpster. The complex has several open code violations that haven’t been addressed, city workers told the news outlet.

"None of the close to two dozen tenants WFTV spoke to by email, text, phone or in-person had positive things to say about their property managers," the report said. "Most said their apartments had significant issues, such as leaks in their walls or ceilings or broken appliances. One woman showed off mold coming from the vents into her living room."

Since the broadcast of Channel 9's report, the trash was picked up and residents received notices that new personnel would be hired to address problems.

The Cypress Oaks complex is owned by TPI Housing & Property Management, a nonprofit that specializes in affordable housing. Their website assures prospective tenants that they “provide decent, safe and sanitary affordable housing.”

Channel 9 reported that TPI’s parent organization raked in a $26.6 million profit in 2021, its IRS filing showed, including more than $12 million from its apartment complexes, 14 of which are currently in Central Florida.

"Our foremost priority has always been the well-being and satisfaction of our residents," Jamie Williamson, vice president of TPI, told the Daily Commercial in an email.

"We take pride in the positive reputation we've built across the properties we manage. As discussed during our call, there are challenges in the property management sector, particularly in recruiting and retaining skilled maintenance staff. This challenge amplifies in smaller towns like Leesburg. However, we remain committed to addressing any gaps swiftly and efficiently."

Erol Ugljanin, president of TPI, spoke to the Daily Commercial about efforts the company's making to meet residents' needs at Cypress Oaks in a more timely manner. The president said they have to stagger work orders according to high-priority needs such as broken AC units, safety issues, etc.

Praete conceded that a problem like a broken drawer or bug in the microwave may not be top priority ahead of other residents' concerns, but he wonders why a time frame or ETA even if weeks in advance can be provided. Either emails have not been responded to, or he's told that the complex is understaffed and will do its best to get to it.

"We have been hiring additional maintenance tech for the site," Ugljanin said. "That's kind of what slowed things down just a little bit. But, we're hopeful that we can find someone very quickly and get someone there to help out on site and moving quicker on these work order completions very soon."

Resident Joyce Allen, who's lived at Cypress Oaks since 2009, has mobility issues and said with a laugh that she might be the oldest tenant living there but didn't give us her age. The repairs in her apartment necessitate her leaving for a week, she said, adding that she has nowhere to go.

"The problem is they wanted me to move all my stuff out here to let them redo this apartment," Allen said. "I don't have money to move all my stuff out, put it in storage, go somewhere and rent somewhere and stay for a whole week or two at a hotel. At the hotel prices now, I can't afford it."

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The Daily Commercial reached out to Leesburg Housing Director Sandra Wilson to find out if there's a program for temporary housing that might help people in Allen's situation, but nothing exists solely for that purpose that she knows of.

"I usually refer people to the Salvation Army or other agencies," she responded.

TPI Management has made some progress in improving communication, but it also has made efforts to collect money from tenants who have underpaid because of repairs not being addressed.

They management company seems to be taking care of business, but it may not always be beneficial to residents. Kyle Praete said management told him that his girlfriend must move out because their combined income disqualifies him from the reduced rent he pays, around $871 a month.

According to multiple rent calculators online, Praete cannot afford to live on his own at Cypress Oaks on his income of $2,400 earned at a medical facility. A rentcafe.com calculator recommended a studio apartment at Cypress Oaks for his income.

The publication Truthout recommends a federal tax on institutional buyers, which would have the potential to generate revenue to help fund the construction of new public and social housing in communities.

"The lack of housing affordability is the direct result of commodification — the use of residential real estate as an asset for the purposes of financial speculation and capital accumulation," the article said. "The sooner we start treating housing as the public good that it is, the sooner we can create an economy that works for everyone."

This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: Leesburg: Cypress Oaks Apartments residents feel ignored by management