BOISE, Idaho — Commercial Northwest Property Management (CNPM) terminated the leases at Cambridge Apartments in east Boise Friday in response to ongoing heating and water issues, according to a letter from CNPM to renters.
The letter originally stated all renters must be out of their rental units by Monday. Several residents are still in the complex with nowhere to go.
"I don't know why all the sudden it's an issue. We've been living like this for three months now," renter Izzy Jones said. "Starting in December was when all the heating issues started and the water issues."
Jones' apartment regularly lost water and has no had heat since January. They've been using an electric space heater to keep the unit comfortable.
"We wish we didn’t have to ask residents to leave but it is not realistic for people to live without heat. In addition, the Fire code does not permit space heaters to replace a building's heating system. We are providing each unit a relocation package no less than $3,000 and working directly with our residents to try to find alternate housing, as well as storage for their belongings," CNPM CEO Natalie Lemas Hernandez wrote KTVB in a statement. "Even with the assistance we are offering, we understand how difficult it is to find housing in our community."
According to CNPM's own lease agreement, both the owner - CNPM - or renter must provide a 30-day notice of any lease termination. CNPM originally gave less than three days; short-notice is not new, according to 4-month resident Makayla King.
"They would turn off the water and give us a 5-minute notice the water would be off all day," King said. "I don't know if anybody knows what else to do. It's not like we have heat in our unit. It's freezing cold."
Idaho Housing Assistance Non-Profit Jesse Tree is aware of the issue, according to Executive Director Ali Rabe. Rabe is working alongside other agencies to recommend CNPM offers tenant more time to move out of the complex or resolve the heating issue.
Any tenant impacted at Cambridge Apartments should contact Idaho Legal Aid and speak with an attorney, according to Rabe.
"They can consult with an attorney to receive a '[demand for repairs' letter or a reasonable accommodation request for people with disabilities if they cannot move out in time," Rabe said.
Idaho Legal Aid can be contacted at (208) 746-7541.
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