Renters say roaches and sewage have made Petersburg apartments a 'nightmare'

PETERSBURG, Va. — Tenants at Perry Street Lofts in Petersburg say they have been dealing with roaches, raw sewage, and an unresponsive management company for weeks — and some are now fighting to break their leases without penalty.

"It's been a nightmare," said Kiara White, who has been trying to leave the complex for weeks.

White said when tenants raised maintenance concerns, management offered little more than excuses.

"Really had no accommodation other than a shrug of the shoulders, we're waiting on a part, sorry we can't fix it," White said.

Recent sewage leaks forced the city to shut off water and management to evacuate apartments. White said those conditions, combined with city notices and her own documentation of roaches and mold growing inside her unit, should be enough to constitute a breach of lease — allowing tenants to leave without penalty.

"We have documentation of all of it, but they're still refusing to do it the easy way, which would just be to keep our security deposit and let us go," White said.

Instead, White said she is facing nearly $3,000 in fines on top of two months' rent and fees — a total of more than $4,500 — after giving her 60-day notice to leave just two days before the fines were issued. She said tenants should not be on the hook for those costs while maintenance issues remain unresolved.

"There is no prorate for the four to five days without water and we're to be evacuated and they are refusing to break leases with people which really breaks my heart," White said.

White said she is confident her time at Perry Street Lofts is coming to an end — but the question is how soon she can leave and how much money she will lose in the process.

"I would much rather give my money to someone who is willing to go the extra mile for us," White said.

The conditions have drawn sharp criticism from elected leaders. Virginia State Senator Lashrecse Aird said the conditions some residents faced were unacceptable.

I reached out multiple times to GoldOllier, the management company whose main office is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The only reply received was an automated out-of-office response.

White said the silence from those responsible for addressing the issues speaks volumes.

"It's not fair for you to pay to live like that. It's not right," White said.

She said management does not need to make grand gestures — just do right by the people who live there.

"Just set things right. You don't have to lose an arm and a leg to make things right for people who reside here and have for decades," White said.

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