SAN ANTONIO – Move-in day for a new UTSA student’s family didn’t quite go as planned when they found their on-campus apartment in harsh condition.
Desiree Rodriguez said it was the smell that “gave [her] a slap in the face,” when she walked into the apartment at University Oaks at UTSA, an on-campus complex owned and operated by a managing company.
“The vent’s moldy, black. The shower -- it’s nasty. The cabinets are falling apart. The stove is falling apart,” she said.
She was able to make the unit somewhat livable, but she had already paid four months’ rent, so her son will have to make it work for now.
Rodriguez worries the unexplained black funk in the vents and walls might be mold.
“These kids are going to get sick eventually,” she said.
Anastacia Guerrero said her move-in day was also spent deep cleaning.
“We learned the first time around that you have to bring your own cleaning supplies, like vacuum, bleach, like all that to just make sure that it’s livable in here,” she said.
There were roaches, stains from water leaks and holes in the wall. Security is also a concern.
“Our door doesn’t properly lock. You have to, like, move in a certain way for it to fully lock,” Guerrero said.
KSAT reached out to the management company that runs the complex. It issued the following statement from director Laura Cantrell Nadeau:
“At University Oaks, we take the safety and health of our residents, guests, and staff very seriously. We have reached out to parents who have contacted us to discuss their concerns. We do inspections on our property regularly, as well as address maintenance requests brought to our attention by our residents. We encourage any resident with a maintenance request to reach out to our onsite management team, who will be able to assist.”
Rodriguez said she was told appliances and a carpet cleaning company are scheduled to arrive at her son’s unit later this week.
“As a community that you’re renting for students, it should not be that way,” she said.