CLEVELAND — On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 15, News 5 was at Boulevard Terrace Apartments on Detroit Avenue after residents reported having little to no heat.
“One minute my heat want to work, (the) next minute it’s out,” said renter Kayla Taylor, a mother of two.
Taylor was using her stove to keep warm. It's something firefighters, the Red Cross, and other agencies say shouldn't be done due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. She said an electric heater kept tripping the breaker in her home.
Taylor was one of several tenants who told News 5 that their heat wasn’t working and that it had been an ongoing issue.
Deborah Rodriguez’s thermostat showed 59 degrees that day.
"I have two space heaters. I have one heater in our room, and we've been camping out in my room,” Rodriguez said. “And then I have a slightly larger one that's trying to keep the house warm so pipes won’t explode."
The next day, Rodriguez reported her heat issues had been resolved, and her thermostat was reading 70 degrees.
Taylor, Rodriguez and others said their attempts to report problems and get answers weren't successful.
“They just tell us, 'We working on it,'” Taylor said.
Residents said J&S Management was their old property management, but it’s now Beacon 360 Management.
We've been following through for days, working to get answers for residents.
On Jan. 23, we checked in with those spoken to earlier, asking what's happened since our earlier visit.
“They've been working on it now… I went from having no heat to, like, lukewarm. So now my apartment is starting to get a little hot now,” Taylor said. “I got some heat. It's enough to keep the house warm."
She said she’s no longer using her stove to heat her home.
The CEO of Beacon 360 Management, Celia Kendall, returned our phone call on the evening of Jan. 22. She declined an on-camera interview but answered questions and provided additional information.
Kendall said Beacon 360 Management took over in November of 2023 and is working to get Boulevard Terrace “up to its standards."
She explained that there was a buildup of deferred and preventative maintenance under the former management company and talked about efforts to address any residents’ concerns.
Kendall confirmed what a heating and cooling contractor told us in our original report. She said a flood took out two of three boilers months ago and that a new boiler plant was constructed and is being brought online.
The contractor also pointed out that the radiators in some units are in bad shape, and there are issues with some zone valves.
Kendall said residents were provided portable heaters well before frigid weather arrived. She said residents were also given correspondence on three occasions about raising concerns, submitting a standard work order via phone or the onsite office, and reporting an after-hours emergency for issues like a lack of heat.
She said residents are encouraged to follow those protocols so staff can appropriately handle situations as they arise.
News 5 provided Kendall with the names and contact information of four tenants who expressed heat or heat and mold issues within their homes. Kendall promised that each would be contacted to figure out any needed action.
As of Jan. 23, three residents said they've interacted with apartment staff, and their problems have either been resolved or are being addressed. The other resident couldn’t be reached.
Taylor said she thinks Beacon 360 Management will stay true to their word.
“I appreciate ya’ll taking the time out (and) helping us,” Taylor said.
