‘Misled’ students share painful housing stories with state senate
- Distraught University of Minnesota students shared stories with the state legislature Wednesday about the struggles with an unfinished apartment complex.
- More than 500 students planned to be living in a new Dinkytown building and they say property management gave them bad information over the summer. Two lawsuits now claim the owners have misled students. The suing students say the apartment’s owners knew they wouldn’t open on time, but collected rent on August 1 anyway then sent notice the next day.
- The Delaware-based corporation that owns the building offered residents two options: Stop paying rent and collect $150 a day for living expenses or keep paying and get placed in alternate housing, like a hotel, plus $80 a day.
- FOX 9 checked with the city and the owners do not have a rental license, and they failed an inspection for temporary occupancy. One of the lawsuits has a hearing scheduled for next week which could resolve whether the students should be let out of their leases.
“Every time I asked the leasing office, they told me it would all be okay,” said Wajid Suliman.
“It’s just a very unknown situation and students are just stuck with that because the school year started and they’re just trying to get through the first couple weeks of school,” said Siya Sakhardande, the University of Minnesota director of legislative affairs. |
