Editor's note: This article was updated at 1:17 p.m. on Sept. 27 to include a statement from The Flats management sent to OU Daily.
A tenant of The Flats at Norman claims a severe mold infestation has been improperly handled by management, leaving his apartment unsafe to be in.
The Flats at Norman is an apartment complex located just 1 mile east of the OU campus, providing mixed-size apartments intended for OU students. The complex includes two-, three- and four-bedroom units of varying size, with leases ranging from $565 to $719.
Jacob Maslovskiy, a 22-year-old tenant at The Flats, said in an interview with OU Daily he first reported mold growth in his unit Tuesday morning, but management had not treated the incident with urgency or transparency.
Later that day, Maslovskiy said a maintenance supervisor did sample the water, which tasted moldy to Maslovskiy but ignored the mold growth around the apartment.
“We kept finding new things, new random things throughout the house that had mold start growing on them,” Maslovskiy said.
On Wednesday afternoon, after several calls to the property manager, another maintenance worker came to inspect the mold. According to Maslovskiy, the inspector claimed the mold was only mildew, and it could just be cleaned off.
Maslovskiy said he was not satisfied with the inspection.
“(It’s) just outrageous,” Maslovskiy said. “We have proof that it's not just mildew, and even mildew is mold at the end of the day, and it's a problem because it grows into black mold.”
The apartment was scheduled to be cleaned, but Maslovskiy was not given a specific time or date.
Maslovskiy and his fiancee were offered to relocate to another occupied apartment but refused, as they could not have their cat near the other flatmate, who was allergic.
Mold in Maslovskiy's apartment
Mold damage on Jacob Maslovskiy's clothes.
Around 7 p.m., Maslovskiy received a call back from a representative of Cardinal Group, a real-estate corporation that acquired The Flats May 17, who offered them a stay at a hotel, while a third party conducts air quality, mold and water tests Friday morning.
Maslovskiy said he was disappointed with the delayed resolution, stating it should have been the initial reaction to a serious and urgent issue.
Maslovskiy expressed concern for the health of his fiancee, cat and himself. He said they were unable to bathe, brush their teeth or sleep comfortably. He also reported red spots on his arms as well as his cat suffering from a red eye.
“We had to go through a lot of things to try and escalate this issue because the air isn't — I wouldn't call it habitable,” Maslovskiy said.
Cardinal Group Management, the company that owns The Flats, wrote in a statement to OU Daily that management took immediate action to address the situation and hired a specialist.
"Upon notification, we promptly relocated the residents to a hotel to ensure their comfort and safety while a certified environmental specialist conducted a thorough inspection," the statement read. "The specialist determined that no remediation was necessary, as the growth resulted from specific environmental factors, including maintaining a low temperature in the apartment and improperly drying damp clothing."
Cardinal Management Group said they shared their findings with the resident and will continue to work with the resident.
"We remain committed to providing a healthy living environment and encourage all residents to report any maintenance issues through the appropriate channels promptly," the statement read.
According to a Google Review, building 17, Maslovskiy’s building, experienced a “severe mold problem” last year that was left unresolved. The review, left by Aaron Brown, stated it was a “truly horrific experience” that left him with chest pains and breathing problems.
“My recommendation would be for the management to get their priorities straight to what's important for the tenants and what's not,” Maslovskiy said. “It's not a good look.”
This story was edited by Ana Barboza and Anusha Fathepure. Josh McDaniel and Avery Avery copy edited this story.
