More than two dozen seniors at the Dr. Paul Meacham Senior Community Apartments on Windmill Lane in Las Vegas say they have gone days without heat, hot water, or working stoves after the complex’s gas service was shut off last Sunday. As temperatures dropped, residents described carrying microwaved water to the bathroom to bathe and cobbling together meals without functioning ranges. Crews were seen working on the gas line, but tenants say management has offered little information, no clear timeline, and very little hands-on help.
As reported by KTNV, residents said Southwest Gas told them the outage stems from a gas-line issue that will require new piping. Channel 13 reported that the property’s owner, Global Property Management Group, Inc., did not respond to repeated requests for comment. Resident Georgia Harvey summed up life in the building with a blunt assessment: “No hot water. Stove doesn’t work.” She showed the station how she heats containers of water in a microwave just to wash. Workers on site told the station they could not provide a firm estimate for when service will be restored.
What Nevada Law Requires
In Nevada, heat and hot water are not optional amenities. They are treated as essential services under state law, and the landlord-tenant statute spells out what renters can do when those services fail. Under NRS 118A.380, if a landlord does not adequately fix a loss of essential services or use best efforts to do so, within 48 hours of receiving written notice, tenants may arrange for repairs and deduct the cost, withhold rent, or seek damages, as summarized on Justia. Keeping a paper trail is crucial, so residents are urged to document problems with dated written notices, photos and records of every attempt to contact management.
Where Residents Can Turn For Help
Government agencies and local nonprofits maintain resource lists for renters caught in exactly this kind of situation. HUD’s Nevada page and the Southern Nevada Health District’s landlord-tenant guidance both point tenants to hotlines, legal-aid contacts, and sample complaint letters. The Health District notes that an essential-service complaint must be made in writing, and that the 48-hour repair clock starts when the landlord receives that written notice. HUD’s resource page links to regional legal-aid providers for tenants in Southern Nevada, and local organizations such as Nevada Legal Services and the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada can help residents understand their options and file complaints if repairs drag on.
More Than One Building Facing Outages
KTNV has reported similar stories across the Las Vegas Valley, with residents, including seniors, saying they have gone days or even weeks without hot water or heat while property managers and contractors work on fixes. The accounts paint a consistent picture of frustrated tenants, patchy communication, and prolonged outages that hit people on fixed incomes the hardest. At Dr. Paul Meacham, residents say they are demanding clear answers, accountability, and immediate relief while crews continue work on the damaged gas line…