SPARKS, Nev. (News 4 & Fox 11) — Residents of a Sparks apartment complex at Victorian Avenue and Second Street are living in what they describe as deplorable and unsafe conditions which include faulty plumbing, inadequate electrical outlets and pest infestations. News 4/Fox 11 has reported about the conditions extensively. Now, community mediators are stepping up to offer help.
Thanhthuy Tran, a real estate broker and property manager, has stepped in to assist the tenants. T, as she is called, said she helped draft the eviction moratorium during the COVID-19 pandemic.” I actually helped write the eviction moratorium that the governor enacted,” T said. “The city of Sparks actually picked up my landlord tenant mediation program back then, and so we helped a bunch of families stay housed.” T met with Sparks renters to inform them of their rights and see how she could help.
Kevin Van Arkel, a tenant, explained his situation: “I wasn’t paying (the landlord) because my roof was leaking.” T noted that you just can’t withhold rent on your own. The money can be held in court escrow to ensure landlords address issues and there’s a specific process to do that…