An eight-unit, L-shaped apartment building in Lakewood has been the source of concern for the city’s rental-housing program for years. Although building owners of Melody Apartments haven’t made necessary repairs and city staff declared the units illegal to occupy, a handful of residents still lived there, a News Tribune investigation found.
After a fire in 2020 damaged half of the units at 4914 115th St. Ct., property owners made many repairs without obtaining necessary permits, according to the city. That’s caused headaches not only for the city but for the low-income tenants living there with leaky windows, electrical issues, plumbing issues and rotted railings.
As of Feb. 27, there were so many noncompliance issues at Melody Apartments the city deemed the building “unlawful to rent” and “illegal to occupy,” according to public records obtained by The News Tribune…