Broken AC units leave some Fort Worth apartment residents in heat

The useful part

Some residents at The Hayes apartments in Fort Worth say they have been dealing with broken air conditioning during the Texas heat, as city officials report multiple AC violations at the complex. A spokesperson for Fort Worth's Code Compliance Department said the city has issued five AC violations at The Hayes, located off Southwest Loop 820, since last month. During a reinspection this week, staff found one unit had been repaired, but two others were not working.

How it works

• She described how uncomfortable everyday activities can become without working air conditioning.
• The company said its "team has been hard at work to reapir the AC units at this porperty given this record heat wave….
• One tenant, who asked to remain anonymous, said she first reported her broken air conditioner in July.
• "I will be cooking for like a minute and I'll be dripping in like sweat," she said.
• At times, she said she has resorted to trying to cool down by opening the refrigerator and waiting for the cold air.

What to take from it

Benjamin Gerzik, a staff attorney with Legal Aid of Northwest Texas, said problems with air conditioning at rental properties are not unusual. NBC 5 reached out to the complex's management company, Sentinel Peak Capital Partners.

Details worth keeping

"After they fixed it, it just started blowing heat. We waited for like three days, but it was still blowing heat," she said. The tenant lives with her parents and siblings, including a 5-year-old.