Over several videos, a man confronts management at a Tobacco Row apartment complex in Virginia. Unfortunately, the tenants there have been suffering without air conditioner during some of the hottest months of the year. Now, this man is speaking up for their rights and trying to take care of business.
TikToker @tattedtaurus94 says a resident sent him videos showing how he took action after unfair treatment at the Tobbaco Row River Lofts apartment complex. There, many tenants have been complaining about the adverse condition of their complex. These include a broken elevator to mold and a lack of air conditioning. This tenant was fed up and decided to speak up to management about all the adverse conditions. He demanded to know what they’re going to do to fix things.
In the videos, the man records himself confronting the manager of the office, who tries to avoid him from the moment he comes into her office. He tells her, “Every time I come down here, you try to avoid us.” She tries to defend herself, saying she “isn’t avoiding” them. He hands her paperwork and tells her that she hasn’t been fixing anything.
Then, he states, “It’s been four days since the AC has been broken. Took you over two months last time.” The tenant goes on to explain, “You have 21 days by the state of Virginia to let us out of our lease.” He shows a law in Virginia stating that “landlords must maintain in good and safe working condition all air-conditioning systems that they supplied.”
When the office manager hears all of this, she gives him a big smile and says, “Oh, good!” He replies with, “It is good, isn’t it? Yeah, awesome. How crappy your apartment complex is.” All she can do is stutter and say, “I’m sorry that you feel this way.” She tries to explain that she’s apologized to him before about the conditions, as if that changes anything.
He claims he never received an apology and he just wants to be let out of his lease so she can avoid legal action. He lets her know that he talked to a Housing Commission in Virginia about the conditions. The manager tells him, “Thank you for communicating with me” and tells him he’ll hear back from them soon.
Commenters immediately came to back the tenant, showing support and sharing their own experiences. Many commenters said that they’ve dealt with the same mistreatment at this specific complex. One commenter stated, “I took her to court last year” due to their apartment leaking.
Another commenter added, “I live in the area and when I was moving I heard nothing but the absolute worst things about Tobacco Row. It’s insane they haven’t been investigated because it seems like almost every tenant has horrible issues especially with black mold.”
Other commenters pointed out that what they’ve been dealing with is unacceptable, especially during summer. One shared, “People say it’s not a big deal to be without air conditioning but I’d like to see them do it. It is way too hot and humid in Virginia to not have an air conditioner in June, July, and August.” Commenters continue to share their support as they follow this story as it unfolds.
