Walking through the hallways of the 40Fifty Lofts near the University of South Florida was like walking through a biohazard zone.
“Do you want to see the vomit first?” Rebecca Stewart asked as we entered the hallway of the apartment complex.
That was the start of our tour through a stairway filled with the smell of urine, and the culprit in a pool on the floor.
“I have to jump over that every day to exit,” Stewart said. “I have to hold my breath and I sometimes gag because the smell is just so terrible. It’s not a good environment to be in here to study,” Stewart said.
Stewart said she has complained to management for nearly two weeks.
“They were very rude,” Stewart said. “They said they don't have a cleaning crew right now. They said somebody in their office would go pick it up eventually.”
Eventually finally arrived after ABC Action News reporter Michael Paluska approached management with pictures of the mess.
“I am a new manager that just got here today,” Amber Green said. “Once I find out more information I can definitely talk to the resident.”
Green said she hasn’t even been in Tampa for more than 24 hours and was starting her first day of work today.
Stewart said immediately after we left the office people from the office were in the hallway cleaning up the vomit, urine, and all the other stuff.
Stewart said she has to live there for another year and just wants management to take complaints seriously.
“I think they should care about their tenants, we are paying a lot of money to live here” Stewart said.
This is a USF affiliated apartment complex.
In an email ABC Action News received from Stewart, the Assistant Director for Housing Services, Justin Osborne said, “I am going to contact the property manager to discuss these concerns and to see how they can best assist you. I will ask that they connect with you to further discuss your concerns. They have just had a change in ownership and management and I am confident this will be a positive transition for residents and our affiliation.”
