PETERSBURG, VA — Tenants at Perry Street Lofts in Petersburg say they have spent weeks dealing with roaches, raw sewage and an apartment management company that has not responded with real fixes. Some residents now want out of their leases without paying penalties.
Kiara White, one of the tenants trying to leave, said the conditions have pushed her past the point of patience. After repeated maintenance complaints, she said management offered little more than explanations and delays while the problems kept getting worse.
White said city notices, evacuation orders, sewage leaks and pest problems in her unit all add up to a lease breach. She believes residents should be allowed to move without being charged for a home they say has become unsafe and unlivable.
Sewage leaks forced water shutoffs and apartment evacuations
The most serious problems appeared when sewage leaks led the city to shut off water and management to evacuate apartments. White said the loss of water and the forced displacement made everyday life inside the building impossible for several days.
She said tenants were not given meaningful help while repairs dragged on. In her telling, residents were left with no workable solution and no clear timeline for when basic services would return.
White also said she has documentation showing roaches and mold inside her unit. She argues that those records, combined with the city’s notices, show the landlord has not met its obligations to keep the property habitable.
The tenants’ complaints have turned what should have been ordinary lease disputes into urgent housing questions. For residents trying to leave, the issue is not only whether they can move, but whether they will be punished financially for doing so.
White says the costs could top $4,500
White said she is now facing nearly $3,000 in fines in addition to two months’ rent and fees. Altogether, she said the amount is more than $4,500 after she gave her 60-day notice to leave just two days before the fines were issued.
She said that outcome feels unfair because the property’s problems were not resolved before the charges landed. In her view, renters should not be billed for the full cost of staying when the building conditions already pushed them to leave.
White also said there was no reduction for the four to five days when water was unavailable and residents had to be evacuated. She said that is exactly why tenants are pressing for lease termination without penalty.
Her complaint reflects a larger frustration: people who have paid to live there believe they are being treated as if the building’s failures are their own problem. White said that has made the fight to leave even more painful.
Residents say management has offered little more than excuses
White said when tenants raised maintenance issues, management largely responded with explanations about waiting on parts or being unable to fix the problems right away. She described the response as a shrug rather than a solution.
That lack of action has become part of the dispute. Residents say they have been patient while repairs were pending, but patience has worn thin as the same problems keep coming back.
White said the silence from those responsible speaks volumes. She believes the company should simply release renters from their leases or work out a fair resolution instead of forcing them to keep paying for conditions they say they did not cause.
GoldOllier, the management company with its main office in Philadelphia, did not provide a direct response after multiple outreach attempts. The only reply received was an automated out-of-office message.
State Senator Lashrecse Aird criticizes the conditions
The situation at Perry Street Lofts has also drawn criticism from elected officials. Virginia State Senator Lashrecse Aird said the conditions some residents were facing were unacceptable.
That public response adds pressure to a dispute that has largely centered on tenants and management. Residents say they need the property fixed or the freedom to leave without being hit with penalties they consider excessive.
White said she is confident her time at the complex is coming to an end, but she does not know how soon she can actually move or how much money she will lose before then. For now, she said, the uncertainty is part of the punishment.
Her main request is simple. She said management does not need a big gesture, only a fair resolution that acknowledges what tenants have been living through.
A housing fight now centered on accountability and escape
The dispute at Perry Street Lofts has become a test of how much responsibility a landlord carries when tenants say the building itself is the problem. For residents, the unanswered question is whether reporting unhealthy conditions leads to relief or more bills.
White said she would rather pay someone who is willing to go the extra mile for residents than remain in a place she describes as a nightmare. She said the basic expectation is respect for the people who live there and have done so for years.
That is why the lease-breaking fight matters beyond one apartment complex. It is about whether a tenant can document unsafe conditions, leave a damaged living situation and avoid being buried in fees for trying to protect themselves.
For now, the residents say they are still waiting for a response that matches the scale of the problems inside the building.
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