STILLWATER, Okla. (KFOR) — Some Oklahoma State University (OSU) students moving into a Stillwater apartment complex Friday tell News 4 they were met with long hours of waiting and filthy units.
The problems are tied to the Apex on Perkins apartment complex. Last week, News 4 told viewers about two OSU students who moved into the same complex to dirty vents, trashed floors and clogged toilets.
A student move-in day was scheduled for Friday, with a lot of people showing up telling News 4 they encountered waits of several hours just to get their keys. A sign on one leasing office door instructed residents that if they had an issue after picking up their keys to go to 211 to speak with a manager who could help and that they would not be allowed back in the office for any issues.
"I lived in dorms last year for my freshman year," said student Gary Ray. "It was easier than this."
Ray had been in line for at least five hours when News 4 employees spoke with him, telling those employees people waiting in line had been offered water once; but were told the office would be closing at the end of the business day despite the long lines. Ray said that employees also took a lunch break, leaving students stuck to wait in line even longer.
Some students who managed to get their keys told News 4 they were disappointed with the state their apartments were in.
"I walked in to find ceiling fans on the floor. The fridge was in a box in there, it was trashed," said student Albony Bryles. "There was mold, dirty water. It was just really bad. It's not livable."
Bryles said she had to pay a deposit and first month's rent before she could get her keys to see the state of the unit. She said that she and her father went to the front to try to explain to management what was going on and received little help.
"The woman who works in the room is actually the property manager," said Bryles. "She's like the head. She went into that building so I waited for her to come out and she actually slammed the door in me and my father's face before we could go in there and speak to her about what was going on."
The explanation Bryles said she and her roommates were eventually able to get was that there had been a management change and that management was having a difficult time getting ahold of corporate. Bryles said that explanation still wasn't enough to justify why the move-in was allowed to move forward with some units in the condition they were in.
"I want them to take accountability for what they've done," said Bryles. "I don't want them to slip this under the rug, and I don't want them to have more residents come in and thinking that they're getting this pretty perfect apartment when more than likely it's not going to be ready."
News 4 tried to make contact with Apex employees Friday, but were met with a locked door guarded by an employee. When News 4 asked the employee if they could pass on their contact information for a statement the employee declined and told the News 4 employee to get off of the property; and to stop recording.
"Everything is very chaotic here," said Bryles. "Disaster, catastrophe, everything in between."
Bryles said, given the state of things, she would have preferred an option to get out of the lease and find somewhere else to stay.
"It seems like they're very money hungry," said Bryles. "They're more worried about their money than they are about people having a place to live that's livable. I could not stay in that apartment. It's not possible."
News 4 heard from multiple other parents and students who said move-in conditions were disastrous, of whom did not share their names out of fear of retaliation.
News 4 spoke with Bryles and one of her roommates, Ashley Ramirez, about their future apartment plans given the state their unit was in.
"Our other roommate lives over four hours away, I'm almost at three hours away, I can't just go back home," said Ramirez. "We're just looking to see if we can get a hotel, stay with someone we might know here; but a lot of people aren't here yet because we haven't started [school]."
It's important to note Bryles and Ramirez said they were offered to stay in the complex's model unit, but noted conditions in that unit weren't much better than their assignment.
The first day of class for OSU is August 19. The Apex on Perkins is not affiliated with the university.
