Altamonte Springs Residents Forced to Evacuate Apartments with No Return Date

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. – Stanley Lerner and his wife thought they had finally found stability when they settled into Altamonte Terrace with the help of a homeless diversion grant. However, their relief was short-lived, as they recently received a notice requiring them to vacate the premises by Friday.

“It’s been less than six months, and now our lease is being terminated,” Lerner expressed. “We haven’t done anything wrong, yet we’re facing the same difficult situation once more.”

Just last month, News 6 reported that Lerner and other residents were temporarily relocated to a hotel to allow engineers to inspect structural concerns in the aging, 50-year-old buildings.

The engineer hired by the property owner identified several problems with the roof and other structural areas. It has now been announced that the necessary repairs will take longer than initially anticipated.

[WATCH: Residents forced out of Altamonte Springs apartments over construction]

On Monday, the landlord sent a letter to residents citing their lease and Florida law, explaining that the landlord can terminate the agreement if the apartment is uninhabitable and beyond their control, as long as reasonable efforts are being made to fix it.

“The landlord’s word is final. It’s the landlord’s election,” said landlord-tenant attorney Jesse Clark, who has spoken with several impacted residents and reviewed their leases.

Clark says it’s a landlord-friendly agreement — one many tenants have no choice but to accept because they’re receiving rental assistance grants.

“This is true of any rental agreement I’ve ever seen,” Clark said. “If you want to rent from this apartment complex, these are the terms — take it or leave it.”

According to the notice, upcoming rent has been waived and deposits will be refunded. But Lerner believes it’s unfair. He says he plans to start a GoFundMe to raise money for legal representation for himself and other affected tenants.

When News 6 visited the property’s on-site office to ask management why tenants are being asked to leave, what damage is being repaired, and whether those repairs have even started, the manager was not there. We also emailed those questions, but have not yet received a response.