Members of the Los Angeles Tenants Union and the 751 S. Normandie Tenants Association gathered at Seoul International Park Sunday, protesting what they deemed “a negligent landlord,” then boarded a school bus to West Hollywood, where they demonstrated outside the landlord’s home.
A collective demand letter posted on LATU Koreatown’s Instagram handle stated that the landlord repeatedly ignored repair demands from the tenants. “We have sent texts, made phone calls and visited your offices and all we get in return is false promises.”
The list of demands included among other things, regular pest controls, fixing the building’s plumbing issues that have resulted in leaks, fallen ceilings and lifted floors, and prompt response to tenant complaints.
“We want to live in safe and habitable homes just like you do. If we do not get our demands, we will be back,” the letter stated. Two names of landlords, identified only as Ari and Danny were named in the letter.
Video from the scene shows dozens of people at the protest, some holding signs and noise-makers.
Maria Vargas, a tenant of the apartment told Fox11 that her family lives in a house with kitchen leaks and cabinet doors and drawers that have been chewed away by mice. She said she received traps for bugs and flies, but they haven’t followed up on collecting them.
Protesters were seen chanting slogans and calling out the landlord yelling, “Show your face, show your face!”
The landlord did not make an appearance. One of the organizers said the demonstrations would continue.