TRAVERSE CITY — Residents in one building at the Boardman Lake Apartments say they have now gone more than three weeks without main heat, relying on space heaters since a boiler outage just before Christmas.
Tenants who did not want to appear on camera told reporters the heat went out in late December, forcing them to depend on portable heaters to keep their apartments warm. While maintenance crews have been on site in recent days, residents said they were only recently told that heat should be restored soon.
The apartment complex consists of 10 buildings, with one affected by the boiler failure. Management previously said the issue required a full boiler replacement rather than a simple repair, a process that could take weeks.
Residents said the space heaters only keep units warm while actively running and must be closely monitored, creating both safety concerns and higher-than-normal electric bills.
One resident, who asked not to be identified, said their household is using more than 50 kilowatt-hours of electricity per day to stay warm.
“Us personally, we’re using 50-plus kilowatts a day,” the resident said. “A month’s time, that could be, I’m guessing, between $300 to $400... I’m scared to death because I’ve got an 18-19-month-old baby. My wife’s in heart failure. I’ve got expenses.”
Several tenants said they have contacted management asking whether they will be reimbursed for the added heating costs, but claim their questions have gone unanswered.
On-site staff told 9&10 News that repairs are underway and should be completed soon. Northern Michigan’s News Leader also reached out to the property’s corporate office to ask whether residents can expect reimbursement for increased utility costs, but had not received a response as of the latest update.
Previously, management acknowledged the delay was tied to the time required to order and install a new boiler, calling the issue a top priority.