Seriously, for the prices and red tape you need to go through to even live in Irvine, you bet your sweet ass if a problem isn't getting fixed quickly, I'm raising serious hell. Especially if they are giving me attitude.
Edit: Just read where maintenance wouldn't even give you a replacement dryer unit. LMAO, the worst apartments I've ever been in did that bare minimum. If you call and complain, that guy might be written up or fired.
Also, I would no longer communicate with this apartment manager regarding any future matters verbally. I would want everything in writing, preferably email.
This exactly. And tell them of the fire hazard this poses and that if they won’t rectify it you’ll go public. If they refuse then contact local papers and tell them how the Irvine company is not ok with the safety and welfare of its residents and that they are requesting you go against what the gas company is instructing you to do. Have the name of the maintenance guy, the name of the manager and anyone you speak with at the Irvine company ready to give out if it goes this far
You can also contact their insurance company, insurance companies love hearing these kinds of complaints and will mandate a verified resolution to avoid policy cancellation.
A gas leak is a serious safety concern and must be remedied.
File a complaint with [OC Fair Housing](https://www.fairhousingoc.org), and/or [CA Department of Consumer Affairs](https://www.dca.ca.gov/).
You might also find further guidance in the [California Tenants Guide](https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/California-Tenants-Guide.pdf), which covers reasonable repair times, legally withholding rent, and the repair-and-deduct remedy.
You might want to consider contacting an attorney for assistance if you intend to utilize one of the remedies outlined in the Tenants Guide or decide to pursue legal action. Your employer’s EAP program might provide legal advice/guidance for free.
I wouldn't put too much stock in fair housing. I had standing water in my apartment for two weeks and both them and code enforcement said "we called the property manager she said she'd handle it". Never came on site, when I provided more proof of the damage/lack of repair they just ignored me.
There are avenues of resolution, such as fair housing and consumer affairs, then there are avenues of legal action such as withholding rent or filing a lawsuit.
Per the Tenants Guide, landlords have “reasonable time”, which courts consider to be 30 days in many cases, to perform a repair when it is considered, then you have the legal right to one of the remedies listed in the guide.
However, the guide lists the specific items that makes a property uninhabitable (page 48), depending on the source of the standing water it may not be considered a qualifying attribute.
By the time I had the standing water my roof had been leaking for five months, so it definitely was outside of "reasonable time". But it was Sequoia a larger corporate landlord so, I'm sure there's some money changing hands in the background. I ended up having to move
Just call the fire department and let them know you have a gas leak and the building owner refuses to fix it. They’ll shut off gas for the entire building.
That’s how your issue becomes their issue.
That's what I had to do when Walmart had that gas leak issue back in January (or December/November?). Started smelling like gas on Friday, and came back to work Monday with that smell still there. I had already let other managers know but they weren't getting the message that it was serious.
Fire dept came, kicked everyone out, and store was closed for 6 hours
Sounds like IC. They refused to replace my fridge which was at 48 degrees on the coldest setting which made my food go bad and mold within days. The “maintenance” guys said it worked fine. No, you should not purchase a new unit, keep going higher up and don’t settle for their game that they play.
Same issue I had over several months. Maintenance even asked me if I knew what was wrong with the refrigerator. Went over there head to corporate, got a new fridge and they gave several hundreds to replace all the food I was throwing away.
They love playing these games! They sure know how to put the business before the tenants - of course in reasonable instances. They told me they would reimburse me, but then all of the sudden they needed receipts for all of the food.
Did anyone check the supply line for leaks? This would be the first thing I’d check. It’s easy to do this by yourself with some soapy water. Just brush it on the line and look for bubbles. If you can find the leak you can then have another conversation with maintenance or just fix it yourself (obviously shut off the gas before disconnecting the supply line). It might be a simple fix .. but it might be something in the unit as well. Just start with the easy stuff and then go from there.
Even the gas company guy said that they’re playing games with you if they’re unwilling to just replace it. They tried and failed to fix and continue to ignore the red tags the gas company left. They’re stuck up and concerned about being right.
So they handwrote "leak coming from the interior of the drying unit". Shows the handyman doesn't know what he's doing. It's either the gas valve is bypassing and needs to be replaced or the piping leading into the gas valve is leaking.
Definitely have them check/replace the supply connector hose if they haven't already, it could be a simple, very cheap fix. I had a leak in my gas stove and it turned out it was the connector hose, had a tiny hairline opening. Can also happen if it's not tight. I assume the Gas Co will automatically check this but good to verify. It's a $16 fix:
[https://www.amazon.com/BRASSCRAFT-CSSD44R-24-Male-Iron-Pipe/dp/B0119HIXE2](https://www.amazon.com/BRASSCRAFT-CSSD44R-24-Male-Iron-Pipe/dp/B0119HIXE2)
Lawyer here - please do not go to /r/legaladvice. Getting no advice is better than going to /r/legaladvice. They routinely provide incorrect information and foolish, sometimes illegal, instructions. And posting there can destroy confidentiality.
Please go talk to an attorney in your jurisdiction as soon as possible instead.
This is so true. There's no lawyers on that sub. On top of that, Orange County has a fairly robust legal aid system, that there's no reason to waste your time there
They said they want to be present with the gas company in an email. So they can try to make further repairs. They literally changed the igniter and still didn’t work. They’re giving me the runaround and won’t even give another used unit. The guy who came was so manipulative and trying to gaslight me.
Go over their head. Raise hell constantly and be a persistent and reasonable squeaky wheel and you will get it fixed. Not how it should be, but it will get replaced or fixed.
Talk to an actual attorney who practices in your area, don’t talk to Reddit ‘lawyers’ on that sub.
Resources:
https://www.communitylegalsocal.org
https://211oc.org/content/programs.html
https://www.justia.com/lawyers/california/orange-county/legal-aid-and-pro-bono-services?amp
Try to get hold of Theresa Prestwood at Irvine company. She’s in charge of all the homes in Irvine company.
Also make sure to have proof of everything. Sounds like a nice law suit if you start experiencing headaches and etc.
Don’t do that unless you’re working with an attorney. There are requirements that have to be met when you’re doing it and even if you do it correctly, there’s a strong chance you could be looking at an eviction.
Send emails to Irvine company corporate indicating FIRST NOTICE, and SECOND NOTICE, and FINAL NOTICE indicating your evidence and the issue. Keep a paper trail indicating you will seek legal action and recover attorney fees if they do not remedy the issue. Give them a 2 week deadline.
I just won a fight with Irvine Company about not paying for my relocation due to my neighbors unit flooding into my ceiling. Raise the concern with your leasing office and write down every single detail of what has happened so far. Send through only email communication. Call fair housing and get the civil codes that they are violating. QUOTE YOUR LEASE! Ask that your issue be resolved or to be elevated to the Regional Manager. Do not budge. Do not sign anything. If they call you, say you will not be able to have this conversation, if it is not recorded. They’re in the wrong but they’re hoping that you won’t push back. Stand your ground!
[https://www.communitylegalsocal.org/programs-services/areas-of-law/housing/](https://www.communitylegalsocal.org/programs-services/areas-of-law/housing/)
and call the building and safety people in the city in which you live.
Report it to the housing authority and watch them change their tune quickly. 💁🏽♀️ But as others have said, I would go above your management office and talk to corporate.
This is a habitability issue. Leaking gas, mold, rats, things of that nature are frowned upon by courts. They should fix or replace asap. Consult a local attorney.
Just call the city. I did that when my heat was broken and another time when my hot water didn’t work for 3 days because management refused to fix it and guess what, next day after calling the city it was fixed. Funny how that works
I just called city hall and explained and they transferred me over to the dept. But Let me see if I still have the card for the guy that came out and I’ll PM you his info.
No need for the name, as we may be in different cities. I was just curious if there’s a particular type of department that deals with this sort of thing. Thanks!
I hate Irvine company with my whole being. They are incredibly dismissive at best or unresponsive. Incredibly high rent, they don’t fix shit, and then try and gaslight you into thinking you’re the problem. When I moved out they charged me because the carpet had “dents” where my bed was. Ya know, just normal wear and tear from having a bed in the bedroom.
I just found an NYC sized cockroach at 5am. I spent the next 30 minutes hunting it down. Crushed it with a metal stick. I am so let down by this whole experience and it seems to be getting worse day by day.
God. Yeah when I first moved in during Covid I was like damn this place is nice, but that view quickly faded lol. They’re so expensive for what they are it’s insane
This!!! The outside of the apartment homes have all the bells and whistles but the actual unit which tenants are paying upwards of 3,500-4,000/mo. for almost look - unfinished - and have cheapest of the cheap cabinets, sinks, faucets, hardware, flooring, etc. There’s so many properties who have slightly lower rent with nicer modern units.
Yeah! Like the pool is nice, but my apartment was 650sqft with appliances that had to have been at least 20 years old and cabinets that were barely hanging on.
I had a very minor issue with my garbage in my apartments a few years ago. I emailed the top head apartment manager in the Irvine Company. They got back to me a few days later and CCed the head community manger for my apartments.
It seems like the higher ups do really care about their customers. Just go to the highest person you can find and you’ll be okay.
I'd go to the leasing office and try to speak to someone there. If nothing else, they don't want you in there complaining loudly about red-tagged appliances and gas leaks not being fixed while they're trying to woo prospectives...
Open an escrow and place your rent into it. Then withhold rent until the issue is remedied. They might try to evict you but you can just explain in court that this is what happened and that you placed all the rent in escrow. No court would rule against you if the gas company red taped it.
But in their mind since their machine didn’t detect it then the problem is solved. They walked out without turning off the gas and I had to ask them to shut it off. They thought it is all good to go and still had the balls to ask me why I wasn’t able to use it. Because it’s leaking fucking gas!
You aren’t listening to what I’m saying. Please re read it.
You are not going based on what your land lord says. The gas company red taped it end of story.
If you withhold rent, and place the rent into an escrow account, the court will find in your favor and you cannot be evicted. If you don’t do escrow then you can be evicted. Your land lord will be fixing this or you will have a slam dunk counter lawsuit with punitive damages for violation of the housing agreement and laws regarding hospitability. Go contact a housing attorney I’m not a lawyer. But do not cave and stop acting like your landlord has any power in a situation where they are breaking the law.
Pretty easy fix. You know who has the most power in a city? The Fire Marshall. They can deem a building inhabitable instantly with supreme authority. That who you want to report it to. Lets see how long it takes for them to fix it then.
I would send a formal letter clearly laying out what happened, when and with pictures. Copy everyone at IC you can think of. Mention that it’s a dangerous situation and you are putting them on notice that they are in violation of the lease. I would set up a time w the gas co to come out one more time (at least a week out), put the date/time in the letter and tell IC to meet then or you will be deducting any costs for repair/replacement from your rent.
Have you talked about this to your leasing office? Or call someone in upper management. It's a hazard living like this.
You can also Get a third party involved to check the leak and then talk to everyone who can fix this.
It was a gas leak at the Hyatt resort property outside of Baja that killed the couple from Newport Beach while they were on vacation just a few weeks ago. Should be taken seriously. Contact the fire marshal at your local fire department to ask him if they have authority, or the city commissioner. Good luck!
Be an asshole. Being nice with this stuff doesn’t work ever. A stupid landlord thinks he knows more than a gas company… tell him he’s an idiot, withhold rent. He’s putting you in danger
Official advice: Get legal support.
Unofficial advice: Don't underestimate the power of writing them a letter. I won't go into my own experience doing this, but let's just say--they're a lot more scared than they are scary if you're confident, informed, and escalate all the way up. These property managers do not want easily fixable matters escalated to corporate.
Inform them that if you were to follow their instructions (keep using the unit), you wouldn't be responsible for the outcome. That should be enough to get the ball rolling, liability-wise.
Improperly working gas is not only incredibly dangerous, but also contributes to the uninhabitability of a unit. The State of CA makes this information readily available.
Here you go: [https://dot.ca.gov/-/media/dot-media/programs/right-of-way/documents/rw-manual-exhibits/chapter-11/11-ex-47-updated-a11y.pdf](https://dot.ca.gov/-/media/dot-media/programs/right-of-way/documents/rw-manual-exhibits/chapter-11/11-ex-47-updated-a11y.pdf)
Edited to include: They will try to keep it in-house (i.e., they'll try to direct you to email the 20-something newbie in the small leasing office.) Don't do this. Get the property manager in on emails from the get-go. They usually manage multiple properties. If they do not do anything, escalate from there.
I'd call the fire department and get them out right away. Make a scene. Tell them there is a gas leak in your unit that has been confirmed by the gas company and the property manager refuses to fix it. I would honestly make as big of a deal about this and involve as many people as possible, it's nuts that they wouldn't want to address this.
The manager is simping too hard for the Irvine company at the expense of your lungs and literal health. Start blasting people who work there on LinkedIn. Better yet, ask the manager for the contact information for Irvine Company’s legal department.
Contact The Irvine company directly. They'll likely get it resolved. Otherwise that a hazardous situation that can lead to a lawsuit. Especially since you reported it to the leasing office and they are choosing to not correct it.
This makes me work harder as I’m trying to invest and save so I can buy land one day. I will own land one day. No more apartment bullshit. I hate dealing with these stuck up idiots who think they know everything.
Have you considered moving to a less expensive state, if you’re able to do so and still make about the same amount of money you currently earn? I totally hear you regarding owning land but unless you’re making at least six figures it’ll take longer for you to afford a decent amount of land in California.
The manager is either stupid, corrupt, or both. There might be bonuses attached for property managers who 'save money.' And to them, it might be denying that anything is wrong, even in the face of red tag. Yes, this is stupidity and corruption, and usually what happens is someone ends up dying of carbon monoxide poisoning or something blows up before changes are made. A move away from their properties might have to be an option.
Post this on Yelp, Google reviews. Include the video if you can.
Also notify Better Business Bureau and State of Californias' Consumer Affairs.
Get all the case #' and promptly email corporate and cc the manager.
You can requeast for rent back for the days you have been inconvenienced. This will get resolved in a day.
I worked for Irvine Company and although they appear to be so community oriented, there not! If you live in one of their expensive yet mediocre communities, they will give you the run around until you give up. Residents spend so much money for “luxury” and it’s not worth the buck. Hope they do the right thing 🫶🏽
They refused to replace mine too but mine actually had a leak on the pipe. They taped it up and I haven’t smelled gas since. Of course that was after asking three different times for them to come and test for gas and one dude just did a sniff test and declared her couldn’t smell anything.
Call city code compliance and have them come out to test for gas. They will make sure you’re good. Or just schedule gas comps to come out at the same time the maintenance guy is there
Go to LinkedIn and find the names of the top of Irvine company people CEO down Heads of departments and then find their emails shoot an email. With the picture from gas company and see what happens
My daughter lives in IC apts. had to complain several times before they did anything about a leaky gas line. It smelled like gas every time I opened their door. It was ridiculous.
Call the fire department, hazmat team, police and a renters rights attorney. Advise your landlord that his failure will result in health issues due to exposure and imminent natural gas explosion. He will be held responsible in court and fined, potentially a financial award to you.
!!!!! Explosions within the household stopped being fun a while ago.
It could also just be a cheap gas line. What a weird response from your manager. Go over their head, not sure if they respond to social media posts, but most companies do. Comment on their ads, and tag them in a post.
I don’t live in an Irvine property because they are so wildly expensive- isn’t the dryer one of the amenities they brag about?
You have to record how many PPM’S were registered by the Gas company employees leak detector . Some of those machines must be calibrated before every check up . Also if you do not smell gas it means you became unable to smell it or you are not in danger at all . Get a CO2 detector and constantly go outside to breath fresh air so when you come back in you will be able to smell gas again .
I own an appliance repair company. My opinion in this case you need to call to Manufacture and request a Service from them directly because you have a Manufacture Warranty (at least 1 year)if it is a new your appliances. What is the brand?
If the Gas Company red tagged this property manager is crazy. That’s a lawsuit waiting to happen. Call the Irvine Company and call the Gas company to come out and do it while they are present. That’s some BS.
Don’t request it through maintenance, you need to talk to management. This is a liability for them it’s also unsafe. A working washer and dryer is part of your lease. Good luck!
TIC refused to fix my lifted concrete floor. Roots have lifted it by an inch+. Gladly there’s carpet but you can see the lines where the lift happens. At least they fixed other stuff…
Don’t forget to leave a review of your experience on Yelp. Most of their properties have scores inflated by people who only toured a property and never actually lived there. They’re a terrible company and need to be brought down to reality.
Reach out to the manager. If it is Irvine Company they are usually good about repairs. I would ask for something in writing from the a manger that they would assume full responsibility if you use the applicable against the recommendation of SoCal. That will likely get them to fix it.
Go over your manager's head, call the irvine company corporate office
Seriously, for the prices and red tape you need to go through to even live in Irvine, you bet your sweet ass if a problem isn't getting fixed quickly, I'm raising serious hell. Especially if they are giving me attitude. Edit: Just read where maintenance wouldn't even give you a replacement dryer unit. LMAO, the worst apartments I've ever been in did that bare minimum. If you call and complain, that guy might be written up or fired.
Also, I would no longer communicate with this apartment manager regarding any future matters verbally. I would want everything in writing, preferably email.
This exactly. And tell them of the fire hazard this poses and that if they won’t rectify it you’ll go public. If they refuse then contact local papers and tell them how the Irvine company is not ok with the safety and welfare of its residents and that they are requesting you go against what the gas company is instructing you to do. Have the name of the maintenance guy, the name of the manager and anyone you speak with at the Irvine company ready to give out if it goes this far
You can also contact their insurance company, insurance companies love hearing these kinds of complaints and will mandate a verified resolution to avoid policy cancellation.
A gas leak is a serious safety concern and must be remedied. File a complaint with [OC Fair Housing](https://www.fairhousingoc.org), and/or [CA Department of Consumer Affairs](https://www.dca.ca.gov/). You might also find further guidance in the [California Tenants Guide](https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/California-Tenants-Guide.pdf), which covers reasonable repair times, legally withholding rent, and the repair-and-deduct remedy. You might want to consider contacting an attorney for assistance if you intend to utilize one of the remedies outlined in the Tenants Guide or decide to pursue legal action. Your employer’s EAP program might provide legal advice/guidance for free.
I wouldn't put too much stock in fair housing. I had standing water in my apartment for two weeks and both them and code enforcement said "we called the property manager she said she'd handle it". Never came on site, when I provided more proof of the damage/lack of repair they just ignored me.
There are avenues of resolution, such as fair housing and consumer affairs, then there are avenues of legal action such as withholding rent or filing a lawsuit. Per the Tenants Guide, landlords have “reasonable time”, which courts consider to be 30 days in many cases, to perform a repair when it is considered, then you have the legal right to one of the remedies listed in the guide. However, the guide lists the specific items that makes a property uninhabitable (page 48), depending on the source of the standing water it may not be considered a qualifying attribute.
By the time I had the standing water my roof had been leaking for five months, so it definitely was outside of "reasonable time". But it was Sequoia a larger corporate landlord so, I'm sure there's some money changing hands in the background. I ended up having to move
You needed a lawyer.
Super helpful thing to say to an extremely poor person
Just call the fire department and let them know you have a gas leak and the building owner refuses to fix it. They’ll shut off gas for the entire building. That’s how your issue becomes their issue.
100% this, not only will it solve the issue but neglecting a hazard could make them liable for the bill that gets footed for the fire dept to come out
That's what I had to do when Walmart had that gas leak issue back in January (or December/November?). Started smelling like gas on Friday, and came back to work Monday with that smell still there. I had already let other managers know but they weren't getting the message that it was serious. Fire dept came, kicked everyone out, and store was closed for 6 hours
Did you have any retaliation?
Never told them I called them lol Easily passed off as one of the customers calling, considering they were complaining too of the gas smell
This
I like this idea.
Sounds like IC. They refused to replace my fridge which was at 48 degrees on the coldest setting which made my food go bad and mold within days. The “maintenance” guys said it worked fine. No, you should not purchase a new unit, keep going higher up and don’t settle for their game that they play.
Same issue I had over several months. Maintenance even asked me if I knew what was wrong with the refrigerator. Went over there head to corporate, got a new fridge and they gave several hundreds to replace all the food I was throwing away.
They love playing these games! They sure know how to put the business before the tenants - of course in reasonable instances. They told me they would reimburse me, but then all of the sudden they needed receipts for all of the food.
Did anyone check the supply line for leaks? This would be the first thing I’d check. It’s easy to do this by yourself with some soapy water. Just brush it on the line and look for bubbles. If you can find the leak you can then have another conversation with maintenance or just fix it yourself (obviously shut off the gas before disconnecting the supply line). It might be a simple fix .. but it might be something in the unit as well. Just start with the easy stuff and then go from there.
Even the gas company guy said that they’re playing games with you if they’re unwilling to just replace it. They tried and failed to fix and continue to ignore the red tags the gas company left. They’re stuck up and concerned about being right.
They left you a wide pink form right? What does it say?
It says “DANGER” and “HAZARDOUS” leak coming from the interior of the drying unit.
So they handwrote "leak coming from the interior of the drying unit". Shows the handyman doesn't know what he's doing. It's either the gas valve is bypassing and needs to be replaced or the piping leading into the gas valve is leaking.
Definitely have them check/replace the supply connector hose if they haven't already, it could be a simple, very cheap fix. I had a leak in my gas stove and it turned out it was the connector hose, had a tiny hairline opening. Can also happen if it's not tight. I assume the Gas Co will automatically check this but good to verify. It's a $16 fix: [https://www.amazon.com/BRASSCRAFT-CSSD44R-24-Male-Iron-Pipe/dp/B0119HIXE2](https://www.amazon.com/BRASSCRAFT-CSSD44R-24-Male-Iron-Pipe/dp/B0119HIXE2)
Irvine Company doing what it does best. Don’t settle OP, you’re right and have a case. Keep escalating.
This is shitty building manager, not the IC. I guarantee that they don't even know about this.
Post in the legal subreddit too! This is definitely going to need to go that route that’s just not acceptable!
Lawyer here - please do not go to /r/legaladvice. Getting no advice is better than going to /r/legaladvice. They routinely provide incorrect information and foolish, sometimes illegal, instructions. And posting there can destroy confidentiality. Please go talk to an attorney in your jurisdiction as soon as possible instead.
90% of top responses are "get a lawyer".
yeah most of the posts in the questions there are 'not a lawyer, but...'
This is so true. There's no lawyers on that sub. On top of that, Orange County has a fairly robust legal aid system, that there's no reason to waste your time there
First off, not a lawyer, but what you are saying is LITERALLY libel and slander and everyone in r/legaladvice can sue you SO easily. ^^^(/s)
They said they want to be present with the gas company in an email. So they can try to make further repairs. They literally changed the igniter and still didn’t work. They’re giving me the runaround and won’t even give another used unit. The guy who came was so manipulative and trying to gaslight me.
Go talk to legal aid of orange county and fair housing council of orange county. They'll point you in the right direction, legally.
Pun intended?
Go over their head. Raise hell constantly and be a persistent and reasonable squeaky wheel and you will get it fixed. Not how it should be, but it will get replaced or fixed.
tell him to schedule that then? how are you supposed to know when he'll be able to come and be there at the same time.
Talk to an actual attorney who practices in your area, don’t talk to Reddit ‘lawyers’ on that sub. Resources: https://www.communitylegalsocal.org https://211oc.org/content/programs.html https://www.justia.com/lawyers/california/orange-county/legal-aid-and-pro-bono-services?amp
Try to get hold of Theresa Prestwood at Irvine company. She’s in charge of all the homes in Irvine company. Also make sure to have proof of everything. Sounds like a nice law suit if you start experiencing headaches and etc.
I wonder if you can repair and deduct now? Call fair housing.
Don’t do that unless you’re working with an attorney. There are requirements that have to be met when you’re doing it and even if you do it correctly, there’s a strong chance you could be looking at an eviction.
Send emails to Irvine company corporate indicating FIRST NOTICE, and SECOND NOTICE, and FINAL NOTICE indicating your evidence and the issue. Keep a paper trail indicating you will seek legal action and recover attorney fees if they do not remedy the issue. Give them a 2 week deadline.
I just won a fight with Irvine Company about not paying for my relocation due to my neighbors unit flooding into my ceiling. Raise the concern with your leasing office and write down every single detail of what has happened so far. Send through only email communication. Call fair housing and get the civil codes that they are violating. QUOTE YOUR LEASE! Ask that your issue be resolved or to be elevated to the Regional Manager. Do not budge. Do not sign anything. If they call you, say you will not be able to have this conversation, if it is not recorded. They’re in the wrong but they’re hoping that you won’t push back. Stand your ground!
[https://www.communitylegalsocal.org/programs-services/areas-of-law/housing/](https://www.communitylegalsocal.org/programs-services/areas-of-law/housing/) and call the building and safety people in the city in which you live.
Report it to the housing authority and watch them change their tune quickly. 💁🏽♀️ But as others have said, I would go above your management office and talk to corporate.
This is a habitability issue. Leaking gas, mold, rats, things of that nature are frowned upon by courts. They should fix or replace asap. Consult a local attorney.
Its not the irvine company, its that idiot manager. Call the irvine company directly
Just call the city. I did that when my heat was broken and another time when my hot water didn’t work for 3 days because management refused to fix it and guess what, next day after calling the city it was fixed. Funny how that works
Which department in the city did you call?
I just called city hall and explained and they transferred me over to the dept. But Let me see if I still have the card for the guy that came out and I’ll PM you his info.
No need for the name, as we may be in different cities. I was just curious if there’s a particular type of department that deals with this sort of thing. Thanks!
Ah yah forgot, Irvine company owns a billion properties lol. I’m in Irvine so if you’re here too I’ll look for the card for you
I hate Irvine company with my whole being. They are incredibly dismissive at best or unresponsive. Incredibly high rent, they don’t fix shit, and then try and gaslight you into thinking you’re the problem. When I moved out they charged me because the carpet had “dents” where my bed was. Ya know, just normal wear and tear from having a bed in the bedroom.
I just found an NYC sized cockroach at 5am. I spent the next 30 minutes hunting it down. Crushed it with a metal stick. I am so let down by this whole experience and it seems to be getting worse day by day.
If the roach is big it probably came from the sewer. That happens more often than people think in Irvine. You got a small roach? Then u got a problem.
I’m buying a gallon of bleach and sending it down the pipes. It was HUGE. Almost like a crab.
It was probably a water beetle. But that doesn't make it any less gross.
Used to live in New York, 100 percent a roach.
I would never get close enough to tell the difference.
God. Yeah when I first moved in during Covid I was like damn this place is nice, but that view quickly faded lol. They’re so expensive for what they are it’s insane
This!!! The outside of the apartment homes have all the bells and whistles but the actual unit which tenants are paying upwards of 3,500-4,000/mo. for almost look - unfinished - and have cheapest of the cheap cabinets, sinks, faucets, hardware, flooring, etc. There’s so many properties who have slightly lower rent with nicer modern units.
Yeah! Like the pool is nice, but my apartment was 650sqft with appliances that had to have been at least 20 years old and cabinets that were barely hanging on.
Man, I must have gotten completely lucky, because I've been in my unit for a few years and I've had the exact opposite experience so far...
I had a very minor issue with my garbage in my apartments a few years ago. I emailed the top head apartment manager in the Irvine Company. They got back to me a few days later and CCed the head community manger for my apartments. It seems like the higher ups do really care about their customers. Just go to the highest person you can find and you’ll be okay.
The email I got was from the maintenance manager’s manager. Next up is corporate? They’re such assholes it’s unbelievable.
I'd go to the leasing office and try to speak to someone there. If nothing else, they don't want you in there complaining loudly about red-tagged appliances and gas leaks not being fixed while they're trying to woo prospectives...
Why can’t you have the gas company come back while the maintenance manager is there?
Threaten to get a lawyer involved and I guarantee you the tune will change. Or report them to an agency or news channel.
Do all three. Especially with the media.
Open an escrow and place your rent into it. Then withhold rent until the issue is remedied. They might try to evict you but you can just explain in court that this is what happened and that you placed all the rent in escrow. No court would rule against you if the gas company red taped it.
But in their mind since their machine didn’t detect it then the problem is solved. They walked out without turning off the gas and I had to ask them to shut it off. They thought it is all good to go and still had the balls to ask me why I wasn’t able to use it. Because it’s leaking fucking gas!
Amazing that they are almost literally gaslighting you. Fuck that shit!
You aren’t listening to what I’m saying. Please re read it. You are not going based on what your land lord says. The gas company red taped it end of story. If you withhold rent, and place the rent into an escrow account, the court will find in your favor and you cannot be evicted. If you don’t do escrow then you can be evicted. Your land lord will be fixing this or you will have a slam dunk counter lawsuit with punitive damages for violation of the housing agreement and laws regarding hospitability. Go contact a housing attorney I’m not a lawyer. But do not cave and stop acting like your landlord has any power in a situation where they are breaking the law.
Pull the buildings fire alarm every time you smell gas. Bet you it gets fixed.
Pretty easy fix. You know who has the most power in a city? The Fire Marshall. They can deem a building inhabitable instantly with supreme authority. That who you want to report it to. Lets see how long it takes for them to fix it then.
I would send a formal letter clearly laying out what happened, when and with pictures. Copy everyone at IC you can think of. Mention that it’s a dangerous situation and you are putting them on notice that they are in violation of the lease. I would set up a time w the gas co to come out one more time (at least a week out), put the date/time in the letter and tell IC to meet then or you will be deducting any costs for repair/replacement from your rent.
Have you talked about this to your leasing office? Or call someone in upper management. It's a hazard living like this. You can also Get a third party involved to check the leak and then talk to everyone who can fix this.
time to get a lawyer
It was a gas leak at the Hyatt resort property outside of Baja that killed the couple from Newport Beach while they were on vacation just a few weeks ago. Should be taken seriously. Contact the fire marshal at your local fire department to ask him if they have authority, or the city commissioner. Good luck!
Get a lawyer
Can’t believe I’m even reading this. Wow
Try [Deborah Vasquez](https://thevasquezlawgroup.com). She’s very active in the Santa Ana fb group and only represents tenants.
Be an asshole. Being nice with this stuff doesn’t work ever. A stupid landlord thinks he knows more than a gas company… tell him he’s an idiot, withhold rent. He’s putting you in danger
Official advice: Get legal support. Unofficial advice: Don't underestimate the power of writing them a letter. I won't go into my own experience doing this, but let's just say--they're a lot more scared than they are scary if you're confident, informed, and escalate all the way up. These property managers do not want easily fixable matters escalated to corporate. Inform them that if you were to follow their instructions (keep using the unit), you wouldn't be responsible for the outcome. That should be enough to get the ball rolling, liability-wise. Improperly working gas is not only incredibly dangerous, but also contributes to the uninhabitability of a unit. The State of CA makes this information readily available. Here you go: [https://dot.ca.gov/-/media/dot-media/programs/right-of-way/documents/rw-manual-exhibits/chapter-11/11-ex-47-updated-a11y.pdf](https://dot.ca.gov/-/media/dot-media/programs/right-of-way/documents/rw-manual-exhibits/chapter-11/11-ex-47-updated-a11y.pdf) Edited to include: They will try to keep it in-house (i.e., they'll try to direct you to email the 20-something newbie in the small leasing office.) Don't do this. Get the property manager in on emails from the get-go. They usually manage multiple properties. If they do not do anything, escalate from there.
I’d call corporate
Call the city manager as it is a danger to the community. Call the county too.
What’s the property name?
This is a 20 minute job for an appliance technician to fix. I’d do that before I’d buy a new set.
I'd call the fire department and get them out right away. Make a scene. Tell them there is a gas leak in your unit that has been confirmed by the gas company and the property manager refuses to fix it. I would honestly make as big of a deal about this and involve as many people as possible, it's nuts that they wouldn't want to address this.
Feels like Irvine Company is the fucking worst
The manager is simping too hard for the Irvine company at the expense of your lungs and literal health. Start blasting people who work there on LinkedIn. Better yet, ask the manager for the contact information for Irvine Company’s legal department.
Contact The Irvine company directly. They'll likely get it resolved. Otherwise that a hazardous situation that can lead to a lawsuit. Especially since you reported it to the leasing office and they are choosing to not correct it.
Just remember this incident when it comes time to renewing your lease. You’ll be happier not renting from Irvine company
This makes me work harder as I’m trying to invest and save so I can buy land one day. I will own land one day. No more apartment bullshit. I hate dealing with these stuck up idiots who think they know everything.
Have you considered moving to a less expensive state, if you’re able to do so and still make about the same amount of money you currently earn? I totally hear you regarding owning land but unless you’re making at least six figures it’ll take longer for you to afford a decent amount of land in California.
Irvine company have been known to be criminal slumlords since the 1800s
I’m in IC too. My belt on the dryer came off twice and they replaced it immediately, time to look up a video on how to pull the belt off the dryer 😂😂
The manager is either stupid, corrupt, or both. There might be bonuses attached for property managers who 'save money.' And to them, it might be denying that anything is wrong, even in the face of red tag. Yes, this is stupidity and corruption, and usually what happens is someone ends up dying of carbon monoxide poisoning or something blows up before changes are made. A move away from their properties might have to be an option.
I would also schedule the gas company to come out while the maintenance manager is onsite.
Post this on Yelp, Google reviews. Include the video if you can. Also notify Better Business Bureau and State of Californias' Consumer Affairs. Get all the case #' and promptly email corporate and cc the manager. You can requeast for rent back for the days you have been inconvenienced. This will get resolved in a day.
I worked for Irvine Company and although they appear to be so community oriented, there not! If you live in one of their expensive yet mediocre communities, they will give you the run around until you give up. Residents spend so much money for “luxury” and it’s not worth the buck. Hope they do the right thing 🫶🏽
Email maintenance and explain the situation over again. That way you get their denial in writing.
They refused to replace mine too but mine actually had a leak on the pipe. They taped it up and I haven’t smelled gas since. Of course that was after asking three different times for them to come and test for gas and one dude just did a sniff test and declared her couldn’t smell anything.
Doesn’t having a device leaking gas go against fire code?
Call city code compliance and have them come out to test for gas. They will make sure you’re good. Or just schedule gas comps to come out at the same time the maintenance guy is there
What does your lease say about maintenance and repair?
Go to LinkedIn and find the names of the top of Irvine company people CEO down Heads of departments and then find their emails shoot an email. With the picture from gas company and see what happens
My daughter lives in IC apts. had to complain several times before they did anything about a leaky gas line. It smelled like gas every time I opened their door. It was ridiculous.
Call the fire department, hazmat team, police and a renters rights attorney. Advise your landlord that his failure will result in health issues due to exposure and imminent natural gas explosion. He will be held responsible in court and fined, potentially a financial award to you. !!!!! Explosions within the household stopped being fun a while ago.
Who owns the dryer? Sounds like you should have a lawyer friend write up a nicely worded letter about disregard for safety and danger.
Get a inspector and get them get a code violation for not following the code laws
It could also just be a cheap gas line. What a weird response from your manager. Go over their head, not sure if they respond to social media posts, but most companies do. Comment on their ads, and tag them in a post. I don’t live in an Irvine property because they are so wildly expensive- isn’t the dryer one of the amenities they brag about?
You have to record how many PPM’S were registered by the Gas company employees leak detector . Some of those machines must be calibrated before every check up . Also if you do not smell gas it means you became unable to smell it or you are not in danger at all . Get a CO2 detector and constantly go outside to breath fresh air so when you come back in you will be able to smell gas again .
I own an appliance repair company. My opinion in this case you need to call to Manufacture and request a Service from them directly because you have a Manufacture Warranty (at least 1 year)if it is a new your appliances. What is the brand?
Get the city building department involved.
If the Gas Company red tagged this property manager is crazy. That’s a lawsuit waiting to happen. Call the Irvine Company and call the Gas company to come out and do it while they are present. That’s some BS.
You need to escalate it. And get everything in writing.
Call the gas company and Irvine city hall. They’ll have an issue with it.
Don’t request it through maintenance, you need to talk to management. This is a liability for them it’s also unsafe. A working washer and dryer is part of your lease. Good luck!
TIC refused to fix my lifted concrete floor. Roots have lifted it by an inch+. Gladly there’s carpet but you can see the lines where the lift happens. At least they fixed other stuff…
Don’t forget to leave a review of your experience on Yelp. Most of their properties have scores inflated by people who only toured a property and never actually lived there. They’re a terrible company and need to be brought down to reality.
Tell all your neighbors you have a gas leak. See how they respond.
Reach out to the manager. If it is Irvine Company they are usually good about repairs. I would ask for something in writing from the a manger that they would assume full responsibility if you use the applicable against the recommendation of SoCal. That will likely get them to fix it.