Tenants at Vintage at the Crossings press Reno council for repairs, community meeting and letter to attorney general planned

Residents of the Vintage at the Crossings described months and years of unresolved maintenance complaints, trash and rodent problems and what they say are retaliatory actions by property management.

At the Jan. 14 Reno City Council meeting, tenant advocate Gary Melanson said the complex has ongoing heater failures that have caused units to freeze and, in some cases, equipment to "explode," and that numerous repair orders remain open. "We need help," Melanson told the council, summarizing repeated attempts to get repairs and describing what he said were retaliatory eviction attempts after tenants reported problems.

Rosa Kirk Davidoff, representing the Reno Sparks Tenants Union, said her group has worked with residents at multiple Vintage properties and reported a pattern of delayed maintenance and tenant billing problems. "These tenants just want their units to be maintained and to feel safe and secure in their apartments," she said.

Council members acknowledged the complaints and outlined next steps. The mayor and other members said staff would organize a community meeting for affected residents, involve the city attorney and code enforcement, and prepare a letter to the Nevada attorney general related to tenant-rights concerns. Council members also discussed whether the city could pursue business-license enforcement for persistent violations.

City staff confirmed that they have placed a hold on a pending $1.7 million funding commitment to the developer Green Street for a separate low-income property because of management concerns at other properties managed by FPI and related entities. Staff said many individual repair issues had been addressed, but systemic accounting and responsiveness problems remain a focus.

Council urged tenants to provide documentation and continue filing formal complaints so the city can act on enforceable violations; they also invited tenant advocates to participate in the planned outreach meeting.