Weeks after a fire tore through a unit at the Marina Bay Apartments in Fort Lauderdale, tenants say they were forced to return to damaged units without clear answers or support — and are now living in fear for their health and safety.
Tenants: The apartments are uninhabitable
The early morning fire on April 24 displaced dozens of residents. While many were temporarily relocated to a hotel on the property, several say they were told last week they had to return to their units or start paying for the hotel stay themselves.
“I said so, is this healthy for us to go back, is it habitable — they were not able to tell me anything,” said Brandon Gangell.
Since returning, Gangell and fellow resident Adrianna Johnson say they’ve encountered severe mold, leaky ceilings, water damage, and a lack of communication from management.
“There was 48% moisture in my walls,” said Johnson. “I really feel like I moved back into my own coffin and that it’s just only a matter of time until I get sick.”
Residents say their concerns are being ignored
Johnson and Gangell say they’ve repeatedly contacted the property’s management team with their concerns but have received no meaningful response.
“We have to continue to pay for May and that there’s nothing else we can do about it,” Johnson said.
“It doesn’t seem like there’s any type of communication. It seems like it’s all about the money to me, they just don’t care about us,” added Gangell. “I’m utterly terrified in my own home.”
CBS News Miami reached out to Marina Bay Apartments for comment on the tenants’ concerns and the next steps but has not yet received a response.
