DeKalb woman deals with constant leaks after landlord has skipped repairs since Hurricane Helene

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The sound is the same every single time it rains.

For the past month and a half, Faith Green has endured the constant sound of dripping water in her Hidden Valley apartment in Dekalb County.

“It’s just uncomfortable living like this. No one should live like this,” Green told Channel 2′s Michael Doudna.

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Green has lived at the complex for the past seven years. However, issues truly began after Hurricane Helene rolled through the area.

The hurricane caused water to leak into her bedroom.

Green asked for help from the complex, but help never came.

Every time it has rained since then, Green has dealt with leaking water spreading throughout her home.

“Every 20 minutes, my little bucket gets full. I have to dump it in here, have to run in there, dump it out, and then bring it in here again,” Green said “I am tired, I can’t sleep when it’s raining. I can’t go out, I can’t go to work, I can’t do anything. I can’t go anywhere.”

A call to the number listed for the complex goes to a full voicemail.

The leasing office was locked at 4pm despite a sign saying the building was open.

According to public records, the complex was recently sold to a new ownership group in August.

“It’s a shame on the landlord for not fixing a serious problem. That is bad and ugly what is going on in that apartment,” Channel 2′s Clark Howard said.

So if you find yourself in a similar situation, what should you do?

Howard says you should first have renters insurance.

In the case of an event like a hurricane, the initial damage to property is the renters’ responsibility.

However, if the landlord or complex is negligent in repairs, responsibility may shift to the property owners for any further damage.

“After proper notice is given to the landlord, if they drag their feet and they don’t solve the problem, any further damage is on the landlord,” Howard says.

Howard recommends getting maintenance requests and responses in writing to help build any future case.

“You need it in writing. A lot of people now just make a phone call, or people think they did good enough sending a text. That’s not good enough,” Howard said.

As for Green, she will keep dumping out the water and praying for repairs to finally come.

“I just need them to fix the problem,” Green said.

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