Khalilah Neal-Morris moved into the newly opened Oak Terrace Apartments in Suffolk over the summer, only to find her brand-new unit plagued with plumbing, electrical and air-conditioning problems. Her master-bathroom shower had no hot water, she said, because it was connected to the water heater in a different apartment entirely. Months later, most of those issues have finally been addressed — but one has not.
Neal-Morris, who has muscular dystrophy and uses canes and a wheelchair, told WAVY that the uneven floors affect her mobility. She also described plumbing, electrical and air-conditioning problems, including an electrical issue that caused her power to go out when she plugged in her vacuum cleaner.
Repair commitments followed a news inquiry
After Neal-Morris contacted 10 On Your Side, the station reached out to Partnership Property Management in Greensboro, North Carolina, which oversees the 120-unit complex. WAVY reported that corporate management visited Neal-Morris’s apartment the next day and apologized for the problems she described.
According to WAVY, management said it would address the issues Neal-Morris reported, while the property’s construction contractor separately pledged to correct the uneven floors. Partnership Property Management lists Oak Terrace as offering two- and three-bedroom units and affordable housing opportunities for income-qualified households in Suffolk, according to the company’s listing.
Mailboxes Remain the Lingering Problem
Neal-Morris and her Oak Terrace neighbors still lacked mailbox keys nearly three months after she moved in, according to WAVY. Residents had to drive more than three miles to the post office. Neal-Morris told the station she receives all seven of her medications by mail. Management assured her the key issue would soon be resolved, but no firm timeline was reported.
WAVY reported that most of the other problems in the new property had been corrected, while the uneven flooring remained unresolved. The station also said Partnership Property Management had not immediately responded to a request for comment when its earlier report was published.
What Virginia Law Requires of Landlords
Virginia code lays out clear obligations for landlords when conditions threaten a tenant's basic living needs. Under state law, when a condition poses a serious threat to occupants' life, health or safety — including a lack of hot or cold running water, light or electricity — and the tenant provides written notice, the landlord is required to take reasonable steps to repair or remedy it within 14 days. Separate provisions in Virginia code allow landlords and tenants to agree in writing that tenants handle certain repairs themselves, but only if that agreement is made in good faith and doesn't let landlords sidestep their obligations to other renters in the building.
How to report housing-code problems in Suffolk
Suffolk’s Housing / Property Maintenance division enforces the Uniform Statewide Building Code and city ordinances for existing construction. According to the city division, it investigates through neighborhood sweeps and complaints, with follow-up that can include abatement or court action. Renters can contact the division to make a complaint by calling 757-514-4150 or emailing [email protected], according to the Housing / Property Maintenance FAQ.
WAVY reported that most of Neal-Morris’s reported problems had been addressed after the management visit, while the contractor’s flooring pledge and the mailbox-key issue remained unresolved. The available account describes commitments to fix the flooring, not a completed repair; residents were still waiting for mailbox keys.
