RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. — Tenants at a Riviera Beach apartment complex are organizing, alleging their landlord is forcing them to live in dangerous conditions by failing to perform repairs on their units.
Conditions inside the Indian Trace Apartments include cracked ceilings and indicators of black mold or water damage in multiple units. The complex, located near the West Palm Beach border, received more than 50 violations from the Riviera Beach Code Enforcement division during the first four months of 2026.
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Most of the violations are for broken appliances, including stoves, air conditioning units, washing machines, dryers, and dishwashers. Other violations include a unit infested with cockroaches and a unit with a leaking toilet.
Charisse Quetel, recently elected president of the Indian Trace Tenants Association, said she was not allowed to look at a unit before signing a lease for a three-bedroom apartment for $1,610 a month. Quetel said the unit she received was unacceptable because the refrigerator was filled with insects and mold was around the vents.
"It was disgusting. There was an odor in the freezer. It was infested with roaches. ... The old dishwasher it had water inside of it and had roaches floating around inside the water," Quetel said.
Quetel said that although the management team replaced some appliances, more repairs are needed because there are hairline cracks in her roof. She also showed a bathtub with black spots starting to appear, vents covered with mold and dust, and an air conditioning unit so old it started to turn yellow.
"We need these things taken care of. This is where we live at with our families. Some of us have small children, you know, teenagers, and our biggest concerns is their comfort and their health," Quetel said.
Photos obtained by WPTV show other units in the Indian Trace Apartments are facing similar issues with holes in the walls and discolored ceilings, with some being completely black.
County property records and state business records show the landowner for the apartment complex is a private equity firm called Blackstone. The company directed questions about building repairs to April Housing, which describes itself as a Blackstone portfolio company on its website.
Keosah Burns, a spokesperson for April Housing, declined to answer questions about how the building got to its current state. However, the company said it would work urgently to fix the issues at the apartment complex.
"We are disappointed for any resident to have this experience. Our team is working urgently to address these issues in a timely manner. Once this was brought to our attention, we deployed additional resources immediately to support the on-site team and ensure the property meets our operating standards," an unnamed Asset Living spokesperson said.
The complex has until May 2 to get in compliance with the city of Riviera Beach on dozens of code violations.
