Northern Property leaves tenant in flooded apartment

A Yellowknife woman and her MLA are calling on the N.W.T. Rental Officer to investigate how Northern Property handled a flood in her apartment.

On Monday night, Margaret Beauchamp's unit in Matonabee North Apartments filled with water when three different pipes burst.

Beauchamp says she called her landlord, Northern Property, that night. She says they came, tightened some of the pipes and put a replacement on one of them. She says maintenance crews sucked up most of the water from the tiled areas, then left.

Beauchamp says the real estate company offered her other, more expensive apartments but only if she paid the higher rent. Beauchamp says she can't afford to pay the difference.

Beauchamp says she asked to be put in a hotel and they refused, so she paid for it herself.

Two days later water still soaked the carpet and the smell of mildew hung in the air.

"I can't believe that as many apartments as these people own that there's no compassion," she said. "There is absolutely none there."

Northern Property didn't respond to a request for an interview.

Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins went to her apartment Wednesday morning to see the damage. Hawkins says he called the landlord that afternoon and demanded action. An hour later maintenance crews arrived and began tearing up the carpet.

The company now says it will cover Beauchamp's hotel bill until Friday while her apartment is cleaned up.