Residents from three Northside apartment buildings announced the launch of the Chase Ave Tenants Union at a rally Monday, demanding their property management team address long-standing issues like mold, broken radiators, gas lea ks and pest infestations.The new union is a chapter of the citywide Cincinnati Tenants Union."We need a lease that guarantees pests, mold, water damage and other health issues are addressed properly," resident Patrick Carroll said during the rally.Tenants described a pattern of unannounced water shutoffs, staff entering units without 24 hours' notice and threatening eviction letters over what residents called nonexistent issues."Our neighbor and union member, Hugh, who couldn't be here today, received a 30-day notice to leave his apartment on a Friday afternoon. No reason, no warning given. (The landlord) just wanted him out without fair long-term leases. Everyone here is at risk of being forced out of their homes at our landlord's whim," Carroll said.Residents shared personal experiences of dealing with broken laundry machines, broken appliances and poor heating and air conditioning.Scarlett-Jane Haynes said Northside is a welcoming community, but the ongoing problems have strained tenants financially, particularly as rent has increased while conditions have not improved. She said attempts to contact management have been frustrating."You go to the app that you use to pay rent, as that's somehow the closest you've ever even been to your landlord. You check the section labeled contact us, and there you find a number you've never seen before. This has to be it. Congratulations, your diligence has paid off. You've reached the property manager from six years ago, she is even angrier than the last," Haynes said.Brendan Marcum, who lives at 1614 Chase Avenue, showed WCPO the problems inside his unit firsthand, including mold, peeling walls and windows with no locks.WATCH: Chase Avenue Tenants Union demands repairs and better lease terms Northside tenants launch union demanding safe, affordable housing"I had to lay buckets out. I had to provide my own buckets. They told me they didn't have enough, and good luck," Marcum said.WCPO reached out to landlord Constance Wilson. A management representative declined to identify themselves, but said the issues have been resolved and that some issues stem from the age of the building.We asked the representative about the ongoing laundry machine issue. He said it's difficult to get parts, and the primary cause of breakage is overfilling the machines, which ruins the pump.He said a note was placed on the machines advising residents not to overfill them.A letter calling on CATS management and Wilson to enter good-faith negotiations on the conditions of the building and terms of tenants' lease agreements was signed by 83% of residents.Residents posted the letter on the management office door."We hope (Wilson) will join us to negotiate fair leases ... so we can have a prosperous future here in Northside," Carroll said.The WCPO 9 I-Team has previously reported on similar incidents that contributed to the rise of Cincinnati's tenant movement. Cincinnati Tenants Union leaders say the organization has grown significantly."We have almost 400 people involved in the union now in properties all over the city. We already won the first union-negotiated lease in Mount Auburn. We are about to close on four properties. This would be our second deal with five more buildings," a Cincinnati Tenants Union representative said. ...read more read less