{"id":142965,"date":"2026-03-19T17:58:23","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T17:58:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/142965\/"},"modified":"2026-03-19T17:58:23","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T17:58:23","slug":"what-renters-need-to-know-after-recent-reading-building-collapses-spotlight-pa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/142965\/","title":{"rendered":"What renters need to know after recent Reading building collapses \u2022 Spotlight PA"},"content":{"rendered":"

READING \u2014 Six years had passed since the City of Reading inspected a three-floor apartment building on the corner of Green and North 8th. Code inspectors were scheduled to visit this August \u2014 until its south wall collapsed in July<\/a>.<\/p>\n

By its own ordinance code, the city is supposed to inspect multifamily and rental properties every two to five years. It has not been able to meet the goal because of funding and staffing shortages, new Community Development Director David Barr<\/a> told the City Council July 14.<\/p>\n

The building at 501 North 8th Street received 26 deficiencies in its 2019 inspection, Barr said. In general, deficiencies are problems in or around the home that range in severity, from overgrown weeds and loose trash to problems with the foundation.<\/p>\n

The problems were resolved by February 2020, and none involved the south wall. The issues must have arisen unnoticed in the years since, he said.<\/p>\n

Reading officials have routinely cautioned residents about the city\u2019s aging housing stock and need for maintenance, and at least three row homes have partially collapsed this year. Not all problems can be easily spotted or handled by homeowners alone, but there can be warning signs, a civil engineer with Temple University told Spotlight PA.<\/p>\n

Mehdi Khanzadeh Moradllo<\/a> showed Spotlight PA cracks under the south wall windows and distress around the chimney in a Google Maps photo taken before the collapse. It\u2019s possible moisture slipped through the cracks and contributed to the structural damage, he said.<\/p>\n

The building is owned by local company Windsor Way Holdings. Co-owner Alex Betances did not respond to Spotlight PA\u2019s request for comment. <\/p>\n

Spotlight PA consulted with Khanzadeh Moradllo, city employees, and code inspectors about steps Reading residents can take if they feel the conditions of their or neighboring homes are becoming unsafe. Here\u2019s what they said:<\/p>\n

What are some visual signs of home distress?<\/p>\n

Cracks along inside and outside walls can be the easiest things to spot, Khanzadeh Moradllo said. Other signs include:<\/p>\n

Flaked or peeling concrete, called \u201cspalding\u201d or \u201cdelamination.\u201d<\/p>\n

A chimney pulling away from the home, called \u201cdisjointment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Efflorescence<\/a>, a white or off-white powdery substance that develops on surfaces like brick.<\/p>\n

Moisture in the building.<\/p>\n

Rust or corrosion.<\/p>\n

Timber decay from moisture or insects, like termites, which is normally most easily seen in basements.<\/p>\n

Bulging or bowing walls or ceilings.<\/p>\n

Roof leaks.<\/p>\n

Crumbling, missing, or cracked mortar.<\/p>\n

If I see a crack on the outside of my apartment, is it in danger of collapsing?<\/p>\n

Not always. The size and depth of the cracks can indicate how significant a problem is.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s not going to be over the next day, this is going to collapse,\u201d Khanzadeh Moradllo said. \u201cBut those are initial, visual kinds of indications that you need to pay attention.\u201d<\/p>\n

Can I fix a crack in my apartment myself? Do I need a professional?<\/p>\n

A \u201chair crack\u201d in the plaster is not cause for panic.<\/p>\n

Landlords are not required<\/a> to make aesthetic changes under state law. Residents may be able to make cosmetic changes themselves if allowed in their lease.<\/p>\n

Larger issues, such as a heavy roof leak or leaning chimney, should be handled by a professional, especially if the dwelling is a rental. There may be deeper problems within the walls that residents cannot see.<\/p>\n

When do I need to tell my landlord about cracks in my apartment?<\/p>\n

Renters should inform their landlords of any damages immediately, especially cracks or moisture damage.<\/p>\n

They should also ask about previous damages or repairs before signing a lease.<\/p>\n

Neighboring buildings can have significant impacts on each other, especially rowhomes. Residents can report any concerns to the city\u2019s code enforcement department<\/a>, which sends inspectors to the property and notifies the owner of any potential problems.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere’s not enough clearance between this building, because, again, they’ve been built a hundred years ago, right?\u201d Khanzadeh Moradllo said. \u201cAnd they were not thinking about certain code requirements we have right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

My landlord refuses to fix safety issues. What can I do?<\/p>\n

The Housing Equality Center of Pennsylvania offers a renter\u2019s guide<\/a> in English and Spanish that features sample letters<\/a> tenants can send to inform a landlord of issues in their building. The manual lists a number of options if the landlord does not respond, including resources for low-cost legal advice, steps outlining how to withhold partial rent, and information on terminating a lease because the residence is inhabitable.<\/p>\n

Landlords are not required<\/a> by Pennsylvania law to make cosmetic repairs. However, they have to address safety conditions if any problems make the unit legally inhabitable, including a leaky roof, unsafe floor, and structural issues.<\/p>\n

The center advises tenants to keep written and photographic documentation of all communication and issues with the home. Landlords must be given a reasonable amount of time to fix the problem, according to Pennsylvania legal precedent, but \u201creasonable\u201d varies and depends on the severity of the issue. Tenants must be able to prove that the landlord was unwilling or unable to fix the problem.<\/p>\n

Tenants should seek legal advice when breaking a lease or withholding rent because a landlord can take them to court for missed payments.<\/p>\n

According to Reading\u2019s ordinance code, landlords cannot evict a tenant in retaliation for reporting a code violation.<\/p>\n

While You\u2019re Here<\/p>\n

Spotlight PA\u2019s nonprofit reporting is a free public service, but it depends on your support. Give now to ensure it can continue.<\/p>\n

How do I report possible safety issues to the City of Reading?<\/p>\n

Residents can report concerns to the city\u2019s Citizens Service Center at 877-727-3234 or on the Reading 311<\/a> mobile application, which is free to use. <\/p>\n

What can the City of Reading do?<\/p>\n

The city will conduct an inspection after a complaint is filed. If the inspection finds an issue<\/a> \u2014 such as a safety problem, graffiti, nonoperational locks, or other violations outlined in the city\u2019s ordinance code \u2014 the landlord may receive a warning or notice.<\/p>\n

The landlord will be given a time frame to fix the issues, and risks fines and liens against the property if the deadline isn\u2019t met. If the city corrects any of the property\u2019s issues, it charges the landlord, not the tenant.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"READING \u2014 Six years had passed since the City of Reading inspected a three-floor apartment building on the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":142966,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[128,130,129],"class_list":["post-142965","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-reading","tag-reading-city","tag-reading-city-headlines","tag-reading-city-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142965","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=142965"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142965\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/142966"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=142965"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=142965"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=142965"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}