HOUSTON \u2013 Residents at the Rivington Townhomes on Del Monte Drive in West Houston say they\u2019ve been dealing with ongoing hot water issues for months and some say they\u2019ve had no hot water at all since the beginning of February.<\/p>\n
Lilly Taghavi invited KPRC 2 inside her home to show what she says has become a daily struggle.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, my hot water is literally not working, but my cold water works perfectly,\u201d Taghavi said.<\/p>\n
She says the issue began in December, with hot water going in and out. But since early February, she says it has stopped working completely.<\/p>\n
\u201cHonestly, it\u2019s been very difficult because, again, we cannot take a shower, even brushing your teeth. Like, especially since January it was very cold, so it was really hard. My husband got sick through the cold water because we had to take a shower,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Taghavi says she is not alone. Another renter told KPRC 2 she is experiencing the same problem and knows of at least two other neighbors dealing with similar issues.<\/p>\n
Taghavi says she contacted her landlord about the problem. She says her landlord has attempted to work through the homeowner\u2019s association, but the issue remains unresolved.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have reached out to the landlord, the landlord has reached out to the HOA, but nothing has been fixed ever since,\u201d Taghavi said.<\/p>\n
She says the landlord has called and emailed the HOA and copied her on communications.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have cc\u2019d me on the emails as well, so I know that they\u2019ve been trying to do diligence, but it\u2019s just the HOA, they\u2019re not. I have tried to reach out to HOA, leaving a message, even meeting them in person, and they keep saying that they\u2019re gonna try to fix it, but it has not been solved.\u201d<\/p>\n
KPRC 2 contacted Community Foundation Association Management, the HOA responsible for the complex, by phone and email asking when the problem would be fixed. They released the following response:<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you for reaching out for clarification. We would like to confirm that there is currently no water outage at the community.<\/p>\n
While the majority of our residents are experiencing normal service, the Board is aware of localized hot water pressure issues affecting five specific units. We are treating this matter with priority and, after confirming there were no boiler issues, we have already engaged a plumbing professional who performed an on-site inspection last week.<\/p>\n
While preliminary verbal feedback suggests the issues may be related to individual unit fixtures rather than the community\u2019s main infrastructure, the Board is currently awaiting the formal written report and recommendations from the plumbing firm, which we expect to receive in the coming days. Once that report is received and reviewed, we will promptly share these findings with the affected residents to facilitate a swift resolution.<\/p>\n
Our primary focus remains the maintenance of our community\u2019s infrastructure and the well-being of our homeowners and residents.”<\/p>\n
KPRC 2 reached out to Lone Star Legal Aid for clarification on who is responsible in situations like this.<\/p>\n
According to Lone Star Legal Aid, the key question is whether the affected resident is a renter or a homeowner.<\/p>\n
Under Texas law:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Renters do not have a direct legal relationship with the HOA.<\/p>\n
\u2022 The legal relationship exists between the homeowner (landlord) and the HOA.<\/p>\n
\u2022 A renter\u2019s rights run through their landlord.<\/p>\n
Lone Star Legal Aid says essential services, including hot water, fall under a landlord\u2019s responsibility. If a renter notifies the landlord in writing that an essential service is not working, the landlord must take steps to repair the issue even if doing so requires working through the HOA.<\/p>\n
Importantly, Lone Star Legal Aid says a lack of response from the HOA does not relieve the landlord of their obligation to the tenant.<\/p>\n
If the landlord is unable to resolve the issue through the HOA, they may have grounds to pursue legal action against the HOA for breach of contract.<\/p>\n
Resources for renters<\/p>\n
For renters dealing with similar repair issues, Lone Star Legal Aid provides a self-help repair packet that explains:<\/p>\n
\u2022 How to properly submit a written repair request<\/p>\n
\u2022 How to document the issue<\/p>\n
\u2022 What steps tenants can take if repairs are not made<\/p>\n