Following the successful formation of tenants unions in Centennial Plaza and Acacia Park Apartments, managed by the Colorado Springs Housing Authority, Colorado Springs Tenants has launched the first tenants union in a privately owned complex, the Aviator Tenants Union.
Members of the Aviator Tenants Union held a press conference Sunday to address concerns about living conditions in their building, including mold, broken appliances, lack of security, pests, water damage, and unresponsive maintenance.
“We, the Aviator Apartments Tenant Union, are formally requesting negotiations with Life Bridge Capital leadership due the conditions in our buildings,” read a Nov. 16 email to the owners of Aviator Apartments, the Virginia-based company Life Bridge Capital. “The Aviator Tenant Union represents a majority of tenants at Aviator Apartments. As tenants at Aviator, we have experienced mold, pests, broken heating and windows, broken appliances, lack of security, non-functional amenities, inconsistent monthly fees, and rising rents that don’t reflect the conditions we’re living in.”
The union is asking the owners to commit to good faith negotiations with their bargaining team. Life Bridge Capital’s phone number went directly to voicemail, which was full and not accepting new messages. In an email response to comment, Life Bridge Capital ruled out participating in any kind of collective bargaining.
“Aviator Apartments is operated in accordance with Colorado habitability law, local code requirements, and the terms of each resident’s lease,” the company wrote. “When residents have maintenance concerns, they are encouraged to submit a work order through the standard process so the onsite team can address them in the normal course. The property has been inspected by the City of Colorado Springs in 2025. We respect residents’ right to gather and share their views, but we are not entering into collective bargaining or recognizing any third-party organization as the exclusive representative of all tenants.”
Residents say the “standard process” is insufficient. “The common [concern] is waiting months for a work order to get complete, [and] the heater being suspect,” said resident Durwin Hoades. “And then the additional charges cause on average everyone in the apartment gets I think it’s 96, almost $96 in extra charges with delayed maintenance, suspect heat.”
Hoades also notes that residents are paying fees for amenities, like the complex’s pool, which aren’t functional. “I paid $1,200 [to] renew my lease, so it’s about $1,200 with $96 in additional charges. You pay for the pool and then we pay for trash, then we pay for water and heat collectively.”
During a walkthrough of the common areas at Aviator Apartments, built in 1971, the Pikes Peak Bulletin photographed rusted water infrastructure, water damage, human waste, and mold. Resident Katherine Murphy stated her apartment was “covered in dried boogers when I moved in” and she recently found someone sleeping in the stairwell of her building, noting that none of the exterior locks in the complex are functional. Life Bridge Capital owns four other complexes in Colorado Springs, and Google reviews show similar concerns.
“I just moved out today, don’t move here you will get bed bugs a lot and will have roaches everywhere, and they will charge a lot of rent,” wrote Tiffanie Smith, a former resident of Newport Square Apartments, in a Google review. “The picture they post are Photo shopped…. Don’t believe them and don’t move in. All the bad reviews are true… they also have tweakers living here if you wanna deal with homeless sleeping in the laundry rooms … they are always turning water off because [of] plumbing problems.”
Colorado Springs City Councilor Nancy Henjum addressed residents during the Sunday event. “All I really want to say to you, as your council representative, is that when companies put profit over people, that’s when we need unions,” said Henjum. “It’s that simple. And I wish you didn’t have to unionize to get what you need in terms of your rent, in terms of how your property is managed, but we all deserve to live in someplace that’s safe and our basic needs are met, and that is affordable … I’ve written a letter to the management in my support of your work.”
