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Report Health & Maintenance Concerns

VENTILATION ISSUES

Many tenants at The Glenbrook at Rocky Hill have said the buildings have poor ventilation, and it’s causing mold problems in their apartments.

In 2007, the Hartford Business Journal reported that “The Glenbrook,” a 400-unit apartment community in Rocky Hill, sold for $35 million to Robert Martin Company and Paredim Partners, and that the buyers said the acquisition would bring significant upgrades, including a new clubhouse, a fitness center, and renovations across the property. Residents would appreciate an update: which upgrades were completed, and when? Because from inside these units, the decades-old bathroom fans, the only mechanical ventilation, clearly didn’t make the cut.

On August 1, management acknowledged that the fan model in my unit is the original, approximately 50 years old. I was told a ‘medium vent/fan’ should be installed instead. What is most concerning is that many tenants across the property appear to have the same outdated, non-functioning ventilation system. Several residents report that their bathroom fans provide little to no airflow, and these fans/vents appear to be the only mechanical source of ventilation in the building. In addition, I have not observed any working exhaust in the shared hallways at 2 Penn Place (see images below), raising serious health and safety concerns.

A Unit at 2 Penn Place

Mold growth requires moisture; without adequate ventilation, moisture lingers on surfaces and in the air, creating favorable conditions for mold. Proper airflow helps dry surfaces and prevent condensation; poor airflow traps humidity (EPA, 2025; RPF Environmental 2022; U.S. Army, 2019).

After I raised concerns about using bleach on a painted bathroom ceiling, the property manager, Gary Poitras, told me to arrange remediation at my own expense and indicated bleach could be used on porous surfaces. In my view, that conflicts with research cautioning that bleach-based products (including Tilex) are not recommended for porous materials like drywall because they may not eliminate growth within the material (RPF Environmental 2022; U.S. Army, 2019).

Under Connecticut law (C.G.S. §47a-7), landlords must maintain habitable conditions, including addressing moisture and ventilation problems not caused by tenants. Requiring a tenant to pay for building-level remediation may be inconsistent with that duty. Any lease clause instructing tenants to use bleach (Tilex) on porous surfaces may be inconsistent with those recommendations.

In light of reports of limited or non-functioning ventilation in many units, it is also reasonable to question whether applying bleach in non-ventilated areas is safe (U.S. Army, 2019).

I reported mold growth shortly after moving in 2020. If mold had been painted over before the walkthrough, a tenant would have no way of knowing the problem existed.

Given that many residents have reported the same issues, it’s clear this is not an isolated case. Blaming tenants alone ignores the fact that it takes both a building’s ventilation failures and everyday use for mold to grow, responsibility doesn’t fall on tenants when the systems meant to prevent mold aren’t working.

On August 13, management indicated sympathy toward my health concerns and stated that a certified mold testing company would be brought in. No such testing was ever performed. Instead, management verbally agreed to remediation after a contractor recommended a full bathroom gut.

During that discussion, the property manager, Gary Poitras, asked if I had somewhere else I could stay.

In the days that followed, the response changed. On August 26, I was contacted to schedule a time for the maintenance worker to replace the bathroom fan. I was told that the vent sample did not show elevated spores. However, lab results confirmed elevated spore levels on the bathroom ceiling, an area that would need to be disturbed to replace the fan (EPA, 2025; RPF Environmental 2022).

The proposed approach was to replace only the motor of a 50-year-old bathroom fan. I declined on health grounds (Thiboldeaux, 2007), as visible growth and elevated spores had been documented adjacent to the fan, and disturbing those materials without a remediation plan could worsen conditions (EPA, 2025; RPF Environmental 2022; U.S. Army 2019).

Replacing a motor does not address a mold-positive ceiling and walls, nor does it resolve blocked or non-exterior ductwork or bring airflow up to modern standards. This appears to be another short-term fix, not a solution to the underlying ventilation and mold issues.

Despite multiple attempts to resolve this matter directly with management, I am now pursuing other avenues. It raises a larger concern: tenants should not be have to undergo such effort simply to secure a safe and a healthy living environment.

Ongoing Leaks from Ill-Fitting Bathtubs

Multiple residents, including me, have needed frequent re-caulking around our bathtubs. Maintenance has indicated some tubs were installed at the wrong size. Ill-fitting tubs that don’t seat properly in the alcove leave gaps, requiring repeated caulking and creating an ongoing water-intrusion risk (Masonry Expert, 2024; U.S. Army, 2019; EPA, 2025 ). Notably, I have never observed maintenance stripping old caulk before applying new caulk. I don’t place blame on the maintenance worker, he is responsible for maintaining roughly 400 units on his own.

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The leaks & lack of ventilation could explain why so many struggle with chronic mold infestations, & why so many walls & ceilings look like this:

More to Follow

And why tenants from four buildings report similar concerns.

More to Follow.

Possible Retaliation

The tenant who provided these images reported submitting numerous maintenance requests over the past five years, yet the issue remains unresolved. They believe this may be related to the fact that they have been actively pushing for ADA accommodations due to declining health. Other tenants have also reported increased pressure after filing complaints.

More to Follow.

The Outlet Cover

The property manager, Gary Poitras, and his contractor told me and my daughter that the substance inside this outlet cover was “natural drywall filler.” However, an inspection report, confirmed that it was mold.

Transparency

Tenants should have access to their full maintenance history, including how many times requests were submitted, what those requests were, and whether they were ever resolved. Disabling this feature removes transparency and makes it harder to hold management accountable. True accountability comes from openness, not sugar-coating the problems tenants live with every day. And when residents raise legitimate health and safety concerns, they should not be met with intimidation or gaslighting. What builds trust is honest reporting and corrective action, not dismissal or pressure.

Shared Spaces at 2 Penn Place

These hallway vents are non-functional, and our checks show no airflow. According to the property manager, Gary Poitras “If the mold was bad, he would feel it.” Immunocompromised residents and people with asthma can react at much lower levels (Baxi, et al., 2016; CDC, 2024). We’re asking for a licensed HVAC inspection and a professional remediation plan, no more quick “fixes”.

  • Baxi, S. N., Portnoy, J. M., Larenas-Linnemann, D., Phipatanakul, W., & Environmental Allergens Workgroup (2016). Exposure and Health Effects of Fungi on Humans. The journal of allergy and clinical immunology. In practice, 4(3), 396–404. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaip.2016.01.008

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2024, September 26). Mold — basic facts. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. https://www.cdc.gov/mold-health/about/index.html

Several residents, myself included, have reported mold concerns in the washers. The office manager, Jill Ponte, acknowledged the complaints and indicated the matter would be addressed, but the problem remains unresolved. My first report was on April 15, 2025, after an eBay buyer returned an item due to a “moldy smell.” Around that same time, a neighbor stated they spent hours cleaning washer #1 because of visible dirt buildup and clothes smelling moldy.

This situation reflects poorly on the property and is preventable with proper maintenance. It is a fair question to ask whether management would consider these machines acceptable for their own households, or safe for washing their families’ clothes.

More to Follow.

Entrance doors show visible gaps to the exterior. In light of ongoing moisture concerns, it is reasonable to question whether these doors should be properly weather-sealed to reduce the risk of pest infiltration and water intrusion. After all, many tenants report complaints of pest too.

Long-term residents, some with nearly twenty years of occupancy, have reported that the hallway carpeting has never been replaced. Management is asked to provide records verifying the replacement history. The odor in these common areas is often overwhelming. Tenants are expected to do their part in keeping units clean, why shouldn’t management be held to the same standard in maintaining shared spaces?

More to Follow

Why We’re Raising This Issue Today

When I moved in August 2020, rent was $1,375. I now pay $1,960.

Despite the increase, no meaningful upgrades have been made to our building. At least four buildings have reported similar concerns.

Management’s approach seems to rely heavily on Tilex and mildew-resistant paint. But those are temporary measures. In a conversation with Pete from CT Mold Pros, it became clear that management misunderstood how these products actually work or how often they should be applied.

This raises an important question: how many long-term tenants have ever had their walls properly remediated rather than just painted? Some residents have lived here for over 15 years. Without addressing the root causes—poor ventilation, high humidity, and leaks—no paint will ever prevent mold from returning.

The lease also contains language suggesting that leaks are the tenant’s responsibility and that the landlord is not responsible for issues related to steam or water flow. Given the lack of ventilation, this clause is especially concerning.

It’s important to note that under Connecticut law, such a clause is unenforceable. By statute, landlords must keep the premises habitable and maintain plumbing, sanitary, and ventilating systems (C.G.S. §47a-7). A rental agreement cannot waive these obligations or shift them to the tenant (C.G.S. §47a-4). This does not excuse tenant-caused damage, but building leaks and ventilation failures are the landlord’s responsibility.

There is only so much a tenant can do—especially when instructed to use harsh chemicals that public health guidance and experts warns can make the problem worse.

No lease or landlord is above Connecticut law.

  • (Connecticut General Statutes, 2024, § 47a-4)

  • (Connecticut General Statutes, 2024, § 47a-7)

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Email: TenantReportsCT@gmail.com

Join the Glenbrook at Rocky Hill Community Action (Private) Group

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