WATERLOO — Electrical problems at an apartment complex on Erb Street in Waterloo are just the tip of the iceberg, tenants say.

"The bricks are OK — that's basically it, though," Kevin Widmer said Tuesday.

Widmer and some other tenants of 154 Erb St. E. liken it to living in Detroit, complete with crime, drug dealers, leaking roofs, mould and plumbing problems.

"Police are here all the time," said Widmer, who recalled them kicking down his neighbour's door one night. "It doesn't feel very safe."

The Electrical Safety Authority has said it plans to disconnect the power Wednesday. The provincial government agency is taking the extreme measure because of what it calls serious electrical hazards in the 35-unit complex.

Jim Barry, director of municipal enforcement with the City of Waterloo, hopes a safety authority inspection set for Wednesday morning will prompt the authority to give the complex a reprieve, or limit the disconnection to just a handful of units.

Tempers flared Tuesday night at a meeting among 30 tenants, landlord Terry Good, Waterloo Region Community Legal Services and Waterloo Fire Rescue.

Many tenants loudly put the blame squarely on Good. They said he is impossible to reach. Some said they had never seen him before.

Good's girlfriend, Eleanor Olmstead, answered most of the questions directed at him.

But after a tenant complained that he gets shocked whenever he touches his stove, Good replied, "There are no serious electrical problems."

Good and Olmstead are convinced power will be disconnected to only a small number of units.

The apartment complex is made up of three buildings on Erb near the intersection with Dover Street, just west of Weber Street.

Some tenants suggest only the middle building is in really bad shape, but Widmer said all three are rough.

"I think it all has problems. I don't think any of it is really safe."

Widmer has lived there for a year but plans to move out at the end of the month — if not sooner.

"I just don't want to be here anymore."

Widmer, 24, knows a thing or two about buildings. He is a University of Waterloo engineering student who has done building inspections during work co-ops.

So how would he rate 154 Erb St. E. on a scale of one to 10?

"Zero. Maybe a one. The windows … all leak. The roof leaks really bad. All the plumbing and electrical has so many issues. I don't even have hot water. My shower is just kind of lukewarm."

Widmer thinks it would cost millions to fix the complex.

"You'd be better off just tearing it down."

The front door of one of the buildings has a big piece of cardboard covering what used to be a pane of glass.

Even the mail isn't safe, Widmer said.

"People used to come in and rip open all the mailboxes and steal the mail all the time, so I haven't had secure mail for the last six months. So I just gave up. I don't even keep it locked. If you want to steal my mail, go for it."

The complex is home to about 50 people. A Vacancy sign stands in front of the buildings.

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Some tenants blame the property owner for not giving the property manager — William Squibb and Daughters Property Management — enough money to keep the place in good shape.

"Squibb and Daughters have been great," tenant Paul Chahor said. "Whenever there's a problem, they're usually right on it."

Rob Pearce, general manager of William Squibb and Daughters, said any spending above $200 requires approval from the owner.

"If there's a leak in the roof, I pass it on to the owner," Pearce said. "There's not much more I can do."

He said he has been kept out of the loop lately.

"Last week there was a big meeting between the owner, city … bylaw and the fire department and I was told not to be there. We're done at the end of the month as the property manager for all of his buildings. Our services have been terminated."

Olmsted blamed William Squibb and Daughters for most of the problems and said a new property management company has been hired.

Chahor, meanwhile, is facing a double whammy. Power could be disconnected and an air quality report probing mould in his unit came back Tuesday. He said the report found poor air quality and he may be forced to vacate.

"I remember doing asbestos removal and the scare you'd get from that," he said. "Black mould's even worse."

Chahor, 49, who has lived in his apartment since Jan. 1 and has few complaints, was philosophical about the possibility of losing power.

"If the power goes off, the power goes off. I'll just have to make adjustments. I've got all my camping gear," he said with a laugh.

John Percy, a public education officer with Waterloo Fire Rescue, warned people not to barbecue inside if power is cut.

Nancy Singer, a social worker with Community Legal Services, told tenants to see a doctor if they suspect they have health problems from mould.

She said she can help tenants get mental health support if they feel overwhelmed by the chance of losing power.

"This is a crisis situation for a lot of folks here," she said.

- Five units at Waterloo apartment building to lose power today