A Gulfport family is devastated today after their move to a new house this week didn’t go as expected. They say their former and current landlord wouldn’t let them see inside the home before move in date, and now they’re dealing with the repercussions. News 25’s Lindsey Goodwin visited the family at the Gulfport home and tells us their story.
This might seem like your average South Mississippi home on the outside, but it’s what’s on the inside that might shock you.
Jonathan Thompson says, “This is how we’ve been living since Saturday because this house is just so unfit. Nobody would live in that house.”
The Thompson’s moved to their new home on Saturday. But since then, the family of five has slept inside their unpacked U-Haul or on the floor of the home they believe is infested with mice.
“All this is infested with mice. This stove… infested. If I kicked it they’d probably run out. We got video on her phone recording these little mice running up under this while it was on, that’s the crazy part,” says Thompson.
Jonathan says their kids were excited to move to their new house, as their last residence with the same landlord, Lee Chi Properties, was also infested with wood rats. They had no idea they’d be renting into even worse living conditions.
Thompson says, “He never let us look inside. By the time we get the key… all of this. How you put a family in a house with no stove, no refrigerator, no hot water, no thermostat.”
Jonathan showed us his lease.
“He broke his lease. Number 17 in my lease says he warrants this house is up to par to be rented out and he lied,” explained Thompson.
Lee Chi Properties sent maintenance men to the house Monday to remove kitchen appliances and start any repairs… But with three kids, a dog, and nowhere else to go, Jonathan says they don’t know what to do.
“Now you telling us the house is going to be repaired but we got to figure out where we going to live for the next few days. We paid our hard earned money, how we homeless?”
But he says they do plan on taking legal action against the company.
“Anybody that’s renting from Mr. Lee needs to speak up. If nobody speaks up, nothing is going to be done,” says Thompson.
We reached out to Lee Chi Properties, but they declined to comment.
“We paid our hard earned money, how we homeless?”
In Gulfport Lindsey Goodwin, News 25.
