Apartment residents suffer smelly trash mess

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- It's a smelly stinky mess for residents of Broadway Square apartment complex. The complex in southeast Houston has not had trash pickup for several weeks.

Step inside the apartment complex and it becomes evident. Piles and piles of trash spill over from existing dumpsters. Flies are everywhere and it is certainly smelly.

Residents tell Eyewitness News that they are very frustrated with the problems. They don't understand why trash has not been picked up, especially since they are charged a trash fee in the rent. Documents examined by us show a $5 trash fee charged for every resident in their monthly lease.

We went to the leasing office at the apartment complex. The woman inside told us she had to contact the supervisor then asked us to leave.

Eyewitness News also contacted the city of Houston. Records by the city show at least half a dozen calls to Houston 311 system complaining of the trash in the last few days.

City officials are actively looking into what they can do to solve the problem. However, this is a privately owned apartment complex that has contracted with a private trash service company.

Contacted by Eyewitness News, the trash service company would not talk specifically about the situation. However, it indicated the only time trash would not be picked up is that if its customer -- the apartment complex -- was delinquent on its bills.