Fire injures 1 at Lansdowne apartments with history of tenant complaints: ‘They need to shut these apartments down’

One person was injured in a fire Sunday at a publicly funded apartment complex in Lansdowne that has inspired tenant complaints for years.

At 5:46 a.m., crews from the Baltimore County Fire Department were on the scene at the 2900 block of Lakebrook Circle, according to a fire department post on the social media platform X. Crews discovered fire showing from the second floor of Lakeside Homes at Holiday Heights with people trapped.

One resident was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, the fire department said. No fire personnel were injured.

At 6:39 a.m., the department sent an update that the fire had been placed under control.

The cause of the fire and extent of damages have not been disclosed by fire officials.

In a post at 9 a.m. stating that crews were clearing the scene, officials said seven adults and nine children had been displaced. Fire officials initially said on X that 41 residents had been displaced.

Outside the Lakeside Homes at Holiday Heights apartment complex Sunday after the fire, Demetrice Brown and her daughter stood with backpacks, preparing to part ways with their home on the top floor, which was destroyed in the blaze.

“We basically lost everything,” Brown said. “We need help.”

She was able to return to her unit, filled with insulation and debris, to retrieve some belongings. Brown and her daughter will be temporarily staying with nearby relatives.

Brown criticized the apartment complex for lack of maintenance to the buildings.

“They need to shut these apartments down,” Brown said. “They don’t fix anything. Ceilings, refrigerators, no hot water, no heat or air, and now, we don’t have nowhere to live.”

Residents at Lakeside Homes at Holiday Heights are part of a publicly funded housing voucher program from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

According to a property inspection from HUD in April, the complex received a score of 15 out of 100 — 45 points below the passing score of 60.

For years , renters at the complex, previously known as Lake in the Woods and Circle Terrace, have complained of issues including collapsed ceilings, bats, cockroaches, sewage and septic malfunctions, mold and electrical problems. Tenants reported their concerns to the Ohio-based property management company Millennia Companies, which residents say did not respond to or address their concerns.

In 2020, tenants of the 303-unit complex launched a lawsuit against Millennia Companies claiming the company failed to address “dangerous conditions.”

The case closed in October 2022, when it was dismissed with stipulation — meaning the case was settled upon written stipulations and may be reopened at any time upon request of any party, according to Maryland Courts.

Lakeside Homes at Holiday Heights is still listed as a property managed by the Millennia Companies on its website, and the complex’s website has Millennia Companies named as the property manager. Neither company responded to requests for comment.

Baltimore Sun photographer Amy Davis contributed to this article. Have a news tip? Contact Matt Hubbard at mhubbard@baltsun.com , 443-651-0101 and @mthubb on X.