By Dominic Konareski
Voice Writer
Horrific is one way to describe the conditions that tenants face at 182 Elm St., says one apartment dweller, and he is taking steps to have longstanding problems addressed, including legal redress if necessary. Though just a corner away from City Hall, some living in the apartments feel left behind.
Tenant of a basement apartment inside 182 Elm St.is Justin Bartolomeo, who moved to West Haven to be closer to his city-based business. The small business owner says his apartment is in incredible disrepair.
“I have been living in the basement of 182 Elm St. apartment complex since September of 2025, and the unlivable conditions of that building have gone way too far,” he stated in an initial inquiry to the Voice.
Bartolomeo cites issues with the building boiler, which is powered by a diesel generator next to his room. Before the boiler ceased working, temperatures in his apartment would reach triple digits, now it is frigid.
“The apartment’s ambient temperature regularly exceeded 100 degrees, forcing me to keep the ground-level windows open constantly,” said Bartolomeo. “The apartment has been without heat in freezing temperatures for weeks.,”
He recalled waking up numerous times this winter to water turned into solid ice in bowls and pots he left in the sink. Bartolomeo noted there are numerous families with children living in freezing temperatures.
The cold is one matter, Bartolomeo noted, now add the rooms are mold-infested with black water leaking through and even fully tearing down walls as the smell of rotten sewage takes over the rooms. This is not just an issue in his apartment, but an issue that has directly affected every single tenant.
Bartolomeo’s pays $1,350 a month plus utilities, all just to live in a space with squalid conditions for him and his girlfriend. At press time, Bartolomeo has been handed over an eviction warning along with an added-on late fee due to his decision to withhold rent until adequate repairs are made. He believes he should not have to pay rent when his walls are quite literally falling apart with no handyman in sight.
Complaints to the city’s Building Department did trigger a visit from health and building inspectors, which found more than 10 violations. Bartolomeo said officials declined to evaluate any mold found, leading him to have to get it assessed by an outside company. Those results are pending.
The management company is listed as LYP Management LLC, located at 1268 Old Colony Road in Wallingford as well as 459 Central Ave. in the Westville section of New Haven, Yoseph Katz is listed as the managing member. An attempt to gain comment from Mr. Katz was unsuccessful.
Since the complaints, LYP has done some repairs, still leaving it in major disrepair, said Bartolomeo.
LYP did tell the city the issues were fixed via email, but city officials were unaware of the repairs. Officials only became aware when Bartolomeo let them know.
Despite the work, Bartolomeo believes the city is not aggressive enough in pursuing penalties or check-ups on the building and its conditions, despite multiple newer pleas for help.
As of press time, the investigation has been filed as “ongoing” by West Haven officials.
Bartolomeo is currently in the process of a lawsuit against the management company, saying that he is hoping to hold the management company accountable.
A city report, obtained by the Voice, shows communication between LYP Management and the city to address problems.
One email showcases LYP Management letting West Haven Building Department Property Maintenance Code Inspector James Harriott know that there was a plumber on-site fixing a leak.
Bartolomeo pointed out that the city lacks any true renter help when it comes to building conditions. West Haven’s Fair Rent Commission is more scoped toward rent pricing, rather than helping a tenant in any type of rental category. He pointed out the neighboring New Haven’s city system which has the Livable City Initiative, which works to protect and enhance the quality of life for all city residents.
Bartolomeo believes that West Haven should create a branch like the Livable City Initiative, to help West Haven residents.
“West Haven has individuals doing their best to enforce city code, but they are not enforcing tenants’ rights,” said Bartolomeo, also stating that the current system that West Haven has helps companies like LYP, “to basically tell them [the tenant] to go ahead and report them because nothing is going to happen to them.”