Hanover Square tenants tell council persistent bed‑bug, heat and elevator failures continue amid licensing disputes
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Summary
Seniors and tenant leaders testified at committee oversight that Hanover Square Apartments (1 West Conway) faces ongoing bed‑bug infestations, broken elevators and poor management; DHCD acknowledged complaints and the council said a forthcoming renters‑safety bill will increase scrutiny of large, repeat‑violator properties.
Residents and tenant leaders from Hanover Square Apartments told the House and Economic Development Committee Dec. 19 that long‑running infestations and building failures have left seniors in unsafe conditions and frustrated by slow enforcement.
Kevin Randall, tenant council president at Hanover Square, said residents face bed‑bug, roach and mice infestations and insufficient maintenance staff for the building’s 198 senior residents. "We call 311 to file a complaint... they set the work order number but nothing's being done," Randall said at the public testimony portion of the hearing.
Pamela Brown, also a resident, described repeated bed‑bug reports beginning in January 2025, a broken elevator in service for months and inadequate extermination responses. "How you gonna see the bed bugs if you're not there at night when they come out?" Brown asked, saying tenants lack consistent follow‑up and that some units are effectively uninhabitable.
An attorney from the Public Justice Center, Samantha Gowing, told the committee her organization has at least 50 client examples across Baltimore of buildings that were licensed but that advocates believe should not have been. "We have a list of ... at least 50 examples of situations just like that where properties are licensed but they really should not be," she said, and urged the council to strengthen oversight of third‑party inspectors and licensing.
DHCD staff acknowledged gaps in enforcement and described a forthcoming council implementation of the Strengthening Renters Safety Act, which will flag certain large rental properties as "priority dwellings" for extra inspections, higher fines and public listing for five years. DHCD said it will follow up on specific cases and provide requested inspection reports and datasets to the committee.
The committee promised further hearings and oversight; members said they will use the data to target repeat offenders for possible receivership, license revocation and other enforcement steps where legal thresholds are met.