One year after tenants at an apartment complex in Elizabeth organized to form a renters union.

Residents at the building say their problems have only gotten worse.

They held a protest this week to speak out against what they say are unsafe and unsanitary living conditions and filed dozens of formal complaints against their landlord.

Ted Goldberg was there.

They've got my bad apples.

Not bad up.

Residents at 19 Pingree place are bringing their fight to the Elizabeth streets and City Hall.

Their plight has gotten Louisiana's Nicholas Gandhi yellow.

Chanting for better conditions at their apartment building.

In action.

We are facing serious problems at our building and now retaliation for standing up.

Almost one year after voting to create a tenant union.

Residents say they're still dealing with the same issues.

Even with a change in ownership.

Many tenants like myself have experience living with cockroaches and with bedbugs.

The owner and management are not making repairs.

Concerns include infestations and issues with heating.

On some of the coldest nights of the year.

Nice.

Very nice.

Like tonight.

They turn on the heat for part of the night and then they turn it off early in the morning.

We contact the city and the owner quickly turns it on.

But even the next day, the heat doesn't turn on and we have to call again.

This has already happened more than three times in the last three weeks.

This is harassment.

Pingree Equity owns this building.

They sent us a receipt showing that they've paid for exterminators and say heating is only an issue in apartments with open windows.

They tell us, quote, Our efforts have been significantly hampered by the denial of access to certain apartments.

This denial of access directly undermines our ability to conduct comprehensive pest control treatments, thereby hindering our efforts to eradicate the problem building.

While full tenant cooperation is absolutely essential in ensuring that all units are properly treated.

Residents agree that cooperation has been a problem, but claim it's the landlord causing the issues.

Last week the landlord broke into the apartment while I was in the shower.

We didn't have an appointment.

He didn't contact me.

He didn't wait for me.

He just walked in.

I was scared and I didn't know who was coming in.

When I realized it was him, I kicked him out.

Pingree Equity paid about $4,000 in fines last year, and state data shows that in January, they were charged another five and a half thousand dollars for a reinspection fee from the state's Department of Community Affairs.

The LLC is the same from last year, but the man in charge is not.

Mark Gilbert is now the listed owner and residents say he's also been tough to work with.

We were excited when he took over management of the building and was willing to meet with us.

We thought we could have a strong working relationship.

However, since then, he's made it clear that he does not want to work with us.

We know that for many landlords, where there is profit to be made, there's no interest in working together to maintain fair living conditions.

These apartments are rent controlled and residents say they're being ignored so their landlord can charge more for new tenants.

We see that across Elizabeth and across New Jersey.

Landlords are harassing US tenants out of rent controlled apartments to get us out of the building when they get rid of us.

Then the landlord hikes up the rent, sometimes to triple the rent.

I am worried that the landlord is trying to displace us.

He doesn't pay attention to the things that matter to us that are important are in our apartments.

But he harasses us when he feels like bothering us.

Residents dropped off more than 50 complaints at Elizabeth City Hall Wednesday.

We'll see if they lead to major changes coming to this apartment complex in Elizabeth i. Ted Goldberg, NJ.

Spotlight News.