Hundreds of tenants forced to leave Westside high-rise plagued by fires
The move will force tenants in 577 units to vacate the complex by Sept. 5.
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Barrington Plaza Apartments -- which has been the scene of two fires over the past decade, including one that killed a 19-year-old foreign exchange student -- will be closing to all renters and begin vacating occupied units so the high-rise complex can be renovated with fire sprinklers and other safety upgrades, the owners announced Monday.
The move will force tenants in 577 units to vacate the complex by Sept. 5.
"We got notices that they weren't going to take our entire complex off of the rental markets and we are going to be evicted," said resident Andrew Rahn.
According to firefighters, the 25-story apartment complex had gotten away with not having a sprinkler system since it was built in 1961 and sprinklers were not mandated until 1974.
Shortly after the Barrington Plaza blaze, Eyewitness News filed a public records request with the Los Angeles Fire Department seeking to identify all the high-rises without sprinkler systems.
On the list were 55 residential high-rises and one hotel. See our full report from 2020 below.
READ MORE | Does your building have fire sprinklers? Map shows LA high-rises and a hotel that don't
"We were literally planning to stay there until we died if need be, given that it was rent stabilized," said Rahn, who pays $2,000 a month for a two-bedroom apartment at Barrington Plaza.
It was a sweet deal he landed during the pandemic and said it will be nearly impossible to find something similar now.
According to a spokesperson for Barrington Plaza Apartments, the renovations will cost up to $300 million and will take years to complete.
However, current residents said they are not being invited back when renovations are done.
"I'm hoping to find something close. I mean, I love my apartment so it's sad because Barrington is iconic. I love it here," said Lauren Jarman.
Officials said tenants can meet with those who can help with relocation services and are eligible for relocation compensation.
City News Service, Inc. contributed to this report.
