It's a story that 23 ABC brought you on Thursday: an East Bakersfield apartment complex without stable power for weeks, resulting in a lack of hot water and the ability to cook food.
On Friday, code enforcement officers issued a 48-hour notice to the landlords to have the electricity problems fixed.
Since the conditions were substandard, tenants in the affected rooms will have to leave if the problems aren't fixed within the notice window.
"If not, they don't have utilities, they don't have hot water for sanitary purposes, conditions are substandard," said David Paquette, code enforcement supervisor.
"We will remove the tenants from that unsafe situation until such time that those repairs are made and we can release the apartment to be occupied again."
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Many residents like Sherry Gray are fed up with waiting.
“At first it was just lights flickering on and off. So I gave the landlord the benefit of the doubt because you know it takes time to do that,” said Gray.
Other neighbors say the problems started about three weeks ago -- they were told to contact their landlord -- or power could be shut off completely for safety reasons.
“Called the landlord Monday, he came out here. He was talking to some electrician, they say they have to go through steps and steps to get it fixed but he ain't try to say I'll put y'all in a room or nothing,” said Gray.
But Gray says this is the same thing they have been hearing for a few days.
“Everyday he said, he'd send somebody over here saying he's going to come and fix it...ain't nobody fix nothing,” said Gray.
John Rush, who currently lives with Gray, says it's even worse not being able to do anything.
"The landlord keeps saying this, keeps saying that. And we have no control over it. We didn't cause this to happen and we can do little to actually fix the problem ourselves. So that means we have to suffer through until somebody fixes it,” said Rush.
After speaking with the tenants, 23ABC was able to get ahold of the landlords to see what they had to say about the issue and what they are planning to do.
“We are on top of this problem we will for sure take care of this problem. We understand their frustration as well and we are doing our best,” said the landlords.
Meanwhile, residents like Gray are unsure when the problem will be fixed -- forcing them to continue to live without certain necessities.
“My kids been out of school, and I haven't been able to cook them nothing to eat. No hot water to wash their clothes,” said Gray.
According to the department of consumer affairs, a landlord must provide an electrical system; including lighting, wiring and equipment, in good working order. If not, the dwelling may be deemed uninhabitable.
