DETROIT – Tenants of the troubled Leland apartment building in downtown Detroit say they’re not only displaced — they’re locked out of their homes with no clear timeline for when they can get back in to retrieve their belongings.
Since then, tenants returning to the building have been met with “DO NOT OCCUPY” signs taped to doors and chained entrances blocking access, which city officials say are in place for safety.
“This is a mental break for me,” said tenant Katherine Guyton. “Because, like, in a day, I lose everything. Just in a day.”
Residents say they understand the safety concerns, but are frustrated that they can’t get back inside, even briefly, to collect essentials.
“They have locked us out of our apartments without any access to retrieve everything that we have to our names,” said tenant Matthew Erard.
The city of Detroit is currently providing temporary hotel rooms for more than 40 displaced residents.
Still, several tenants say they’re facing significant hurdles in regaining limited access to their units.
“Just think of if it was your family going through what we are going through. What would you do?” asked tenant William Clark.
Tenants say they need to retrieve personal property like identification documents, medications, clothing, and even pets.
“My important paperwork, social security cards, birth certificates. We all need this in order to move on to the next apartment phase,” Guyton said. “It’s always some paperwork.”
Clark says he’s struggling without enough clothes or critical medicine.
“I don’t have but three pairs of pants to wear,” Clark said. “And I’ve got to wash every pair by hand every night. And it don’t make no sense that we can’t get our clothes.”
In the rush to evacuate, some residents were unable to take their animals with them safely.
Detroit Animal Care and Control says it has been working with The Leland management to remove remaining pets from the shuttered building.
In some cases, cats and dogs were left alone for days without their owners.
“Once we were alerted, we did come here to get those animals,” said Crystal Perkins, Director of General Services Department with the city of Detroit. We want to make sure everyone is out of this building, but also that their animals are with them and safe.”
Tenants say they were never told they would be out of their homes for this long or that the building would be completely shut down in this way.
Their immediate concern now is not just long-term housing but recovering what’s still inside.
“Our biggest concern at this point is getting back in and getting all of the things that we own,” Erard said.
City staff say they are in daily communication with displaced residents, but there is still no set timeline for when tenants might be able to re-enter The Leland, even under supervision, to collect belongings.
Asked what residents should do if they urgently need items from their apartments, Julie Schneider, director of Detroit’s Housing and Revitalization Department, said tenants should work through their assigned case managers.
“We’re talking to the residents that were displaced out of Leland each day,” Schneider said. “They should let their case manager know what the situation is and what they need, and we’ll work with them as best we can.”
In the meantime, many residents of The Leland are turning to tenant advocates and legal organizations for help.
Some are now working with the Detroit Tenants Union and are seeking legal advice to explore their options, including how and when they can regain access to their property and what obligations the building’s owners may have.
Residents say they want clear communication, safe access to retrieve essential belongings, and a path forward, whether that means returning to the Leland if it reopens or securing stable housing elsewhere.
Tenants say arrangements have been made for them to stay at hotels until Jan. 7, 2026.