Chicago building inspectors said some smoke detectors worked in the apartment building at 7706 N Marshfield Ave, the Rogers Park complex where a fire killed six children over the weekend, but others did not, according to a story in today’s Chicago Tribune. Jay Johnson, general partner of the group that owns the building, is quoted as saying the building manager knew the Ramirez family was living without power, but that that’s not unusual in affordable housing and not the landlord’s responsibility.
Johnson said his company found a working smoke detector in the family’s third-floor apartment last September, according to the Tribune, but fire officials alleged there was no evidence of a smoke detector in the unit. Weigh in on the landlord’s responsibilities in this case and on his overall record at YoChicago’s Renters’ rights forum.