SILVER SPRING, Md. — Some residents at Summit Hills Apartments in Silver Spring told WUSA9 they’ve been dealing with nearly 90-degree temperatures inside their unit and the air conditioning hasn't been turned on yet.
WUSA9 spoke to a mother of two who said the heat is unbearable and it's an issue every year.
"It’s to the point where it’s uncomfortable to sleep," one resident said. "It’s uncomfortable to sit in your house. I work from home. I can’t even work comfortably. It’s a lot. It’s 10 times worse inside than it is outside. We come outside for relief from being inside because it’s baking."
Residents told WUSA9 that management at the apartment complex sent out an email a couple days ago, letting them know they would evaluate the weather and determine when to turn the AC on. Meanwhile, residents have been doing what they can to keep cool all week.
“It’s 80 – 80-something, and at night it’s, you know, you get desperate very easily so you have to sleep with the windows open with an extra fan," resident Jorge Paredes said.
According to the Maryland Department of Health, in 2023, there were a total of 6,030 heat‐related hospital and urgent care visits between May 16 and Sept. 11.
Montgomery County Law states a landlord is not required to turn on the AC until June 1, and the temperature inside the apartment must be kept at 80 degrees or less.
Residents feel it’s time to reconsider changing that law.
“With global warming, it’s getting hotter and hotter," a resident said. "I think we had the same issue last year when we had a week of it being sweltering hot and we had to avoid our house until the sun went down and it cooled down because it was too unbearable.”
WUSA9 contacted county executives to see if there are any plans to make changes to the law; no word on any plans right now.
They did, however, say the Department of Housing and Community Affairs is a good resource for residents. WUSA9 also contacted Summit Hills property management for comment.