More U of M students find off-campus apartments not ready for move-in

Megan Larranaga was excited to move into her new off-campus apartment near the University of Minnesota next week. But, she's one of about 150 students who just found out their new digs won't be ready in time for the start of the school year.

"I feel very overwhelmed. Stressed. I have no idea where I'm going to live," the U of M junior said.

Larranaga said she got an email on Wednesday from Prime Place Apartments telling her her unit may not be done until a couple of weeks past the Sept. 2 move-in day.

Prime Place said she had until Friday to let them know if she wants to be put up in a hotel or find a friend or relative to stay with and get $50 off her rent for every day she is not in her apartment.

"I can live at home or live in a hotel which is not ideal. Don't know how I can cook in a hotel. Then there are also places not close to U which is not what i wanted. I kind of feel disappointed. Upset. Lied to and taken advantage of," Larranaga said.

Late last month, Prime Place emailed hundreds of other tenants that their apartments won't be read until late December because of construction delays.

At the time, the apartment's management thought up to a third of the complex would be finished by early next month, but the latest round of emails appears to indicate that will not be the case.

"They assured me it was going to be done in time. 'Don't worry.' I drove by and I was like, there is no way this is going to be done. There's no elevators. There's no lobby. There's no grass around the lobby. I'm at a loss for words. I don't know what I am going to do," she said.

Larranaga says she wants to get out of her lease, but Prime Place told her she can't since they are giving her alternative place to live.

Either way, she says this isn't the way she wanted to start her junior year.

"It is very disappointing because even if I can find somewhere else to live, it's not going to be what I signed up for, what I was expecting or hoped for, so it's really disappointing," Larranaga said.

The U's Student Legal Service says in all, about 400 students won't be able to move into to Prime Place on Sept. 2.

We did reach out to Prime Place but the did not have a comment for our story.