When you pay at least $900 a month in rent, you don’t expect to have workers entering apartments, screeching power tools and boarded windows and balconies as part of the living experience. Many of the residents, primarily college students, living at Social 28 Apartments, have learned to live with constant construction they claim wasn’t advertised.
Located at the intersection of Southwest 13th Street and Southwest Third Avenue, the two apartment buildings have been hard to ignore. Social 28’s north building is covered in scaffolding, and traffic is hampered on Southwest Third Avenue. Large construction vehicles often line the road and signs deter pedestrians and cyclists from sidewalks. Sounds of machinery and construction reverberate through the area, often beginning as early as 7:30 a.m. and lasting until the early evening.
“The environmental noise is unbearable and unsafe,” said Caterina Hernández, 22, a communication sciences and disorders major. She’s been living at Social 28 for three years. Despite the ongoing construction, Hernández praised the complex for its close proximity to the University of Florida.
“I’ve always felt the price was fair,” she said. “But now, they should be giving us a significant cut on our rent, like at least $100 a month, because this is unlivable.”
An apartment rental at Social 28 ranges from $970 to $1,175, according to its website. Utilities are not included, which makes the cost of living there more expensive. While construction often takes place directly outside their windows, residents have reported higher utility bills than usual, some speculating it is because of construction workers plugging machinery into apartment outlets.
Chemical engineering major Diego Espinosa, 20, recalled one roommate showing him an electricity bill. What would typically be a bill for $12 to $17 had more than tripled to $55 over winter break, a period with no one home for most of the month, he said.
“I took a peek outside and I saw that they were plugging all the very heavy machinery that they use into the balcony,” said Espinosa. “My only assumption is that because of that, that’s connected to our apartment’s grid and that’s driving up our costs.”
The rising utility expenses haven’t gone unnoticed throughout the building. International studies major Devyn Palmer, 20, shared similar complaints.
“Utilities have been higher than ever,” she said. “We were thinking they should cut utilities or give us a break on something.”
One viral TikTok celebrating the first day of classes for the spring semester showed a construction worker doing work from inside an apartment at Social 28. It wasn’t an isolated incident. Hernández and Palmer also described workers entering their rooms, and Hernández claims a worker entered through her window while she was in bed.
“I felt bad because it wasn’t their fault,” Hernández clarified, referencing the construction workers. “But it’s just, like, kind of crazy that you would just come in. We had no prior announcement.”
Palmer also said she felt the same lack of communication between herself and building management. Above the north building’s entrance hangs a large banner from the company, apologizing for the mess and advertising its lease availability for next year.
“They’ll be like, ‘Pardon our mess…’ Pardon our mess? There’s a man in my room,” Palmer said.
Sitting with Palmer, Kaelynn Del Monte, a 20-year-old economics major, agreed. “It’s really frustrating that they don’t acknowledge they’re screwing our living spaces, y’know? I think they don’t want to be liable for anything.”
The property was first developed in 2015. It was purchased by B.Hom Student Living around January of 2025 and came with a multitude of issues, according to Bryan Shelangoski, the company’s executive vice president and chief operating officer. Reports of major water leaks and intrusions throughout the property initiated the $11 million construction plan to be in full swing by the fall.
“We could only control what we did once we had the property under our ownership and under our management, and at that time, the second we purchased the property, we didn't have the plans,” Shelangoski said. “We didn't know exactly what the construction project within the renovations were going to look like, so we could not communicate until we had those plans finalized, which is exactly what we did.”
Many returning residents renewed their rental lease before B.Hom Student Living acquired control of the property. Those who planned to renew the one-year lease were asked to complete the proper documentation around late October, one resident said.
“We started the communication in the summer and really ramped it up when the students moved in,” said Shelangoski, referring to the construction.
T.J. Giuffrida moved his daughter from Miami into Social 28 in August, making the six-hour journey to Gainesville to drop her off at her soon-to-be home away from home. They walked in to see what many other residents were already dealing with – a building covered in scaffolding and with boarded up windows that allowed no natural light to enter his daughter’s apartment.
“They were given no notice that any of this was going on,” Giuffrida said. “We showed up there completely surprised to find it basically uninhabitable.”
No worker or manager could give Giuffrida a proper timeline for the construction, he said. The issues weren’t something he could ignore. His daughter had to live in the building while he searched for a new apartment.
“I did not see an end in sight,” he said. “I thought it was going to be a horrible situation for them.”
Giuffrida sent multiple emails to B.Hom Student Living officials, including Jen Allen, regional property manager, and Elizabeth Bonavita, vice president of operations, to have his daughter released from Social 28’s lease. When his request was denied, Guiffrida said he filed a lawsuit.
“In principle, they weren’t doing the right thing,” he said. “I think they’re taking advantage of college-aged kids.”
Giuffrida’s case was dismissed after being denied to attend hearings via Zoom. His daughter was subsequently released from the lease. The apartment complex sent her a document in which the Giuffridas released it from any liability, he said. They did not get a refund of the security deposit or first month’s rent worth a total of $1,500.
“Time is valuable,” he said “Factor in time and frustration, it should be a lot more than that.”
To fix the issues B.Hom Student Living identified within the buildings, construction is replacing all balcony windows and doors, balcony railings and repairing the siding. The construction work outside is about 70% complete, said Shelangsoki. Work inside the building within the amenity spaces, including the rec room, fitness center and social and study spaces, will begin within the next 30 days, he said.