Residents were ready for Chamberlain Lofts and Legacy Towers on Aug. 1, but the buildings weren’t ready for them.

The owners of Chamberlain Lofts, 2519 Chamberlain St., did not have occupancy permits, while Legacy Towers, 119 Stanton Ave., had issues with its elevator system.

Anna Moore, a junior in pre-advertising living in Chamberlain Lofts, said she and several other people were put in hotels until Aug. 3 because the apartment building did not have an occupancy permit.

Ames Fire Chief Clint Peterson said fire code violations prevented him from issuing the building a permit.

“There were concerns about the alarm system and the sprinkler system not being finished,” Peterson said.

Both systems are now operational, earning the building a 30-day temporary occupancy permit, but Peterson still has some minor concerns with the building. He expects those items to be addressed before the permit expires Sept. 2.

Moore said that upon moving in on Aug. 3, she found a missing wall, which left her roommate’s bedroom exposed to the apartment’s general living area.

“They gave us money for that, but I haven’t heard if they are going to finish it or just pay us for it,” Moore said. “If you like having a lot of privacy, this is not for you.”

Despite the inconveniences, Moore is happy with the apartment and said that the property manager, Real Estate Service Group, has been very accommodating.

Dean Jensen, president of Real Estate Service Group, said the move-in date was not met because of scheduling problems with the state elevator inspector.

“Effort was made to accommodate tenant needs by rent reductions, temporary storage, help with moving, hotel accommodations etc. until occupancy was obtained on Monday, Aug. 2,” Jensen said in a faxed response.

Further affecting occupancy in the complex was a reinterpretation of regulations on loft heights. The fire chief deemed the ceilings of upper-floor apartments to not be high enough for lofts, making them legally uninhabitable. Tenants slated to live there were transferred to open apartments in the building. The loft clearance issue affects 38 of the 57 units.

Jensen said the city originally approved the plans for the lofted apartments, but the fire chief took a different interpretation of the law. City officials now side with the fire chief.

Jensen said that decision will have financial implications for Chamberlain Lofts.

“Due to this change of acceptable use, tenants were allowed to re-negotiate their leases and/or were accommodated by rent reductions and moving within the building to other units with fewer occupants per unit,” Jensen said in the fax.

Elevator issues plague the tenants in Legacy Towers as well.

According to signs on the elevators, they can only be used for moving from noon to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, but Ted Schramuk, a former student in construction engineering, said he had problems during those hours.

“I got there to move stuff in, and the [elevator operator] took a lunch break at noon,” Schramuk said. “How do you get a lunch break when you only work four hours?”

Russ McCullough, manager of Legacy Towers, said this particular type of elevator has not been installed in the state of Iowa, which caused some problems. The elevator company expects to get a variance from the state.

Until then, only a Schindler Elevator representative can operate the building’s elevators.

Inside the apartments, Schramuk found issues even more distressing than the elevator.

When Schramuk moved in, he said the dishwasher, bathroom vent fans and garbage disposal didn’t work.

The first time he turned on the water, drywall dust came out. Workers left Taco Bell sacks in the refrigerator and metal shavings and sunflower seeds on the carpet.

The drywall around both showers is roughly cut and showed through the beige paint in several places.

One toilet is constantly plugged, and one room being used as a bedroom on the first floor does not have a door. The official plan is to install a velvet curtain, Schramuk said.

McCullough said the building’s main living and common areas should be done by the end of the month.”Sometimes it just takes someone living there to find problems,” McCullough said.

Schramuk said they didn’t get anywhere when talking to the landlord until one of their parents stepped in.

Now they don’t have to pay anything for August, but the agreement is not in writing.

McCullough had no comment about settlements.