Lake Mary residents in 'unsafe' apartment units given one week to move out

LAKE MARY, Fla. - David and Haley Burns were packing up and moving out of their apartment Friday after they shared with FOX 35 News a notice posted on their door June 16 that gave them one week to leave.

The move-out date was sooner than they said they had hoped because the stairs to their second-floor apartment had not yet been fixed. 

85 units unsafe for occupancy

The backstory:

In late March, Seminole County deemed the Burns' unit, along with dozens of other units at the Pebble Creek Apartments in Lake Mary, unsafe to live because of uneven and rusting stairwells. The Burns said they left that same night to live with family for three weeks before returning to their apartment despite the danger.

A Seminole County spokesperson said the building's unsafe status has not changed since March. The county said it did not authorize any tenants to return, and a spokesperson said the county is not in charge of the eviction process.

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The Burns said they were waiting to move until the stairs were fixed. They said being forced to move on unsafe stairs is dangerous.

The notice on their door said their lease was terminated effective immediately, and they had seven days to move out.

FOX 35 News reached out to Pebble Creek apartments and did not receive a response by the time of publication.

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On March 24, Seminole County deemed 85 units unsafe for occupancy. Two buildings were evacuated for previous fire damage while a third had structural concerns, according to Seminole County. About 50 units in total were evacuated because of issues with the stairwells, according to Seminole County.

Some residents were relocated to other units in the complex. The Burns family went to live with another family. They were not the only ones to return to live at condemned Pebble Creek apartment units.

What they're saying:

David Burns said it's been uncomfortable since March. 

"It's almost been like a constant state of anxiety," Burns said. 

Burns said he felt like he was caught between a rock and a hard place. 

"If I'm carrying couches, bookshelves, down these stairs, it's dangerous," Burns said. 

Friends helped Burns move because he said movers are not allowed up the stairs.

"Luckily, I have friends that are willing to help me move," Burns said. 

FOX 35 News received a statement from Seminole County about repair work at the complex.

"These apartments have been deemed Unsafe for Occupancy since the initial posting in March," the statement said. "No authorization has been given for anyone to return to these units, however, Seminole County is not involved in the eviction process.

"Regarding updates to the apartments – plans were developed by a state licensed engineer that proposed "temporary shoring" of the noted stair systems. This was formally approved by the Building Official on May 22, 2026. We worked to provide expedited permitting and allowed for work to start during the permitting process.

On June 10, 2026, the Seminole County Building Official was contacted by the licensed contractor, hired by Pebble Creek. The licensed contractor said they were informed by a third-party construction management and engineering firm, also hired by Pebble Creek, to stop all work and leave the property. As of June 18, 2026, no further work has commenced on this property, and no further actions have been taken by Pebble Creek to remove any of the unsafe conditions on the property."

FOX 35 News did not receive a response from Pebble Creek by time of publication. 

What's next:

FOX 35 News spoke with other tenants who are in temporary units in the apartment after their original apartment was deemed unsafe. It is not clear when work will resume to determine when those residents can return to their units.