CALGARY -- Three northeast Calgary roommates want their property management company to take their safety concerns seriously after a maintenance man entered their suite when they were all in bed.

“It’s terrifying, the fact that these people have access at all times to my home,” said Kassidee Cramer, who has been renting the Greenview townhouse since August.

Around 11 p.m. on Nov. 20, Cramer said she heard someone come to the door.

“He was knocking and ringing the doorbell for two or three minutes before he put in a general access code to the door and was able to get in. He entered, closed the door behind him and was calling out for his presence to be known to us that he was here,” said Cramer.

Cramer said her boyfriend went downstairs first and the man said he received an emergency call to fix a broken toilet.

“He was frantically looking through his phone trying to find this information. At this point I came down the stairs, as soon as he noticed who I was he didn’t hesitate to leave, he was gone,” said Cramer, who noticed it was unusual the man didn't bring in any tools.

Cramer said she recognized the man. He had been in the suite before when he responded to a call for service in September.

Missing bolts, wall drawings

Cramer said this wasn’t the only unusual occurrence. In the weeks prior, the roommates noticed bolts were missing from the dishwasher and oven doors, drawings on the wall in the master bedroom, and light fixture shades tilted, as if someone had been in the suite.

“At the end of the day you can lock your doors, you can lock your windows, but if they have the codes then you’re not really safe. If you are not home then you don't know if somebody’s coming through, so if you are being targeted it’s really a scary feeling,” said Cramer.

Cramer’s roommate Tyler Wilton emailed their rental company Avenue Living Communities Thursday morning. He went into the leasing office Friday afternoon when he still hadn’t heard back.

“They were honestly surprised as to why I was there. I had no answers. I was just given information that the man no longer worked there and I hadn’t given a description at all,” said Wilton.

Wilton said he also reached out to the company’s regional portfolio manager after speaking to the third-party dispatching company, hoping for an explanation.

“A diligent response, something timely. The clock’s still ticking and this has yet to be solved and we’re still at risk,” said Wilton.

Wilton said on Nov. 25, all three tenants went into the office and were told the man did have a work order. But Wilton said he previously confirmed on two separate phone calls with the dispatching company there was never a work order.

He said he wants the problem resolved immediately.

“The safety issue in this community most importantly and the fact that we were wronged multiple times and given false evidence and information about the occurrences that night,” said Wilton. The tenants said they were denied a request to change their locks, but weren’t given an explanation why.

'Human error'

In a statement late Thursday, Avenue Living Communities told CTV News that it was through human error that “an Avenue Living team member did incorrectly enter the Wilton’s home.”

“This is not normal course of business.… We pride ourselves on our ability to provide our residents with a safe, quality place to call home, and take the resident’s complaint seriously. Mr. Wilton has requested permission to change his locks without providing a spare key. Our legal department has advised us that a resident changing a lock without providing a spare key is specifically prohibited by Section 24 of Alberta’s Residential Tenancies Act,” the company said.

Avenue Living added their senior vice-president of residential operations has made arrangements for a meeting to discuss the situation.