SUNDERLAND — At least two tenants at Pioneer Valley Apartments are concerned about the potential for increased rent after the property sold for $1.8 million earlier this month.
Kenneth P. Hahn of Sunderland sold the four buildings at 39 Old Amherst Road to Kipa Realty LLC of South Deerfield, according to court documents. Lamplight Property Management LLC, consisting of Jason and Desiree Kicza and some partners, will take over the property’s management, according to a letter sent to tenants.
The letter states the roughly 2-acre property changed hands Oct. 18. According to court documents, the price was $1,852,000.
Jason Kicza had no comment for the Greenfield Recorder. He and Justin Killeen have, since Jan. 7, owned the building at 55 North Main St. in South Deerfield. Kicza appears to still own Northeast Tree Care & Landscaping in Sunderland, according to the business’s active website.
The letter invites tenants to set up accounts on an online resident portal they can use to submit maintenance requests from their phones or computers, pay rent, set up automatic monthly payments and download their lease agreements.
“In the coming weeks, we will be beginning to perform some property maintenance and improvements both interior and exterior,” the letter states, adding that some of the work will pertain to painting, cleaning and landscaping. “We ask in advance for your support and cooperation of these tasks and look forward to improving your home.
“We will also be renovating two currently vacant units with new lighting, cabinets, flooring, paint and fixtures, and will be offering these units to existing tenants,” the letter continues.
But the tenant who asked not to be identified is worried the property’s hefty price tag will result in hiked rent.
He said he and his partner, who have lived in two separate units of the property over the past seven years, pay nearly $1,000 a month, with no utilities included. The tenant said he and his partner have considered moving to Holyoke or Florence, and a rent increase of more than roughly $50 per month could be what drives them out.