A series of inspections followed months of complaints about mold and other concerns in Park Sierra, The Colony, The Terrace and Sand Canyon Villas in the Santa Clarita Valley, L.A. County Public Health officials wrote in emails to The Signal.
County officials said they’ve been in contact with the city of Santa Clarita, which heard from residents for months about complaints at several apartment complexes that are all associated with GHP Property Management.
GHP Property Management has declined multiple requests to comment through emails to its corporate office.
For two meetings in a row, residents took to Santa Clarita City Hall last month. After the first meeting, City Manager Ken Striplin said the L.A. County Public Health Department and the county’s housing authority would be the proper agency to address the concerns.
By the second meeting, the city had sent a letter to L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, urging action.
“We have been in contact with residents out there,” Striplin said at the Feb. 24 meeting. “We’ve also, per the council’s direction at the last council meeting, sent a letter to Supervisor Barger’s office requesting assistance with the health department’s response to the issue. We have received a response from her office saying that the Public Health Department will be out there next week to conduct their inspections and to engage in the process.”
Records shared with The Signal by county Public Health officials indicated a marked increase in inspections for GHP properties, what was found during the inspections and when upcoming re-inspections are scheduled for, starting next week.
The Colony Townhomes, which are in an area known locally as Jakes Way, south of the Santa Clara River, east of Sierra Highway, have 18 buildings, which were all inspected on Feb. 18.
The so-called “routine inspection” for some included the first time it had been looked at in three years, according to records online.
The results varied.
Building J, for example, did not have any critical violations, although it was cited for improper trash management, a noncritical violation. At nearby 24707 N. Evan Lane, there were damaged walls, also noncritical violations, and the same trash concerns mentioned.
Peeling or bubbling paint, missing window screens and poorly managed trash bins were a common complaint.
Mold was observed at The Terrace on Bottletree Lane in Newhall during a Feb. 25 inspection, which was one of the places mentioned during the City Council meeting and in emails to The Signal.
One resident of the Sand Canyon Villas said when her unit experienced mold, the management response was to paint over it.
“Their response to us for rats was to get a cat,” said the Sand Canyon residents who asked to remain anonymous due to a fear of repercussions.
Mold was observed in the The Colony’s N and D buildings, as well as damaged doors and sanitation concerns. None of those violations are considered “critical,” on the DPH inspection report.
Mold was also observed in units on Marta Lane.
Most of the 18 buildings inspected in The Colony complex did not have mold observed, but they were given the following notice stating any violations had to be corrected by a re-inspection date given for most places as either March 11 or March 18:
“Since the inspection revealed that all violations are located at the exterior and/or common areas of your property, a revisit to your property may not be necessary if you can provide photographic proof of compliance. The photo(s) must clearly show that the violation was corrected.”
Some of the facilities had several “noncritical” violations, such as Colony building H on Marta Lane, which received its third inspection of 2026 last month — and the sixth inspection since last September, which were actions driven by complaints, based on notes in the county’s reports.
“Plumbing fixtures shall be supplied with hot and cold running water under pressure,” “Walls / Ceilings / Floors shall be maintained in good repair or condition,” “Premises shall be maintained in a clean, sanitary condition, free from accumulations of garbage, rubbish, refuse and other wastes at all times” and “Adequate roof covering shall be maintained to protect the occupants from the elements,” were all listed as violations.
“Property owner is advised to further investigate the source of water intrusion to prevent compromised building integrity and potential mold growth,” according to the Feb. 18 report filed by the local Public Health office.
“Failure to meet compliance for outstanding violations may result in a compliance review, or further legal action if required,” according to the DPH inspection report.
