Tenants at Government's Murray Apartments in St. George's have written a letter to the new Housing Minister demanding improvements to their homes before rents are increased.

Rents for all Government houses are scheduled to be increased by 12.5 percent as of October 1.

The hike is a part of Government's three-year plan to bring its residential rents "more in line with market level''.

But residents in the Murray apartments -- which were used as barracks for British soldiers around the 1700s -- have complained that the building is falling to pieces.

They have cited rotting windows, a crumbling upper-level porch, and holes in the floor as some of the main problems.

Tenants have also told The Royal Gazette that the majority of people renting the apartments were single women, including two senior citizens who were unable to make their own repairs.

And yesterday the Murray Apartments Association sent a letter to Housing Minister the Hon. Leonard Gibbons, urging him to make an inspection visit at the apartments on Redcoat Lane.

"From the very beginning we have insisted that there should be no increase until some repairs or renovations had been completed,'' the association wrote.

"We made it clear to the Properties and Rental Manager Mr. T.R. Smith that we did not object to an increase, however, we do object to an increase without any repairs being done to the units.

"... No major renovations has been done to the units since 1979. The units are basically an eyesore.'' Noting that the rent increase will take effect next month, the Association said: "We still however disagree with any increase at this time until work is started on the apartments and satisfactory completed.'' The letter -- which was originally written to Health and Social Services Minister the Hon. Harry Soares in error and copied to St. George's North MPs Ms Jennifer Smith, Mr. Leon (Jimmy) Williams, and Bermuda Housing Corporation general manager Mr. Edwin Cowen -- also included an independent assessment of the apartments by "a concerned contractor''.

The contractor -- who was not named -- listed faults in four different apartments, including rotten window sills, a floor sinking, a ceiling "ready to fall'', and "a line heater outlet just hanging off the wall''.

"This is very dangerous,'' the contractor stated, "and should be fixed immediately.'' When contacted yesterday, Mr. Gibbons said he had not received the Association's letter and did not know about the Murray Apartments residents' complaints.

"Obviously the Housing Corporation will have to address that issue,'' he said. "I have not received the letter. But when I get the letter, I will deal with it.''