Last week, Rose Oaks Apartments announced a building-wide closing for repairs all next year, meaning all tenants must leave their apartments.

Upset tenants protested outside a City Hall meeting Wednesday morning.

Tenants talked, chanted, and held signs showing their passion to city officials about their rights as tenants of the complex.

“Human rights violations are happening right now,” Iowa City resident Matthew Bruce said. “So we’re trying to get answers on why the city is allowing it to happen.”

The tenants have been given 30 days to leave the premises.

“Some [previous Rose Oaks residents] have gone to the shelter house,” Bruce said. “There’s not enough social service agencies in Iowa City to house all these people, so people are going to the streets.”

Officials argue, saying the contracts for the complex are private between the tenants and the landlords, making city efforts in this issue illegal.

“Iowa Supreme Court has spelled it out very clearly in other instances where the city has tried to interject themselves in a private contract between two private entities,” Iowa City senior housing inspector Stan Laverman said.

City officials say the manager of the complex is compromising with the residents and is extending the 30 day period for certain circumstances.

Daily Iowan TV has the full story.