Georgia · Southwest Atlanta · Housing
Gateway South Apartments, Southwest Atlanta, GA: Renters Jairus Cannon and Mark Thompson Say an 8-Inch Gap Split Their Living Room Floor Open
Two brothers who rent at Gateway South Apartments in southwest Atlanta say the floor of their living room pulled apart, leaving a gap of about eight inches that one of them crosses by laying a board over it, WSB-TV reported Tuesday evening. Emerald Management Enterprises, which manages the property, told Channel 2 Action News the apartment must be vacated so the damaged flooring can be removed and repaired, and that it offered a furnished apartment on the property to use in the meantime.
Key facts
- What
- A living room floor that separated, leaving a gap of about eight inches
- Where
- Gateway South Apartments, southwest Atlanta
- Address
- Listed at 2001 Sylvan Road SW, Atlanta, GA 30310, Sylvan Hills, on the complex’s own leasing site. WSB-TV said only “southwest Atlanta”
- Renters
- Jairus Cannon and his brother, Mark Thompson
- When
- Thompson said he moved in June 10 and began noticing problems by the end of the month
- Under the floor
- Channel 2 Action News cameras captured what appeared to be rotted wood and loose support beams
- Cause
- Not established. The brothers believe previous water damage may have contributed
- Management
- Emerald Management Enterprises
- Company response
- Said the apartment must be vacated for repairs and that it offered a furnished apartment on the property temporarily
- Status
- No inspection, citation or repair date has been reported
What happened inside the apartment
Two southwest Atlanta renters say they have been living with a major structural problem after the floor in their apartment split apart, leaving what they describe as dangerous conditions inside their home, WSB-TV reported Tuesday evening.
They are Jairus Cannon and his brother, Mark Thompson, and their apartment is at Gateway South Apartments. The floor in the living room began separating just days after they moved in, they said.
The brothers showed Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Ashli Lincoln a gap of about eight inches running through the living room floor. Thompson said he has to put a board across the opening to get across the room. “To walk across it safely, I have to pull this board out and lay it across the floor right here,” he said.
Channel 2 Action News cameras also captured what appeared to be rotted wood and loose support beams beneath the floor, the station reported. The brothers believe previous water damage may have contributed to the deterioration. That is what the brothers believe; no cause has been established.
Thompson said he moved into the apartment on June 10 and began noticing problems by the end of that month.
Diagram of the living room floor as Jairus Cannon, Mark Thompson and WSB-TV described it. Illustration, not to scale, not a photograph and not a survey of the building.
Where Gateway South Apartments is
WSB-TV placed the apartment at Gateway South Apartments and described the location only as southwest Atlanta. It did not publish a street address or a unit number.
The complex itself is listed at 2001 Sylvan Road SW, Atlanta, GA 30310, in the Sylvan Hills neighborhood, according to the address the complex publishes on its own leasing site.
Emerald Management Enterprises manages Gateway South Apartments.
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The two renters, and the leasing office
Cannon relies on an oxygen tank and a defibrillator, and said a fall inside the apartment could have serious consequences. “It’s horrible. It’s not safe,” he said. He also told the station: “I don’t even know the words. I’m just hurt.”
Lincoln went to the apartment leasing office and showed a staff member video footage of the damaged floor. “Yeah, that’s insane,” the employee said after watching it. WSB-TV did not name the employee.
What Emerald Management Enterprises said
In a statement to Channel 2 Action News, the company said it is aware of the concerns and has been communicating directly with the residents.
Management informed the resident that the apartment must be vacated so the damaged flooring can be removed and repaired, the company said. It also said it offered the resident a furnished apartment on the property to use temporarily, so the repairs can be completed safely while the resident prepares to move.
“The safety and well-being of our residents remains a priority, and we will continue working with the resident to facilitate his relocation and address the conditions in the apartment,” the statement said.
Thompson said management initially offered another apartment unit and that he declined it after observing what he believed were signs of floor damage in those units as well, WSB-TV reported. After Channel 2 Action News began asking questions, the brothers said management contacted them and offered reimbursements and permission to break their lease. “I feel like I should be reimbursed everything that I gave them,” Thompson said.
The statement refers to “the resident,” in the singular, and to “his relocation.” The story is about two brothers. Nothing that has been reported explains the difference, and the company’s wording is left here as the company wrote it.
Nobody has been cited or charged with anything in connection with the apartment.
What we don’t know yet
- Whether the City of Atlanta or any code-enforcement agency has inspected the apartment or cited the property. WSB-TV does not address it.
- When the repairs will start, and how long they will take.
- Whether the brothers have accepted the furnished apartment the company described in its statement, or the offer of reimbursements and a lease break that they said followed.
- The unit number, the age of the building, and whether any other unit is affected.
- What caused the deterioration. Water damage is what the brothers believe, and no finding has been reported.
- Why the company’s statement refers to one resident when the story is about two brothers.
- Whether an engineer, an inspector or a contractor has examined the wood and beams beneath the floor.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Gateway South Apartments?
WSB-TV placed the apartment at Gateway South Apartments in southwest Atlanta and did not publish a street address or a unit number. The complex lists its address as 2001 Sylvan Road SW, Atlanta, GA 30310, in the Sylvan Hills neighborhood, on its own leasing site.
How big is the gap in the floor at Gateway South Apartments?
The brothers showed Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Ashli Lincoln a gap of about eight inches running through the living room floor, WSB-TV reported. Mark Thompson said he has to place a board across the opening to walk through the room safely.
Who are Jairus Cannon and Mark Thompson?
They are two brothers who rent the apartment. Jairus Cannon relies on an oxygen tank and a defibrillator and said a fall inside the apartment could have serious consequences. Mark Thompson said he moved in on June 10 and began noticing problems by the end of the month.
What caused the floor to split?
That has not been established. Channel 2 Action News cameras captured what appeared to be rotted wood and loose support beams beneath the floor, and the brothers believe previous water damage may have contributed to the deterioration. That is what the brothers believe, not a finding.
What did Emerald Management Enterprises say?
In a statement to Channel 2 Action News, the company said it is aware of the concerns and has been communicating directly with the residents. It said management informed the resident that the apartment must be vacated so the damaged flooring can be removed and repaired, and that it offered the resident a furnished apartment on the property to use temporarily so repairs can be completed safely while the resident prepares to move. The statement added: “The safety and well-being of our residents remains a priority, and we will continue working with the resident to facilitate his relocation and address the conditions in the apartment.”
Why does the management statement mention one resident when two brothers live there?
The statement refers to “the resident” and to “his relocation,” while WSB-TV’s story is about two brothers, Jairus Cannon and Mark Thompson. Nothing that has been reported explains the difference, and it is left here as the company wrote it.
Has the apartment been inspected or the property cited?
WSB-TV does not say whether the City of Atlanta or any code-enforcement agency has inspected the apartment or cited the property. Nobody has been cited or charged with anything in what has been reported.
What did the leasing office say about the floor?
Ashli Lincoln visited the apartment leasing office and showed a staff member video footage of the damaged floor. “Yeah, that’s insane,” the employee said after viewing it. WSB-TV did not name the employee.
Sources
- WSB-TV — “Renters say their floor split wide open inside Atlanta apartment,” by Ashli Lincoln, Channel 2 Investigative Reporter, published 7:26 p.m. ET, Aug. 18, 2026. Source for the renters, the gap, the quotes, the leasing office visit and the statement from Emerald Management Enterprises.
- Gateway South Apartments leasing site — source for the street address and the Sylvan Hills neighborhood only. Not a newsroom, and not a source for anything about the floor.
Compiled by The Local Alert Georgia Staff from the sources linked above. Everything about the apartment, the floor and the company’s statement comes from WSB-TV’s report; the street address comes from the complex’s own leasing site. The Local Alert is not a housing agency, not a code-enforcement agency and not a law firm. Corrections and removal requests: see our corrections policy.
Reported and fact-checked as of .
The sources linked here were opened and verified at that time. The last confirmed information is WSB-TV’s report published at 7:26 p.m. ET on Aug. 18, 2026, which carried the statement from Emerald Management Enterprises. This report reflects what was known and confirmed at that moment and is not updated automatically.
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