AUBURN — A local man police said burned down his former apartment to get even with his landlord pleaded not guilty Friday to arson.

Randen Schmidt, 21, entered not guilty pleas in Androscoggin County Superior Court to three counts brought by a grand jury, including burglary and violation of condition of release.

He continued to be held on $5,000 cash bail.

Police said Schmidt confessed to a friend to setting fire to an apartment building at 22 Webster St. “Now you can add arson to the list,” he reportedly told her, police said.

He later denied starting the fire that caused a family of four to escape the blaze and left them homeless.

Schmidt had asked his friend to drive him to his former apartment in the middle of the night, police said. He broke in, gathered his belongings and set a bureau on fire, authorities said.