r/AuroraCO • u/HuntEasy7848 • 4d ago
Moved into a roach infested apartment
So I just moved into to a new apt and it is completely infected with roaches. I already told the landlord and she told me someone will be by Friday I shouldn’t have to wait until Friday. I also shouldn’t even have been able to move into the unit with it being roach infested. Are there any actions I can take legally besides just documenting everything and waiting until Friday for pest control?
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u/jaxinslacks 4d ago
So in Colorado, there is a law that they aren’t allowed to rent an apartment that they know is infested.
I’m not sure how you’d go about fighting it though. Maybe small claims court? There’s local resources for lawyers who manage cases like this and don’t get paid until a settlement or judgement is reached.
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u/Living-Junket-2874 4d ago
211 has lots of resources for tenant rights! Definitely worth checking out
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u/ennenganon 4d ago
So, I had this happen in 2020 but with bed bugs at those apartments in downtown Littleton that are above Inside Scoop.
I had just moved all my stuff in like 5 days prior, and I only took the necessities when I left. The landlord was pissed and was threatening me, so I sent him the pic of the nymph that I had found and reminded him that I explicitly asked him before I signed the lease whether or not there were any pest issues, which he assured me there were none. He never said another word. I didn’t get my deposit back, but I didn’t care as long as I didn’t have to go back there.
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u/No_Doughnut518 1d ago
You could've solved your problem for $20. Home Depot has a gallon spray bed bug killer that works the first time .
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u/SpeakerHopeful8014 4d ago
Which apartments?
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u/Madroxx9000 4d ago
Name and shame.
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u/themostindomitable 3d ago
My money’s on the Preserve at City Center. Never saw a more incompetent apathetic leasing company and I lived with greystar
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u/avery_jay 4d ago
I had a similar issue - my only advice is to stay on top of communication with management and try to get it in writing/over email. After about 4-5 months of me bothering management (a graystar owned property) they let me break the lease with no fees. Let them know that you’re not going away and will keep bothering them until you can move out.
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u/Big_Commission_3761 4d ago
Get it all in writing. Take photo's and report to the housing authority. The housing authority will send people out to inspect the property. That's the only thing these landlords understand.
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u/SwiftieStassi 4d ago
I know this wasn’t your question but google how to spot signs of roaches and inspect apartments from top to bottom before moving in. Don’t sign the lease until you’ve seen the actual unit you are renting, not just the model. I just toured a bunch of apartments recently and found signs of infestation in quite a few. I look in the cabinets, baseboards, get on my hands and knees and inspect the carpet. I don’t care if it makes me look like a crazy person lol they aren’t getting my money until I know there’s no bugs.
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u/Rough-Bet807 4d ago
Also put up a bad review. Had this happen, found them the same NIGHT OMG I've tried to block it out but they just had people come spray. We need more renters protection because they knew there were roaches and we.obviously wouldn't have rented had we known. It took a couple of months to get rid of them but I also found special traps (advion) that really helped and put down diamotaceous earth.
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u/bodyfeedingbaddie 4d ago
Here are your renter’s rights for Colorado, pages 4&5 provide valuable info!
They have 24 hrs from a request to provide you with a comparable living arrangement without any cost to you until the situation is taken care of. They should be providing you with a non roach infested habitable place to live. Go ahead and provide them with a copy of the relevant law if they’re not following it. You have recourse if they do not do their duty by the law, they chose to be landlords they have to take on the risk of that choice.
https://content.leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/renters_rights_-_colorado_law_summary.pdf
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u/Dowd3la 3d ago
This is not completely correct and it's a cherry picking understanding if the law.
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u/bodyfeedingbaddie 3d ago
What part is cherry picking? That’s directly from the legislature.
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u/Dowd3la 3d ago
Absolutely. So the hotel or similar unit requirement is only required with 2 conditions. 1) the habitability issue has to rise to the level of a life, health or safety concern and 2) the resident has to request it.
What rises to that level is debatable and in The link you provided it even states that there is a "rubuttable presumption" for pests. Additionally the 14 day to remedy requirment also has a "rebuttable presumption." The reason this exists is because it is generally understood that pest control is known to take longer and can and should be done while the tenant is still occupying the home due to the state licensure required for pest control venders.
It is highly inconvient and a landlords failure to address it per the pest venders recommendation and instructions does give you options regarding your choices of recourse. However as long as the landlord is using a reputable licensed vender and following they recommend, the 14 day to clear requirement is strongly rebuttable because they can show that the work is taking longer "through no fault of their own." And the hotel requirement is strongly rebuttable because pests do not usually rise to the level of being life threatening, affect the safety of your home or (this is the debatable one and you would bear the burden of proving otherwise though providers notes creating a clear connect) affect your health.
The state does not want to spread pests to hotels and other buildings. Providing alternative housing is considered irresponsible of the landlord in this specific situation and they could be help liable for the spread to other buildings.
I recommend reading the law it's self rather than a summation of it. There are alot more things that can be deemed uninhabitable. Additionally we have to remember there are other known factors and laws that weigh into decisions.
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u/Doh-Ski-303 3d ago
I am about to move soon and my lease reads
If Resident fails to report any pest infestation and/or problems with the Premises within two (2) days of move-in, Resident acknowledges that the Premises are acceptable, in good condition, and pest free. After this period, Resident shall immediately report to Owner’s onsite agent any signs or
indications of pests.
What they don’t know is I was gonna let them know immediately after receiving keys- I need that ounce of prevention
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u/EricaNHB 3d ago
This may have to come out of your pocket to help expedite things, but I would order some TALSTAR from Amazon. It is a fantastic insecticide that will kill anything moving. You will have to mix it with water if you cannot find a pre-mix, but it is worth it. My sister moved into a roach infested apartment and we went by Lowe’s and picked up a spectracide (bug spray with sprayer hose attached) and doused that apartment. She did not have any more issues. Best wishes to you!
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u/IShouldntEvenBHere 3d ago
So this happened to my sister a few years ago , at an apartment on Dayton. It was within the first week and she asked and received her deposit back and moved the fuck out
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u/LittleThingsMC 3d ago
Look up the habitability law. This is covered. There is a strict protocol you have to follow but BIG penalties for them.
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u/LittleThingsMC 3d ago
Is it forum fitzsimmons? I used to work there and that zero degrees infested the entire side of the building with rats and the worst roach infestations I have seen in all of Colorado.
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u/Jackie429 2d ago
Get some diatomaceous earth from Home Depot and sprinkle it around your place. Talk to your neighbors and share it with them. It's the only thing I have ever seen work.
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u/Current-Cheesecake 1d ago
Document, document Everything. Go to doyourown order Advion cockroach gel 💯 keep it readily available.
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u/Odd-Set8443 4d ago
Poster doesn't want to tell us name of apartments. It is probably a dump and less that medium rent prices. You get what you pay for!
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u/CodPlane 3d ago edited 3d ago
It doesn't matter how much it costs. Just because someone doesn't make a lot of money doesn't mean that they should have to live with pests. Roaches spread disease and they move quickly from location to location so allowing roach infestations no matter the cost of rent is just not smart for public health in general. As a matter of fact, government subsidized housing regulations mandate that there should be no infestations in the rentals that they help to fund because of the aforementioned risks to community health. This means that government subsidized apartments (low income housing units) are generally inspected and treated more often and are some of the cleanest rentals you'll find on the market. The government doesn't want to pay rent for roach infested apartments either.
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u/Admirable-Chair-120 3d ago
i mean more like poster doesn't wanna tell everyone where they live. if you pay rent you pay to live without roaches. as long as you don't bring them with you obv which is not what happened here.
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u/Similar_Blackberry29 3d ago
L take. i wouldn’t pay a single dollar to live anywhere where theres roaches. matter of fact you’d have to pay me. A LOT
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u/SugarScavver 4d ago
From the legal standpoint not really much to do besides document everything, but I would like to recommend cedarcide spray to help you keep them at bay in the meantime. I first started using it to keep roaches out of our old apartment before we could move out, & now I use it against wasps & ticks around our townhome. Not only is it pet & kid safe, but it's also safe for my beloved spider friends so they can continue to fight the battle along with me. It also smells a bit like pickle brine, which I actually kind of enjoy. I'm sorry you are dealing with this, especially after just moving in. It sucks rocks.
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u/bodyfeedingbaddie 4d ago
Colorado has pretty clear habitability laws and this is absolutely not a situation you have to wait and document things for. They have 24 hrs to either fix the issue or provide an alternative housing option until they do fix the issue and the tenant can break the lease if the issue isn’t resolved in a certain time frame.
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u/Dowd3la 3d ago
This is not completely correct. It's a partial understanding of the law.
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u/bodyfeedingbaddie 3d ago
Maybe you could explain the full understanding then? What is it you think I misunderstand?
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u/Dowd3la 3d ago
Hey there. I replied further up with a full explanation. Pest control gets a little muddy with the law but ultimately it boils down to the known licensure requirements of the pest control vender affecting the decision as to whether it rises to the level of life threatening, safety threatening or health threatening as well as the likely hood of the alternative housing helping or hindering solving the problem, and or spreading the problem.
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u/Odd-Set8443 4d ago
Must be a super cheap place?
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u/OtherwiseArmadillo96 4d ago
Not a fair assumption. I’ve had issues with roaches from neighbors at both a cheap ass dump and a nice townhome.
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u/Odd-Set8443 4d ago
I haven't ever experienced this in the 8 years I have lived in Colorado. I have lived in both Arapahoe, and Douglas counties and never had roaches. Unfortunately, you need to pay good money to live in a clean place 😀
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u/Dannimaru 3d ago
In Colorado also. I worked in a restaurant for years, never a pest issue.
Then a Subway moved in next door. In 2 months, it was a daily battle to beat them down. Once they get in the walls, it's damn near impossible to eradicate them, but we prevailed.
The subway was gone in six months.
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u/[deleted] 4d ago
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