DENVER — Tyjohanna Whitaker calls it a nightmare.
Whitaker was in a pinch to find a rental property after she said her family was forced out of a previous rental lease. Whitaker turned to a website with a history of helping renters find a place to live who have challenges passing a background check.
Whitaker came across a home at 4381 Ireland Street in Green Valley Ranch in Denver. She said it was the right size for her, her three grandchildren and two adult children. The rent was affordable for them as well at $2,400 a month.
"It was four bedrooms, four bathrooms, finished basement," Whitaker said. “We really thought that this was our blessing. We were like thank god we found a house without a credit check."
Whitaker met with the landlord in July. She said she walked through the property while another tenant was still living in the house.
"She had furniture, pictures on the walls," Whitaker said.
Whitaker admits she noticed issues.
"It reeked when we came in and saw the house," she said. "The carpet was atrocious."
Whitaker claims to have expressed those concerns to Mark Palasz, who is listed on her lease agreement as the lessee of the property.
Whitaker said Palasz told her he would take care of it. Before moving in, Palasza asked the Whitakers to pay the rent and damage deposit upfront, a total of nearly $5,000.
"We gave him money in good faith that we were going to be moving into a good place," she said. "I feel like we didn’t have another choice. We had to move."
On move-in day in August, Whitaker said she was mortified by what she found.
PHOTOS | A look at the home at 4381 Ireland St.
"Mold. Lots of mold," Whitaker said. "Urine stained carpet."
There was also an exposed electrical circuit for the oven on the kitchen floor, according to documents obtained from Denver's Department of Public Health and Environment (DDPHE).
"We have the live socket that he left open and live," Whitaker said.
The family called DDPHE. One of their inspectors found 14 violations including a damaged furnace duct, which was allowing carbon monoxide to leak into the home. Documents also show signs of rodents, water damage, mold, dog feces, and a backyard of waste and debris.
The home also tested positive for methamphetamine.
The city said a certified industrial hygienist will now test to see if the contamination levels reach what are considered dangerous by the state.
"It’s difficult to say, at this point in time, whether the property is safe for habitation," said Danica Lee, the director of DDPHE. "That is something we are trying to determine as quickly as possible."
The landlord was sent a letter from DDPHE notifying him of a 30-day timeline to clean up the property before facing fines up to $999 a day.
Until then, the Whitaker said her family is waiting it out.
"We’re just existing," she said. "We’re not living here. We come in, we sleep on air mattresses. Get up and function. The kids have no place to play. All there is is nasty trash and dirt in the backyard, rocks and concrete in the front yard."
"We sit out in our car, we can’t eat, we haven’t had a cooked meal," Whitaker continued. "It’s like were homeless. I feel helpless."
The Whitakers said Palasz offered to return some of the money they paid, but they want a full refund along with what else they've spent on clean up.
"I just don’t understand how it all evolved to this massive nightmare," Whitaker said.
Palasz was not able to be reached for comment for this story.
The City of Denver says it has received more than 800 complaints of poor living conditions this year alone. More than 70 of those have been deemed “legally unlivable."
If you find yourself in a similar situation with your landlord and are not getting answers, you can file a complaint online or by calling 311 in Denver.
You can find a direct link here: https://bit.ly/2a5gGkK
Outside of Denver, complaints are handled by specific counties. Contact your county and city to learn how to make reports against landlords.
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