I recently obtained new employment in Denver Colorado, so I, and my family, moved from Georgia. I sought out rental agencies to locate a home for us to move into upon our arrival. I found Stars and Stripes Homes, a veteran owned and veteran friendly company. So, as a veteran myself, I thought I would go with them and show my support. Once in Denver, we arrived at the new house to meet Stuart, conduct a walk through and take possession of the home. The first thing I noticed when we went inside was the putrid odor of urine. I was assured that the carpets had been professionally cleaned multiple times and that the odor would dissipate within a few hours. I also noticed that the home was not very clean. There was brown residue in the base of the master shower, that Stuart insisted was clean, but stained. He said that they even used bleach to try to clean the shower, but it wouldn't come out. I later discovered that with some light scrubbing and warm water, the brown "stain" began to wash right off. The back yard was mostly dirt with some patches of weeds here and there. Stuart claimed that $12,000 had been spent recently to improve the yard. I noticed that there were some mouse traps under the sink in the kitchen and droppings all over. Stuart insisted that there was only a sighting of one or two mice, but that an exterminator was already working on the issue. So, being that our deposit had been paid weeks ahead to reserve the home, we had to put the so-called "small issues" aside and move in anyways. We hired movers who unloaded our 26 foot moving truck, with everything we owned, into the house. We had opened all of the windows and doors to allow the home to air out so that the horrid smell of animal urine could "dissipate in a few hours", as Stuart had promised. That evening, the odor was still so strong after several hours, that we couldn't even stay in the house that night. We packed a bag and had to rent a hotel room. We left all of the windows open and allowed the house to continue to air out. We returned the next afternoon to find that the home, still, smelled horribly of urine. I called Stuart several times, before I was able to finally speak to him. In the mean-time, while waiting for a return call, I began noticing dog hair all over the carpet. Again, I am reiterating that Stuart assured me that the carpets had been professionally cleaned multiple times, but yet I was able to brush together a large handful of dog hair with just a few swipes across the carpet. Stuart finally returned my call and I was able to explain the situation to him. Stuart made excuse after excuse and never actually took responsibility for anything. I had to absolutely insist that the carpets be replaced before Stuart offered to contact the owner's and attempt to resolve the issue. A side note, we were promised that the dated and hardly functioning kitchen cabinets were going to be replaced in the near future, and I had to offer to forego the new cabinets before Stuart agreed to do anything with the carpet. While we were at the house, beginning to unpack after we came to an accord about the carpet, we noticed that there were mouse droppings all over our belongings that were there overnight. I also noticed that there were mouse droppings in our suitcase, which had only been in the house for a few hours, since we returned from the hotel. My dogs were going crazy and wouldn't stop hunting around the house. My fiancé was washing a load of clothes and a mouse ran out from under the dryer and across her foot. I contacted Stuart again and explained to him that the living condition of the home was unacceptable. It took another day for the company to decide that they would release us from the contract and allow us to move into another home. So, again, we had to pay out of pocket for a hotel because there were mice everywhere in the home. We were even able to hear them scratching around inside the walls. I was offered the opportunity to find another house within the selection that the company had to offer and we could move "without any fees or repercussions". We found a house and it took several days of back and forth with Stuart to determine whether we could move to the second house or not. Stuart, again, made excuse after excuse and even began placing blame on the other leasing agent that was responsible for the second home. I finally got tired of Stuart's excuses and contacted the other leasing agent, Susan, directly. Susan had no idea why there was such a delay and had us at the home and signing the lease within a few hours; something that was taking Stuart several days. In closing, the house was disgusting, dirty, smelled like urine, infested with mice, and just over all uninhabitable. This home should have NEVER been placed on the market in the condition that it was in. I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT RECOMMEND RENTING FROM STARS AND STRIPES HOMES! If you are a home owner, you should think twice before having this company manage your rental. read more
