KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A group of students living at The Standard near the University of Tennessee have had a difficult time getting into their apartment due to a problem with cockroaches.

For multiple days last October, students like Laura Fetherling and her four roommates sat outside on the concrete at the Standard on 17th street in an attempt to get their name on a lease.

Come move in time in August, the group was surprised to see an abundance of roaches running around the apartment.

“I started vacuuming up the living room and everything, then I was like, I bet they didn’t even touch underneath the couch cushions. I pick up all the cushions and there’s dog hair all over it,” Laura Fetherling said. “I start vacuuming it with the little hose of the vacuum and then I start hearing stuff going into the vacuum. I was like ‘wonder what that is’, I pull back the little hose and they all just came running out of the couch.”

Throughout the multiple weeks of trying to get the issues fixed, Laura and her roommates received an email from the complex on August 28th saying, “We were able to extend the accommodations through next Tuesday, September 5th, to allow pest control more time to aide in the extermination process. We will also extend the stipend to September 5th.”

A second email said there is minimal activity based on the bait boxes, which where switched on August 31st.

“Sophia was like, ‘Oh we’re not going to be able to move in. It sounds like the cockroach thing is not under control,'” said David and Sheila Daniels, whose daughter is rooming with Laura. “Her other roommates were trying to move in a day ahead and said ‘yeah there’s just no way we can live here.”

Parents had to step in to get any kind of response from the complex.

“They still did not want to entertain any kind of particular conversation until the parents stepped in and started contacting them, so that was a little disappointing as well,” the Daniels said.

Even with what the apartment provided the students, hotel stays and other stipends, the roaches are still running around the apartment.

“There’s about 20 traps in our apartment right now and there’s like one or two and some have five on them. It’s still pretty bad,” Fetherling said.

Laura and her roommates have officially moved into their apartment, several weeks after they were supposed to.

The Standard and its parent company, Landmark Properties, sent WATE the following statement on September 8.

“The health and safety of our residents are always our top priorities. Upon learning of this isolated issue and in line with established protocols, management took immediate corrective actions. Residents of impacted units have been placed in hotels and provided food stipends and rental concessions as we complete the remediation procedures.”

Landmark Properties

EDITOR’S NOTE: Story updated to add statement from Landmark Properties.