Residents at a Burnsville apartment complex are living in squalid conditions, with rampant insects, moldy carpet, crumbling drywall, faulty plumbing and dozens of fire code violations, leading the city to the unprecedented step of suspending the owner's rental license.

Country Village Apartments, a six-building complex with 138 units, has drawn city scrutiny for seven months, during which time inspectors have logged 550 hours investigating violations, the city said.

Ceilings are sagging from water damage. At least one family has no shower -- just a pipe sticking out of a patched bathroom wall; they bathe using a bucket. Inspectors found a toad happily living in a damp vacant unit.

"I'm embarrassed that there is a place like this in the city of Burnsville," said City Council Member Mary Sherry. "I'm mortified."

The city suspended Country Village's rental license on Tuesday, the first time the city has taken such a step since its rental ordinance was enacted in 2005. The company has two months to fix the problems.

The city reviews all rental licenses for reissue on Jan. 1 of each year. If the city were to revoke the license for Country Village, all the residents would have to move.

"If it weren't for the fact that they have occupied units, the recommendation of staff [to suspend the license] would be much harsher," City Attorney Joel Jamnik told the council.

Many of the residents are immigrants who speak limited English, and people interviewed by the Star Tribune didn't want to give their names. One man said of the apartments, "They're in ruins."

The apartment where he lives with his family, including two children, flooded when water came gushing through the bathroom ceiling. The stove barely works, and the covers of electrical outlets are cracked or missing. The carpet is so stained the family bought area rugs to cover it when management wouldn't replace it.

Jason Hutchison, an attorney representing owner Lindahl Properties, based in Wayzata, told the City Council Tuesday that the company had been trying to make repairs with in-house maintenance staff but has since hired a contractor.

"We understand the concerns," Hutchison said, adding that when the time comes for the annual license renewal, the owners will be "presenting a different version of the properties."

After the meeting, he declined to comment on how the apartments came to be in their current state, citing an ongoing court case over one of the code violation citations.

On Wednesday, Hutchison said he "wasn't authorized by my client to comment except to say that they are working with the city of Burnsville to remedy the city's concerns regarding those properties."

City Council members who approved the license suspension -- prohibiting the rental of any vacant unit for two months or until the property comes into compliance -- said they were appalled by inspectors' reports. By the city's count, 17 of the 138 apartments are vacant.

"We're not going to allow conditions like this to go on any further," said Council Member Dan Kealey.

Since April, the city has opened up 129 cases of violations of the building occupancy codes: 80 for mold and water damage, 98 for damaged doors, windows, tile and walls, 28 for plumbing, 28 for electrical work and appliances, and others.

Fire Marshal Lee LeTourelle said the owners have fixed some of the dozens of fire code violations, including adding smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, but about 75 percent of the fire code issues still need remedies.

Long-festering problem

Country Village first drew the city's attention in March when firefighters responded to a call about a grease fire. While they were on the scene, residents began to approach them about other problems.

Burnsville Fire Chief B.J. Jungmann said Country Village will need to improve by "leaps and bounds to let people live there."

Residents said they tried to report problems. A family whose bathroom didn't work said they were given a key and told to use the facilities in another apartment.

Another resident said it wasn't until she threatened not to pay rent that her air conditioner was fixed.

Eric Hauge, a tenant organizer with the advocacy group Homeline, said it's not unusual for low-income residents of problem properties to have their complaints ignored, despite state laws to protect them.

"The only way to enforce that is to go to court, which takes time, money and the willingness to kind of stick out and possibly be retaliated against," he said.

He said his organization has previously heard of problems at another Lindahl Properties apartment complex in Shakopee.

Shakopee officials said they responded to complaints about bedbug and cockroach infestations in 2010 at Hunter's Ridge near Gorman Street and Marschall Road. The city hasn't heard from residents since an exterminator was brought in, said Michael Leek, community development director.

The collapse of the housing market exacerbates the problem for people seeking affordable housing.

According to the Dakota County Community Development Agency, which surveys local multifamily properties, rent at Country Village is about $625 per month for a one-bedroom apartment.

"The vacancy rate metrowide is really tightening, making it so places like this are kind of the remaining options for affordable housing," Hauge said.

Katie Humphrey • 952-746-3286