Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Essex Property Trust, Inc.'s headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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• 

  Essex Property Trust, Inc.

  1100 Park Pl Ste 200 San Mateo, CA 94403-7107

• 

  Ascent Apartment Homes

  12062 Slater Ave NE Kirkland, WA 98034-8601

• 

  Avondale Apartments

  22222 Victory Blvd Woodland Hills, CA 91367-1832

• 

  Essex Property Trust, Inc.

  36826 Cherry St Newark, CA 94560-3751

• 

  Brookside Oaks Apt Homes

  1651 Belleville Way Sunnyvale, CA 94087-3926

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/10/2023

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My health insurance provides help with utilities which is new this year. My health insurance sent a check to Cedar ******** to cover part of my utility in the amount of $86.09. Essex received the check on the 26th and cashed it but never put the portion towards my utility. I called and emailed for several weeks before receiving a response requesting a picture of the front and back of check which I was unable to attain but did provide the transaction ID. My insurance has called and left messages with Cedar Terrace with no response. All in all Essex has stolen $86.09 from me and refuse to put in my account. I have had help in the past with churches where Cedar Terrace has lost checks several times which has to be reissued but never had them outright steal but that is who they are now. Also, the water bill is one bill combined by 180 units and divided equally. There is an obvious leak somewhere which was fixed several years ago and overages paid back to tenants but the bill increased back to the leak amount a few months after being fixed and nobody has attempted to fix the leak this time and it has been a few years.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/22/2023

  Hello, 
  We're disheartened to see this complaint, especially knowing our teams always go above and beyond to assist our residents with any concerns they might have. With that said, after speaking with the management team at Cedar Terrace, we can confirm our accounting department has been in constant communication with this person regarding their comments here and has asked this resident to provide a check number and a copy of the check so they can further review their concerns. Unfortunately, this still needs to be completed, making it difficult for our accounting team to assist this person. Additionally, the current management team at Cedar Terrace has no record of the leak mentioned in this complaint, and they encourage the resident to contact them directly at ***************************************.   
  Thank you, 
  Essex Management 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/24/2023

   
  Complaint: 19384681
  
  I am rejecting this response because: The check was sent directly from my insurance provider to the address given to me via email from Cedar Terrace. The check was tracked by the insurance company and was mailed on the 17th, received and cashed on the 26th of January. I have provided the amount of the check, the company who sent the check, the receipt sent to me from the company regarding the check, the transaction ID of the cashing of the check. The company does not provide the check number for what reasons I do not know but I have tried for many weeks to receive. With all the information provided Essex could easily see via their bank whether they have received the check. In the end Essex has received and cashed a check for my bills and kept the money. That is theft. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************

  Business Response

  Date: 03/06/2023

  While we understand this resident's frustration regarding their check, they will need to work with the team directly to resolve this issue as they'll best be able to assist them. 
  Thank you, 
  Essex Management 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/08/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My boyfriend and I lease an apartment from Shadowbrook. We have been residents for 9 years. Our lease was up at the end of September 2022 and prior to the end of our lease, my boyfriend emailed *********** asking to discuss our lease renewal offer. *********** never replied and we were automatically put on month to month payments which are significantly higher (hundreds of dollars per month higher) than what we pay if were in a lease. We emailed again on 10/21/22 and again in 10/26/22 with no response from Shadowbrook. I also tried emailing Essex, the company that owns Shadowbrook, with no response. Ive also called more than 50 times and left several voicemails because they never answer the phone. I finally received a call on 11/15/22 from a representative from Shadowbrook stating that we needed to email Shadowbrook with our lease information and they would credit all of the extra money weve been paying on month to month. I sent the requested information via email same day and havent heard anything since. We have been on month to month rent payments for 5 months now and have been hurting financially because of it. It is completely unacceptable to be completely unavailable to your residents as a landlord. We havent been able to do anything about our lease and we also cant report people who park in our assigned parking spots so now people park wherever they want because they know theres nothing anyone can do about it. If Shadowbrook doesnt resolve our lease issue through the BBB ASAP, we will be hiring a lawyer.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/23/2023

  Hello,  
  While we're sorry for any delay in responding to this resident's complaint, we can confirm this issue has since been resolved. As the management team at Shadowbrook shared with us, the resident signed a lease renewal on February 9 for $2,175 that was backdated to September 26. Additionally, their ledger was adjusted to credit back the overage in MTM amounts. If they have any questions or further concerns, they should contact the team directly at **************************************.   
  Thank you, 
  Essex Management 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/05/2023

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  This is regarding the ********** apartment in ********, **. managed by Essex. They informed me that I willget 1 month free + $100 off monthly rent, if Isign up by Nov. 9. 2022. Therefore, I signed up in time. However, they did not adjust the rent and kept charging the additional $100 monthly rent. They refused to even respond, when I contacted them about it several times.I heard that they are notorious for charging residents wrong and then forcing them to pay by sending the cases to collection agencies. Therefore I am asking BBB to help me now.Additional Info: My rent started on Dec. 16. 2022. I could not move in at that time because they failed to send me the signedcontract in time unlike they promised. (It was cross country moving.) When I tried to enter my apartment on Dec. 30, I could not access my apartment because the code was not working, there was no heat because the wire was cut off and they did not cleanthe apartment at all. I had to pay several hundred dollars out of my pocket to hire contractors to clean, in addition to cleaningthe apartment for weeks by myself: As you can see from the photos, I had to clean previous residents' urine stains, food grease, hairs and insects etc, in addition to the massive dust. I am still living with the dirty carpet, stains that could not be removed, mold theyjust covered with caulking and hair/dust because they just painted over them and I could not get them out. However, they also charged an additional utility fee, when I was cleaning, instead of them. They know that I put up with everything so I think that they are abusing by not honoring the deal this time.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/22/2023

  Hi there,  
  While we're sorry for the delayed response to this resident's complaint, we've contacted the management team at ********** and can confirm this issue has been resolved. As they shared with this person, the monthly concession has been applied to their account, and the team has agreed to waive any cleaning and carpet charges upon their move-out. Additionally, management offered one week free and reimbursement for the vent cleaning; however, this resident declined their offer. If they have any questions, they are welcome to contact ********** directly at ***********************************************. 
  Thank you,  
  Essex Management 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/23/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I appreciate BBB for helping me on this matter. They did not resolve it until you were involved. Your work is valuable and appreciated.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/04/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We were charged for move-out cleaning for an absurd total of $900. After the security deposit $600, the property management asked us to pay the $300 balance. After receiving the charges, we have been contacting the management team via email. We received one response in the beginning that did not explain the charges and only told us to look at the online portal (which we did). We followed up multiple times over the next few weeks and got no response at all. Finally, they sent us another email about the balance being past due. I replied asking why there had been no response to our email. A representative, ***********************, replied saying that she had no idea about the prior communication and has submitted our account for credit reporting. We called her explaining the situation. She did not answer any questions and started talking over us, providing no actual information except acting with questionable frustration. We paid the bill immediately after the call since she could resolve the issue and we did not want it to look like our fault when in fact it was not. However, at this point, we still have not received any explanation about the charges. It is outrageous that the property management team ignored our communication for weeks and the first response after that is to information us about a credit reporting without prior notice. We need explanation of the charges, adjusting any billing error, and correction of the credit reporting that was submitted without communication. We also would like to understand why a representative assigned to assist us acted in such an unprofessional manner.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/08/2023

  Hello, 
  While its never ideal to see a past resident complaint, we appreciate this person bringing their concerns to our attention. After reviewing their account and final move-out statement with our ******* Services team, we can confirm the account specialist advised this person to forward any previous communication and helpful information so they could look further into the issue. However, ******* Services never received anything from this past resident. If they have any further questions, they are encouraged to contact ******************************************. 
  Thank you,  
  Essex Management 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/09/2023

   
  Complaint: 19332200
  
  I am rejecting this response. I am attaching the full history of the email communication for your reference.

   

  First of all, the account specialist did not ask us for the communication history and it is outrageous for you to indicate so in the response. We called her directly explaining the situation and she outright refused to help indicating that she was not aware of the issue.

   

  In terms of the communication we had, as you can see, we have been requesting explanation of the charges and supporting images. The first representative initially asked us to check the portal, and then started to ignore our messages when we suggested that the portal could not be accessed. When they finally replied, they still did not provide the explanation or supporting documents. Then you could see that after being ignored for an extended amount of time, the second agent, without even addressing the issue, threatened us with credit reporting.

   

  Please provide explanation of charges, correct the bill, and remove the unfair credit report immediately.

  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/02/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I recently moved out of Montonosa apartments in ********* (owned by Essex) and I am having a hard time contacting anyone about my move out packet. No one answers the phone for current/past residents. I called the appointment line and they confirmed that no one answers. I lived there for a year and 3 months. When I received my move out packet, they took my entire security deposit of $1200 for multiple issues. I also paid a $600 pet fee that was supposed to be refunded and was not. On top of that I paid $150 a month for pet rent. I was charged for the carpet, cleaning fee and painting. I made sure that the carpet was always clean. I regularly vacuumed and shampooed the carpet. My dogs NEVER urinated on the carpet and they are labeling the carpet as pet damages. The damages to the carpet are underneath the carpet, not on the surface. Where the carpet stains are, I had furniture and a rug in some of those areas so I know it was not due to my dogs. I do not believe the carpet was replaced before me and Im positive there was an animal in the house before me because there were damages to the cabinets caused by the prior resident. So if you can find out if the carpet was replaced before me because I feel like they are trying to charge whatever they can out of me. I read reviews on this place and it seems this is a reoccurring issue with this company. I also replaced the stove inserts so they were new. There are only a few things that werent clean. I will attach photos the photos. The dishwasher was never used. It has a yellow staining on it. A small amount of dust on a ceiling fan. Sink is apparently dirty. They are very minor things and they are charging me a full clean. I took videos of the apartment as well if you need. I cant attach to this document. What I mainly would like to have you guys help with is, the carpet issue, and getting my pet deposit of $600 back. Im also not sure why I paid $150 a month for pet rent if it didnt help move out cost

  Business Response

  Date: 02/08/2023

  Hello, 
  We regret to see this past resident's complaint and learn of any frustration they may have experienced after receiving their final move-out statement. With that said, we'd like to take this opportunity to address their comments regarding pet rent and carpet. 
  After speaking with the team at Montanosa, we can confirm the carpet was replaced on September 13, 2021, and this resident moved in on September 30, 2021, so the carpet was brand-new upon move-in. Additionally, the pet rent at Montanosa is $75/month for each pet, so since they had two dogs, their pet rent was $150/month. $600 is also the standard deposit, and there was an additional $600 when they added their pets, which resulted in $1,200. While we hope this is helpful information, if this past resident has further questions, they are encouraged to contact **********************************************.   
  Thank you,  
  Essex Management 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/01/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  HORRIBLE place to live. Apartments used to be nice now a complete dump. NO ONE knows how to help you with anything... But if money is involved owed or NOT they're All over it. I've been charged and threatened with "legal action" for miscommunication and poor management skills. VERY rude. Just super sketchy place to live now. Packages taken. Coming into your apartment WITHOUT permission and never wants to fix or upgrade anything but yet ALWAYS wanting raise the rent. Don't move unless you want a permanent headache.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/08/2023

  Hello, 
  We're disheartened to see this complaint and learn this resident's experience has been anything but perfect. Unfortunately, it's difficult to speak to the concerns mentioned here without knowing the name of the community they called home. However, we can assure them that providing excellent customer service and resolutions to concerns brought to our attention remain a top priority for us. If they have any potential issues they would like addressed or questions, we encourage them to contact the team directly, as they'll best be able to assist them. 
  Thank you,   
  Essex Management 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/31/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I am FURIOUS and DISGUSTED to find out ESSEXPROPTST is lying on my credit report. I've never had anything to do with this company and they're breaking the law by falsely reporting to my credit file. The account number they're claiming, XXXXXXXX, is completely fake and they have NO right to be on my credit report at all.I COMMAND ESSEXPROPTST to give me PROOF right now of this supposed account. I want to see the original application, contract, note or anything else with my signature. If they can't produce it, those items better be removed from my credit report immediately. I won't tolerate this obvious violation of my rights and I expect a FAST and FAIR resolution.Also, I demand ESSEXPROPTST to send the validation documents to the BBB and to me via certified mail. I won't let them ignore me and I want IMMEDIATE action to restore my good credit. This illegal and unethical behavior from ESSEXPROPTST will NOT be tolerated!

  Business Response

  Date: 02/07/2023

  Hello,  
  We're sorry to see this BBB complaint and learn about this situation. After connecting with our ******* Services team, this person is encouraged to dispute any charges directly at **************************************************************. This person will also want to upload proof of their identity and current residency for the past few years. If they have any questions, they can contact ******* Services directly at ******************************************.   
  Thank you,  
  Essex Management

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/26/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I have no ties to this business or any of its properties. They imposed a 14k collection against me despite never setting foot in their building or signing a lease. They have no legal grounds to impose a collection. They are not returning my calls or working with me to resolve this in a timely fashion. Their recklessness and lackadaisical response ruined my credit and is affecting my ability to rent.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/27/2023

  Hello, 
  We regret to see this BBB complaint and learn about this situation. After connecting with our ******* Services team, this person is encouraged to dispute any charges directly at **************************************************************. This person will also want to upload proof of their identity and current residency for the past few years. If they have any questions, they can contact ******* Services directly at ******************************************.  
  Thank you, 
  Essex Management 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/31/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

  The core of the complaint is rested on the groups lack of apparent concern that my identity was stolen at their business. They referred to it as an "inquiry" and notified me they'll respond within 2 weeks. Even their response on BBB, resting the responsibility on tasks I should accomplish, negates the fact the crime happened at their business and only they have access to the necessary information to fully detail the case of identity theft.

  Because they did cooperate after I filed the compliant, I am dropping my issue with BBB. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/17/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  In order to view the apartments they asked for a $300 deposit which I paid they then denied my application which they told me they would send me my $300 deposit back which they never did I have several emails and messages regarding this matter but they have not helped they avoid my call the answer if I call from another number then stop answering and shady business

  Business Response

  Date: 01/18/2023

  Hello,   
  Unfortunately, without knowing the name of the community this person applied for, were unable to speak to their specific concerns. While we hope this matter has since been resolved, if this person still requires assistance, they are encouraged to ************************** they applied to in order to secure their refund if applicable.   
  Thank you, 
  Essex Management 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/09/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I was looking for an apartment to rent and found this place online. I put a holding fee of 300$ and another 48$ for my credit check ( which I am not including). I have not recently rented and do not know how the process works so I reached out and spoke with Jazzmine with not much help. I asked to visit the office which they do not have? Ok one to two days later they finally got back to me with me trying multiple times to reach them and finally got fed up. I told Jazzmine that since I can not receive proper help and have not even seen the apartment that I want my 300$ back! She then told me that I forfeited it??? Huh??? I have all emails proving this and all I want is my money back for a service I never used!! I just wonder how many more people have they done this too? No I did not sign anything!!!! This is horrible way to do business!!!

  Business Response

  Date: 01/17/2023

  Hello,

  
  While we're sorry to see this complaint and learn of any confusion this person may have experienced regarding our cancellation and refund policy, we'd like to take this opportunity to clarify some of their comments. Our teams always strive to be transparent about our cancellation policy, which states that a refund can be given within *************************************************************************** their application is denied. Unfortunately, when they decided to cancel their application on 12/21, it was well past the 24-hour cancellation window. 
  

  Additionally, after speaking with the team at Cedar Terrace, we can confirm that on 12/19, a day after this person applied, our leasing team reached out requesting proof of income. When this person asked where to send the appropriate documents, the leasing team responded the same day with the information. On 12/20 and 12/21, the team was contacted an additional time regarding proof of income, which they reiterated to this prospective resident. If they have further questions, they're welcome to contact the team directly at ***************************************.   
  

  Thank you,  
  Essex Management