Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/03/2023

  Type:Customer Service 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 rented an apartment from this management company, ********** ***** *********, from December 2021 through January 2023. I a couple of issues along the way, roaches, changed out 3 or 4 refrigerators and a microwave during that time and lost money on the items from the freezer that thawed but for the most part a good experience. My issue, I was not returned any of my $****** deposit. $***** for carpet cleaning (they said this is a standard fee at the cost of the resident, $******+ for cleaning and $****** for a decorative sticker that was left on the wall that I could not get off and holes from mounting 1 TV. I completely accept the $******, the sticker needed to be removed and those holes needed to be repaired. ( I was granted access to hang the TV by property management. I cleaned the apartment before I left, vacuumed, cleaned the bathroom, wiped down cupboard and drawers, a general good cleaning for moving out. I did not have a pet, but the carpet at times did stink of pet urine which I reported to the management. I doing some research, ******** statute says a tenant cant be charged for normally wear and tear on an apartment. When I asked for some of the photos that were taken to provide proof that an additional $****** of cleaning was needed, with the carpets, they sent me photos of: a corner of the trim with dust, the inside of detergent dispenser of the washing machine, the drain to the bathtub, a spot, marked with blue tape on a window blind. At no time, did property management EVER state that move out cleaning was to be at the level of move in ready for the next tenant. In good faith, I did clean the apartment. I am not asking for my whole deposit to be returned, but I do believe this property company is charging tenants against state statute and I am owed at least 1/2 of my $****** deposit back. Instead, I received a bill for $***** additional dollars on top of the $****** deposit. I would appreciate your help as all my emails/calls go nowhere.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/16/2023

  Hello, We have reviewed her complaint and stand behind our charges and will continue to do so. I have uploaded her lease stating that the carpet cleaning charge would occur at the end of her lease. I don't know how to zip files so i wasn't able to upload more of the dirty photos we have. We always follow the rules for fair housing and we did the same on her move out. She didn't not leave the apartment clean, we had charged her for that. We have many items that we do to turn an apartment that are considered normal wear and tear that don't get charged back to the tenant. We feel with the state that she left things the cleaning charges were fair and necessary. I have included comments below on the timing of then appliances were needing to be fixed or replaced. We accommodated her by giving her some compensation for the lost food and also she had access to alternative storage via our common area fridge and microwave. As everyone knows right now there can be a time delay on getting new appliances and also getting someone out to fix them. That is why there is some time delay but also why our property manager exchanged out the fridge with an available one from a vacant apartment. I would be more than happy to send over a few more pictures of the cleaning that needed to be done. We do our best to only charge the minimum to our tenants upon move out, however this apartment was not close to our standard of move out clean. Please let us know if you would like any further explanation of our charges. Again below are the comments from our property manager and how he handled the appliances and any bugs she mentioned

   

  The first time on the fridge it was 12-4-21.  Freezer was not freezing food and she ended up putting some food downstairs in the lounge.  Trevor came out to look at it on 12-6 and said compressor was bad and needed a new one.  That day we just swapped out a fridge from another unit for her to have.  We ended up giving her a credit of $** for her food in freezer that went bad.  We had issues with ***** and the installers they sent out on the ice maker but since then, she always had a fridge that worked, just not the icemaker right away.  The last time on the fridge, she put in the request on 12-18-22 and we had an empty unit so I swapped out the fridges so she had one that worked while we got the other one fixed. We gave her a credit of half of her food so $** credit applied.  She mentioned the bugs but said was not sure if they were roaches or bugs.  She said she did not needed it sprayed but just was asking about it.  Told her we can get it sprayed just to make sure and was going to schedule with her.  She said , if we even need to get it sprayed if she doesn't think they are in the apartment which doesn't make sense.  But asked her if next week would be good to spray and she said that she had to quarantine for about 2 weeks so just told her to contact me when she is better so we can schedule it.  But she never did.  Her microwave request was put in on 11-1-22, we tried to reset it but didn't work.  Ended up ordering a new one and was installed on 11-8 when we got it.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/20/2023

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because I did clean the apartment above the level that most tenants would have left it.  I cleaned the bathroom: sink, tub, mirror, toilet, wiped down drawers and cabinets - mopped.  I cleaned the kitchen, counters, wiped down drawers and cabinets, cleaned the frig and freezer.  I wipe off some marks on the walls from furniture scuffs, I mopped the kitchen, I vacuumed the entire apartment and removed all the trash/moving supplies, etc....I even reported after cleaning the bathtub to management to check the bathtub drain because I noticed it was draining slow.  On top of that, back to his response, all of my offering of issues were validated by him and as stated, he only compensated for 1/2 of the food that I lost when two of the freezers went out.  

  IF you look at the photo examples they provided they are completely ridiculous.  A couple things, 1. He showed the apartment while I was still living in it.  I would expect for someone that was not able to clean appropriately, he would have never let someone into my apartment to view to rent.  That person did rent the apartment after viewing.  NEVER was it mentioned or written the expectation of cleaning needing to be at a "move in level" of ready.  I did clean the apartment.  2. The current apartment I live in, reached out to him and asked, along with my previous apartment prior, and offered that he would accept me again as a tenant.  Between myself, and my children and the apartments that we rented, this will be FIRST experience that I have ever had with not getting a deposit back for cleaning.  I lived in the apartment for ** months....not always perfect as you can see from the issue I referenced but I truly believe this is a scam to keep tenants deposits under false pretenses …hence why they hide in the lease language the carpet cleaning as they know they are technically not able to bill for that, as that too is normal wear and tear. If you look at the issues, they are minor issues at best, nothing that would be worth OVER $****** of cleaning.  I cleaned and the apartment was in great condition when I left.  I am not asking for all my deposit back....I put up the decorative sticker on the wall, I have accepted him lying about mounting of TV and paying to fix the holes and the nail holes....I did not clean the oven that was my mistake, but I deserve a fair amount of deposit back.  So I agree to the $****** to fill minor holes and remove the decorative sticker, I will eat the carpet cleaning fee, and I own the oven not being cleaned - so I would asked for $****** for repair, $***** for carpet cleaning, $***** for oven cleaning - with a return of $******.  I have not posted or shared my experience on any social media platforms regarding my experience, and wont unless I do not get resolution from them.  This is 100% not right and is a complete scam to get additional funds from a tenant.  Just sad, I have had so many great experiences with renting between myself and my kiddos ** *******, and this just makes no sense.  I appreciate your help in attempting to resolve this issue with me. I can get witnesses statements from those that helped me move to provide a summary of the condition of the apartment even before I cleaned if that would help. 
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  Heather *******