Complaints

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:08/23/2024

  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've been renting with Bancroft & Associates for over 5 years (March 2019 - July 2024) and have been a model tenant for the entire length of my rental history. My original security deposit was for $1350. Upon move-out, I personally purchased professional steam cleaning and vacuuming of the property. Once I moved out, I received a letter that said they will be taking the full amount of my security deposit plus an additional amount that I owed of $17.36. The bill itemization included blinds repair (which I have a photo of the broken blinds at move-in inspection), cleaning for $1,107.85 - which includes vacuuming despite the professional service I paid for, and curtain rod removal. The curtain rod is a twist model that takes less than 5 seconds to remove. My pictures at move-in also show that the rental unit was in a similar state as when I moved out. At move-out there was nothing more than normal wear/tear over my 5 years as a tenant at the property. This is obviously a nefarious method Bancroft & Associates uses to stoke profits in their business and should be stopped.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/26/2024

  The system is not allowing me to upload photos, despite being small enough and in the right format, please contact me for them, as I cannot stop the response process once begun.

  The home was simply not left clean. The floors weren't even swept. The oven and stove were both dirty, the refrigerator, bathroom sinks, the AC filter cover, laundry closet floor, master shower floor, etc, etc. Almost every room had some area that needed to be cleaned. Contrary to Ms Valkov's claim, dirty is never considered "normal wear and tear." A tenant is expected to leave their rental clean when they leave, regardless of how long they've resided in the premises. The pictures clearly show the home was not left clean, therefore Ms Valkov is financially responsible for the cost to clean.

  However, the initial figure for the cleaning was generated from an estimate, which is allowed in Arizona. As has been told to Ms Valkov already, if the invoice figure comes in lower than the estimate, the report will be revised and sent out alongside the difference in cost.
  The blinds repair totaled $4.51 to replace a missing vane in one of the vertical blinds.
  Ms Valkov did indeed hire a professional steam carpet cleaning service, which was required per her lease. Though some additional vacuuming was required due to debris being scattered across some of the flooring.
  
  Bancroft & Associates also derives no revenue from security deposit refunds. We do not upcharge maintenance costs to our clients, so any money withheld from a deposit goes only to pay the vendor involved. B&A retains none of it.
  Sincerely,
  Sterling Bancroft

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/19/2023

  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 originally paid a $1375 security deposit to Bancroft at the start of my tenancy in September of 2016. $775 dollars plus a $600 returnable pet deposit made up this amount. I was a conscientious tenant and made certain that the unit was cleaner than I found it when I moved in. I thought about taking photos, but faultily thought that the unit was in such good shape, what was there to take photos of? My security deposit was retuned with a $103 payment and a list of deductions that I found stunning in their ludicrousness and inaccuracy. After writing Bancroft to dispute the charges with justification I received a letter back further justifying the charges with no intent on making changes to the deductions. I intend to take this dispute further, as I believe that Bancroft is not acting in good faith.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/25/2023

  Good morning,

  Ms ****** was kind enough to upload a copy of the letter written in response to her dispute. That said, I will reiterate the responses to the individual items below:
  

  Charges for Water/Sewer/Trash: Tucson water bills for usage in arrears, so the charges you paid for in October were for usage from 9/7/22 to 10/5/22. So you were charged $66.43 for usage between 10/6/22 and 11/4/2022. Essentially netting you 27 days of free water/sewer/trash service since you turned over possession on the 1st of December.

  
  Bulbs, Blinds, Light fixture globes: The vast majority of the expenses here come from the several blinds which had damaged vanes and a headrail in the living room that was desynced (where one or more of the vanes do not turn at the same rate or position with the rest of the blinds). Some bulbs, particularly the vanity lights, were tested and not working and needed to be replaced as well, and the side yard porch light fixture had to be replaced. Unfortunately, neither the blinds nor the backyard light fixture show up in your move-in inspection or your work order history, and those account for the majority of the expense here.

  
  Cleaning and Supplies: Nearly all the cabinets and drawers were left with particulate material inside, requiring a full wipe-out, both showers were coated in a layer of soap scum thick enough to require the use of a scraper to get off, and the baseboards in the bedrooms had a fair accumulation of dog hair on them.

  
  Repairs: A small plumbing part needed to be replaced on one of the toilets, this category also includes the labor for the side yard porch light that was replaced, and labor for blind installation and swapping out damaged vanes.

  
  Landscaping: Your lease does say that you are responsible for keeping the yard clear of weeds and plant detritus. Just because the owner has dispatched vendors to do some of the work in the past does not alleviate you of this responsibility for the duration of your tenancy. Several large weeds were observed growing in the yard, certainly larger than new growth.

  In closing, the charges made to Ms ******'s deposit were indeed justified.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/01/2023

  Bancroft states that I paid Water/Sewer/Trash charges for 10/6/22 through 11/4/22.  True enough, then states that I was received 27 days of free water, sewer, trash since turningover possession on December 1st.  However, the bill and payment for November 1, 22 through December 1, 22 shows otherwise. First correction of inaccurate information

  The blinds and headrail indeed were becoming more and more difficult to maneuver.  I'm guessing if I had called while a tenant, they have been replaced, as they were old and breaking down.  I was frequently buying and replacing panels for the blinds and doing all that I could to keep them working smoothly.  There was nothing that I would have done to keep them turning smoothly.  I did not damage or mistreat them.  These were the window coverings of my home.  I wanted them in good order. When does age and deterioration come into play in regard to a landlord needing to replace fixtures that are no longer working properly?   The vanity lights, as I stated, were all working properly.  I had turned two of the bulbs in each bathroom to the place where they were no longer shining, as four bulbs were too hot.  I did forget to turn them back to shining again, but they were indeed in working order.  If the inspector did not bother to check them, I do not expect to pay for the replacement of bulbs that were actually working. The side yard porch light worked the entire time I lived there, so if we're talking about the same light, I have no idea what is being referred to. 

  All cabinets and drawers WERE cleaned and wiped out.  i was very conscientious about this.  And this is true for both the tub and the shower.  They were scrubbed before I left. How is a layer of thick soap scum left in a tub or shower anyway?  This is such a falsehood it makes my stomach hurt!  I also put bleach on the tile grout in the shower where there was some mildew. I vacuumed the bedrooms and had the carpets professionally cleaned. I remember being so pleased how close to new they looked. Fair accumulation of dog hair?  Do you have photos of these things? A small plumbing part needing to be replaced on one of the toilets is your responsibility as a landlord/property manager and just regular maintain getting a unit ready for a new tenant.

  As stated earlier, I dragged at least three or four huge piles of twigs, weeds, etc that were piled onto a sheet, out to the trash area before i moved.  I believe that the yard, both front and back were in satisfactory condition after having lived in that unit for over 6 years and with the last two years of much monsoon rainfall, therefore, creating great foliage growth.  

  Although I believe that the Bancroft's narrative of the condition of the unit that I moved from is grossly inaccurate, where does normal wear and tear come into play in any of the descriptions of conditions they are describing? I had over $1000 deducted from my security deposit. The charges made to my deposit were indeed unjustified.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/02/2023

  The last utility charges assessed to your account were for the Tucson Water billing period of 10/6/22 to 11/4/22, as noted on your report. According to our database, the same one used to generate the report you received, shows no charges for utility bills for any period after the 11/21/22, when the period’s bill was posted to your account.
  

  Tucson Water sends us bills for this complex around the middle of the month. Since the water is billed in arrears anyway, by the time our tenants pay it, they end up being a month behind the billing cycle. So when you made a payment on 10/28 for November’s rent for $1122.69, the amount you paid for water/sewer/trash was $72.69, which was for Tucson Water’s billing period of 9/7/22 to 10/5/22. December’s rent was not going to be charged since you had already given notice, and the bills for the period of 10/6/22 to 11/4/22 did not get to our office until about mid-month, so they were charged out of your Security deposit. Since we weren’t going to get the bill for December until after your deposit report was going to be due out, we left it out of the report. So the information I presented in the first response is not inaccurate at all.
  

  You are aware of all this though. Our utility manager, James Stuart, would send you statements when bills were posted, making you aware of both the amount and billing period.
  

  Unfortunately, Issues with the blinds do not show up in either your maintenance history or move-in inspection report. If you had called and reported the problems, they would have appeared during the initial pass and they likely would not have been charged to you, but we cannot fix problems that we are not aware of. Even if nothing were done with the blinds, the simple action of reporting their deterioration might have saved some grief. Unfortunately, all I have to go on at this point is that they were working when you moved in, and damaged when you moved out, thus getting you the charge. However, if you can get me receipts for blinds you purchased during your stay, I will review them in an effort to reduce or eliminate the charge.
  

  Normal wear and tear applies to items designed to wear out, not to damage or dirt. Like paint or carpet after a certain amount of time. Generally speaking, mechanical items, like blinds, will have their vanes/slats wear out long before the mechanical pieces do, and they have a very long shelf life and generally do not break without human intervention.
  

  There were several cabinets and drawers that were absolutely not wiped out. The shower walls were sticky to the touch with accumulated soap and other miscellaneous buildup. There was an accumulation of dog hair at the baseboards.
  

  That said, there are a couple items I am willing to reduce or remove.
  1. As previously stated, if you can get me receipts for items you purchased related to the blinds, please submit them to the office for review.
  2. I was not aware of the function or purpose of the plumbing part that was broken, but you’re right, it ought not have been charged to you in the first place. The part is an aerator, and it costs about $4.95, with the associated labor coming out to about $5. Rounding it to an even $10, which will be credited back to you.
  3. I am willing to split the cleaning charges with you evenly. Reducing your charge to $217.47.

  
  If these are acceptable terms, please let me know and the report will be revised and a supplemental check issued.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/24/2022

  Type:Customer Service 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.

  Bancroft and associates has not been a good property Management company. My husband and I have been living and our property forever 2 years we have never made a complaint. The company is not responsive to our needs regarding fixing appliances. We are paying $1,250 a month for this property. I suggest they get their act together

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/24/2022

  Hello *****,

  After speaking with your counterpart, please accept my apologies for the dropped ball on the microwave issue. I have calls into both my appliance repair company as well as a vendor to replace it, once we have recommendations on what to do and how much it will cost, we'll let the owner know. Once they approve work, we'll get it done.

  That said, according to my knowledge and that of your counterpart, that's the only request out of the 11 made since you began your tenancy that we've fallen down on. If there are other issues that we've not resolved for you that I'm not aware of, please give me a call to discuss.

   

  Sincerely,

  Sterling Bancroft

  Bancroft & Associates

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/02/2022

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 18304034, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** ******
  
   
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/27/2022

  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 am quite sure during these trying times that the majority of these rental agencies are taking advantage of the people seeking residents. Bancroft & Assosiates took my application on July 27th for a 2bd 2 bath duplex priced at 1200 at the time. I called repeatedly to get an update on my application. Not only was I given the run around but it has been 3 months and the property is still up for rent along with alot of other places I applied too. Please investigate and make sure they are not getting rich off of application fees. If rent is listed at 1200 the mortgage payment is probably half that. If you get 50 dollars a day for a month that is 1500 so why would I rent it out if I am winning in fees. I feel it with all my heart that this is what is going on at the majority of these rental agencies.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/03/2022

  Mr ************* only completed part of the application process.

  An email was sent to him on the 27th around 3:00PM asking for supplemental documentation. Those being copies of two forms of ID and income verification. These items were never received. This resulted in Mr ******'s application being flagged as incomplete.
  

  Unfortunately, applications cannot be considered for approval until complete. This is true for any application, not just this case.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/16/2022

  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 moved into the property on November 6, 2021. The Bancroft & Associates representative said they had to be somewhere else so she rushed me as we walked through the house, it barely gave us time to walk into each room and walk out, about 5 minutes. I picked up the keys and gave my deposit because this was the only house we found under military BAH rate. The day after I moved in, I turned in an extensive list of repairs that needed to be made to the property (broken window locks, torn door seals, rotted front door frame, water damage in garage roof and walls, frayed carpet edges with exposed nails, missing window screens, missing kitchen drawer and damaged cabinet, electrical system malfunctions, and the front and back yards had overgrown weeds). Because the list was extensive, they had a technician come out to verify. He verified and took pictures as well. They then said someone would come out to fix them, weeks went by and they claimed the owner was not authorizing any of the repairs, they also told me “that drawer has been missing for years” and said there was nothing they could do. My emails and calls continued to be ignored. They charged me for the yards- which they never did the initial maintenance on. I stopped by their office on July 11th to address the carpet and let them know we’ve had to get tetanus shots because of the exposed nails. Erica was extremely rude, raised her voice at me and told me they can’t do anything if the owner doesn’t authorize it. I told her that Arizona Tenant Law stipulates that homes need to be maintained in safe living conditions and repairs need to be done in a timely manner, or the tenant has the option of covering it and deducting it from rent. She disagreed but finally had someone stop by to patch up the carpet and repair the bubble of water on the garage ceiling. I asked about having the property tested/repaired for mold and water damage. We have bad allergies and got diagnosed with asthma in June. I continue to be ignored.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/24/2024

  Ms Santiago was released from her lease and her deposit returned to her in full alongside a pro-rated amount of September's rent.