ComplaintsforSound Choice Real Estate LLC

• Initial Complaint

  08/12/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My wife and I, Natalie ********, signed a lease on 22 December, 2021 to occupy **** ******** *****. This home is managed by Sound Choice Realty. Upon signing, we were tasked with paying a $3,300 security deposit. Upon arrival to the home on 1 February, 2022 after our military PCS, we completed the move-in checklist and took over 200 photos throughout the home to annotate its condition and cleanliness. We were thorough and detailed with each and every item that was not cleaned or sanitary. These items included dirty bath tubs, showers, sinks, floors, drawers, windows, and even walls. We actually have a photo of a dirty footprint on the wall. The home did not appear to be cleaned at all prior to our move in, and Sound Choice seemingly wanted to get us into the home as soon as possible to avoid down-time in payments and occupancy. While vacating the home, my wife and I cleaned the home far beyond the condition that we received, and in accordance with Sound Choice Realty's Tenant Handbook. We wanted to be sure that we were not charged a dime for the cleanliness of the home, even though we received it in such poor and unsanitary condition. On 5 August, 2022, we received our deposit receipt and we were charged a $250 cleaning fee. When we questioned Ben (emails attached) he told us that the photos we possessed were filed under "wear and tear" and no tenant would be held liable for that. He even acknowledged that we returned the home in a better condition than we received it, but since they hired a cleaner, we had to pay for it. I found over 10 discrepancies against this in their Tenant Handbook and he would own the fact that the home was dirty, our photos, or our move-in checklist, which serves as protection against these kinds of charges. He then told us that we should consider ourselves lucky, as the cleaning fee is normally double. Sound choice has been dismissive, dishonest, and unethical during this process and throughout our stay. We did our part. I ask the same.

  Business response

  08/12/2022

  Our decision to withhold funds from a security deposit is based only on information that can be documented. Photos upon move out, compared with photos of move in can be provided. Expenses were incurred. Actual cost of hiring a cleaner was $250 (receipt can be provided), and that amount was charged against the security deposit.
  Actual charges for landscaping remedy was $650 (receipt can be provided), though the owner agreed to charge the tenant just $125 to remedy neglect of beds. The owner absorbed the other $475. A total of $375 was withheld from the tenant's security deposit, and $2,925 was refunded to the tenant. Per the tenant's lease, all lawn care was the responsibility of the tenant. Furthermore, two bedrooms has to be painted after the tenant moved out although they had just been painted before their move in...this was not charged to the tenant as a courtesy.
  If requested, we would be happy to provide receipts and documentation to the the BBB.

  Customer response

  08/15/2022

  (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
  BBB,
  
  I do not accept the response from Sound Choice Real Estate LLC.
  
  I would like to begin this explanation with the fact that this complaint is only based on information that was documented. Sound Choice simply refuses to hold their end of their tenant handbook and lease agreement. The move-in checklist and review of the property (which we thoroughly completed and submitted to Sound Choice) serves to protect the tenant from incurring charges that were pre-existing within the property, and that protection includes cleaning. Expenses were incurred on my family's behalf. That is a fact. The issue at-hand is that the incurred charges should have been assumed by Sound Choice when they neglected to send a cleaner to prepare the home prior to our move-in. My family should not be held liable for the "desired" condition of the home, especially when we received the home in such an unsanitary condition. Simply put, we returned the home in a cleaner condition than we received. That alone should remove the cleaning fee from consideration. There are a number of variables that may have caused this, however, none of those variables include the ******** family. We arrived and the home wasn't clean. We cleaned it until it was sanitary and free of dust, debris, and dirt. We lived in the home for 4 months, and then returned it to Sound Choice in a cleaner condition than we received. Simply put, why are we to be charged?
  
  We fully understand the landscaping fee, as we know that we committed multiple weekends to accomplishing it, but it was by no means professionally done. The landscaping is simply being brought up as a distraction from the issue at-hand, and it was not brought up at all in the attached email conversation. It is simply an afterthought that has nothing to do with the cleaning fee. The painting is also a moot point, considering that we presented photos with a small child's dirty footprint in the bedroom that was just painted.
  
  I ask that if we are going to reference the lease agreement and the tenant handbook, let's reference all of it, and not only the parts that are convenient at this current time. Sound Choice is by no means assuming any accountability for the documents that they created. We followed their guidance and are being charged so that the home can be prepared for a new tenant. However, that same luxury was not afforded to us. I would also like to note that the previous tenant was the homeowner's daughter. Once she moved out, Sound Choice was quick to get us into the home. We appreciated the rush, but we would have been much more considerate if we were notified that the home would not be clean upon our arrival. I would have even appreciated a notification that a cleaner would be coming by to clean the home, even after we moved in. However, my wife and I did that work on our own through no help of Sound Choice. It appears that we were charged twice for the condition of the home. The first time, we paid through our own efforts by cleaning the home ourselves. The second time, Sound Choice decided to charge us for cleaning the dirty home that we received. No place exists where that is logical, ethical, or in sound judgement.
  
  It is with this understanding and evidence that I respectfully and thoroughly decline this response. Sound Choice's response is highly unsubstantiated, and I find it disrespectful considering the amount of evidence that we've provided to prove these claims. I am willing to take these claims further into the judicial system. It might be more than the $250 that we are rightfully owed, but principles must matter at some point of this dispute.
  
  Very Respectfully,
  
  Breyson ********

  Business response

  08/16/2022

  In reference to the beginning of the lease and move in, the tenants in question provided much communication that they needed to move into the property quickly and understood they would be receiving it as is - though care was taken by the owner who had just vacated the property to provide a clean and comfortable home for the tenant. We were not managing the home prior to the date of this tenant's move in.
  
  All other information and documentation can be provided as stated initially.

  Customer response

  08/22/2022

  (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
  This is yet another failed attempt for Sound Choice Real Estate to find a scapegoat for their sub-par business practices. I find this situation to be quite simple. We were charged for moving into a dirty property, which we returned in a better quality than we received. If the home was clean when we moved in, it would make sense for us to pay a fee upon vacating to return it to its clean condition. Nothing in their business practices suggested to clean the home before the first tenants moved in. Nothing in their business practices suggested that they should uphold their wrongdoing which was annotated on the move-in inspection checklist. Nothing suggested that they should send a cleaner after we moved in. Sound Choice only decided to take any action whatsoever when it meant taking money from someone else. That is the definition of poor, unethical, and simply bad business.
  
  As stated before, we have investigated the possibility to pursue this action further via the judicial system, and it will be much more than $250. As stated, we have over 200 photos outlining the poor condition of the home, to include the uncleanliness which Ben referred to as, "normal wear and tear" during our email exchange. I assume that if Sound Choice will not uphold their end, a judge will do it for them.

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