ComplaintsforBahia Property Management, LLC

• Initial Complaint

  03/11/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On 3-7-2024 I put is a request for maintenance on the tankless water heater. Needs yearly maintenance. Been here a year and a half and nothing done. Loosing hot wat and water pressure They say I am responsible to pay and fix it. It says in lease they are responsible for maintenance on plumbing..

  

  Business response

  03/15/2024

  Response to BBB Complaint Regarding Water Heater Maintenance

  
  To Whom It May ************** are writing to address a complaint filed with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) by one of our tenants regarding water heater maintenance at their residence. We take all tenant concerns seriously and appreciate the opportunity to clarify the situation.

  
  Background:
  The tenant submitted a maintenance request on March 7, 2024, reporting a decrease in the water heater's efficiency. We promptly acknowledged the request and contacted the tenant on the same day. During the conversation, the tenant confirmed the water heater was functional, but not performing as well as before. Based on this information, and as per our standard procedures for non-emergency repairs, we informed the tenant that a plumber would be dispatched to diagnose the issue.
  Our lease agreement clearly outlines that we are responsible for maintaining the property's plumbing system. However, the agreement also stipulates that the tenant is responsible for minor repairs costing $150 or less. We believe the tenant may have misinterpreted this clause, and we apologize for any confusion caused.

  
  Action Taken:
  We immediately began scheduling a vendor visit. Since the tenant still had access to hot water, the situation was not deemed an emergency.  A tentative appointment was set for March 18th to accommodate the tenant's availability.
  Fortunately, the vendor was able to visit the property sooner, on March 11th. During the inspection, the vendor discovered the need for specialized parts to service the heater. We promptly notified the tenant and began sourcing the necessary materials. Unfortunately, these parts are currently out of stock.

  
  Current Situation and Next Steps:

  We understand the inconvenience this situation has caused and are actively working towards a resolution. To ensure the best course of action, we are contracting a second vendor to provide a second assessment. This will determine if routine maintenance can address the issue or if more extensive repairs are required. We have kept the tenant informed of each step and they have expressed their understanding.
  We are committed to providing prompt and effective maintenance for all our properties. We value our tenants' comfort and will continue to work diligently to resolve this issue as quickly as possible. We will keep the BBB and the tenant updated on any further developments.

  
  Thank you for your time and consideration.

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

  Maintenance Department Manager

  Bahia Property Management

  Customer response

  03/15/2024

   
  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.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****************************; Only satisfactory when the issues are fixed.  

• Initial Complaint

  05/08/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I vacated a property leased by Bahia Property Management (BPM) as my lease termed on 3/31/23. I have faithfully paid my monthly rent EARLY for two years, and have kept the unit in great condition. When leaving I took pictures to ensure I will have proof of the way I left the premises. The pictures show the unit is all tile, super clean, with all items operational in every room. My deposit was $2,480.00 (pd 3/29/2021). I'd previously reported two issues(for plumbing, and a leaking window - condominium contractor had to return to fix, but some minor damage was caused to blinds in living/dining room). 30 days after the lease term, BPM notified me to advise the landlord was imposing charges on my deposit totaling $920 ($230 house cleaning, $25 AC filter replacement, $85 fridge filter, $210 supply& instillation of 3 blinds, $30 burnt-out light bulbs, $340 interior painting- partial charge). I sent an email reply to BPM advising them these charges were exaggerated and fraudulent since I have proof of how I left the unit, and shared the pictures I had taken of each room showing how clean the unit was left with no damage and all items operational at the time of vacating. I requested a full refund upon further explaining that I had left the **********, with extra a/c filters for the next occupant and the issue with the damaged blinds should be addressed with the condominium/contractor. BPM replied stating they are removing a/c filter and blinds replacement charges but maintained they will impose all other charges now totaling $685 (they have pics of small marks on 2 walls, small pencil-thin marks on 2 doors, and two light bulbs in bathrooms were off). Per BPM, by their own standards, this falls under NORMAL WEAR and should be on landlord. The rep who had previously stated IF I left the **********, BPM would come to an agreement, not only has made no attempts to assist me, he instead proceeded to antagonize me stating I caused damage to the unit when they can see I didn't.

  

  Business response

  05/11/2023

  Upon further review of the customer's dispute with our deposit claim team, this is what we've found:

  There are 4 charges that were made to the deposit amount:

  1) House cleaning: $230: This is what the cleaning vendor charged to perform the cleaning, and it is a standard part of the lease agreement that every move out will be accompanied by professional cleaning and that the tenant is responsible for that. 

  2) Replace fridge filter: $85.  Consumables such as the refrigerator water filter would typically be tenant responsibility, as it must be changed every 6 months, and all repairs under $100 is tenant responsibility according to the lease agreement.  However, since the lease did not explicitly ******************* water filter to be a tenant responsibility, we're removing this item from the claim.

  3) Burnt out lightbulbs: $30: We provided the house with working lightbulbs, and it is tenant's responsibility to change lightbulbs when they burn out.  As attached photos show, several lightbulbs were burned out and a vendor had to replace them, so this charge will remain.

  4) Interior painting: $340.  This was a partial charge, where the entire painting work by the vendor was $1320.  As the attached photos show, the touch up paint was necessary where black lines were made by tenant.  As we understand some of these can happen with wear and tear but others are more obvious damage, we've discussed this with the owner and he has agreed to further halve the amount claimed for paint, reducing it to $170.

  In total, the owner has agreed to refund $255 to the tenants from points #2 and #4. 

   

  Customer response

  05/18/2023

   
  Complaint: 20024822
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I understand the company wants to make me responsible for items they or the landloard should be responsible for under their own standards of "normal wear". 

  I furhtermore am greatly insulted that they pretended to want to work with me on the cleaning and they are standing by those charges! As if I turned over the unit is horrendous condition. I'm insulted because i had help cleaning it and we spent many hours cleaning in an effort to ensure they would work with me on this when the time came. as proved in the pictures every room is clean and the unit is carpet-free, we cleaned the floor twice because when i walked in again to take pictures it had been raining so we cleaned the floor again to ensure no feet marks were left and i walked through to ensure i was leaving the place in a condition someone will be happy to inspect and see that the unit was well cared for.

  The company told me initially they are not able to tell me the fee but now are claiming it is standard. if the fee is standard it should be clearly stated in the contract and they should not have advised they would work with me when i asked if exceptions are made. I would have left the place dirty in this case knowing i would lose this money anyway. this is unacceptable. while they continue to look like they want to work with me they continue to insult me on reducing fees that i shouldn't be charged in the first place and continue to claim i damanged the unit!!! DO YOU SEE ANY DAMAGE! STOP INSULTING ME. I remain insulted after being a great tenant and only leaving because the landloard raised the rent. so shameful. 

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

  

  Business response

  05/18/2023

  Please find attached the executed lease as requested.  Under paragraph 28 on vacating, it is stated as follows" ..Tenant agrees to mandatory
  professional carpet cleaning charge to be deducted from the security deposit in the amount of market rate. Tenant agrees to a mandatory minimum
  unit cleaning charge to be deducted from the security deposit in the amount of market rate. In addition to any cleaning charges or any other charges
  due under the terms of this lease."  
  
  The amount charged was the fee charged by the cleaning vendor to clean the unit professionally, and this is what the owner paid to the vendor, so we're unable to deduct this fee.

  For the other charges the explanation and photos have been already submitted.
  
  Sincerely,

  Bahia Property Management Team

  Customer response

  05/18/2023

   
  Complaint: 20024822
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Bahia continues to insult my judgement by repeating themselves. Please escalate this to someone other then the claims manager for review.

  He only repeats as if I'm not speaking English and we aren't both reading the same document. I read the clause. I also included it in the copy of the correspondence and I'm simply asking for a reasonable solution to all the charges since I continue to get nowhere with the person who has continuously shown no regard to the fact that I left the ********** and under the understanding that the company would take that into consideration. Not only did they charge for things they shouldn't charge the tenant under normal wear per their own guidelines, they also put exuberant cleaning charge where normal market rate of cleaning (which should not have been needed in this case) usually runs $75-$180 based on size and expected work. Bahia is absolutely being fraudulent in charging me what they may normally charge or pay for cleaning carpet and units that are left messy and nasty. THAT IS NOT THE **** HERE AND THEY TAKE NO CONSIDERATION TO ANY EFFORT MADE AS THEIR REPRESENTATIVE STATED THEY WOULD. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  12/06/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We rented a home thru Bahia at ************************************************************ for 3 years. After moving out of the house on 8/1/22, I received 2 letters regarding charges against the security deposit of $1795 that we made prior to moving in on 8/1/19. The letters were for different amounts. The 2nd letter included the charges from the 1st letter, as well as a $500 charge for "replaced dead grass from planters". I wrote to the company objecting to this challenge and sent the objection by registered mail. It was returned to me marked "Return to Sender". We measured the area of the backyard that was damaged by my planters and it was less than 75 sf and included a 9' x 4' area and an adjacent area of 3' x 12'. There was an additional circle of less than 2' in diameter under ************* when it was removed. The remainder of the backyard and side yards had significant damage that was not my responsibility. In fact, these areas had all been re-sodded 3 times during our tenancy. We took pictures of those areas before we left, as well as the area where my planters were located. The company charged me for the full cost of re-sodding the entire back yard, as well as the side yards. Re-sodding the area of my responsibility should not have cost more than $100 based on the cost of the sod if purchased retail at any home improvement store and the time needed to do the repair. Having witnessed the sod repair 3 times already, the time needed for the area of my responsibility wouldn't be more than an hour. I have attached pictures and a time/date stamp of the areas in the back and side yards that were not my responsibility to repair and which were repaired after we left.

  

  Business response

  12/07/2022

  We investigated the customers complaint with the security deposit claim team.
  

  The customer states *********** charged me for the full cost of re-sodding the entire back yard, as well as the side yards.
  

  From the evidence we have, this is not a correct statement.  The team explained the following:
  

  1. The lawn company did not re-sod the entire back yard after move-out. The only portion of the yard that was replaced was the part where tenants placed the planters (see attached 1, 2, 3.jpg).  Other areas had treatments done instead of replacement, and tenants were not charged for them.
  

  2. The tenant was not charged the full cost of the work.  The entire cost of lawn treatment including replacing dead lawn was $1,000.  We specifically asked the vendor for the cost of the replaced dead grass from the planter area, and the vendor said that portion was $500.
  
  Attached image 1.jpg shows where the tenants planters were placed during tenancy.  The area of dead grass referenced can be seen in attached 2.jpg & 3.jpg. 
  

  The tenant states Re-sodding the area of my responsibility should not have cost more than $100 based on the cost of the sod if purchased retail at any home improvement store and the time needed to do the repair.   
  
  To this, wed like to state that the cost is based on what the lawn company charged for the work, and not the raw cost of the sod.  We can provide the vendor invoice, as well as the contact information of the vendor if tenants wish to discuss that with them in more detail.  

   

   

  Customer response

  12/09/2022

   
  Complaint: 18525237
  1.  The pictures that I provided and that are cited by the business are not of the area where my planters were located.  They are pictures of the areas of grass that were in the backyard and side yards at a significant distance from my planter areas.  If the business provided other attached photos, they are not shown on the correspondence for me to review.

  2.  We went to the house on 8/24 as we were visiting a neighbor there.  The grass front, back and sides were all uniformly green and full.  The area of my planters matched the rest of the yard.  There is no possible way for "treatments" to remedy the grass problems identified in my pictures within 3 weeks, if at all.  Based on consultation with professional landscapers, as well as having watched the landscapers attempt to revive the grass with the use of treatments at that house 3 times in 3 years, it can't be done in 3 weeks and result in a thick, healthy lawn.

  3.  In speaking to a former neighbor, they are certain that sod was used through-out.

  4.  Despite whatever invoices the business claims to have, discussion with 2 local landscapers indicates the $500 is excessive for that zip code and date. On-line for FL in summer 2022, puts the cost of professional sod installation at between .90 - $1.80 per sf. (See attachment)

  5.  If Bahia had nothing to hide, why send my registered letter back as "return to sender"?

  Bahia's explanation is inaccurate and false.  A refund is needed.

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

• Initial Complaint

  10/25/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Bahia property management is refusing to stop harassing me, they have forced me to leave the unit making me have no other choice but to leave for safety. Bahia has now blemished my credit by placing an unwarranted collections account on my credit report . Bahia moved me into a unit knowing that it had chronic sewer line clogs which caused all of the neighbors urine and poop to back up into my tub. The third time I let them know the sewer line was clogged again, that exact same day Bahia posted on my door a 7 day notice for unauthorized tenants, which was FALSE. The harassment and retaliation continued by Bahia, they started giving me 7 day notices for dogs , and all types of other made up stuff. When the 7 day notices didn't work to force me to leave, bahia decided to move a criminal thieving family next to me which caused me to be further stalked and harassed daily. Bahia sent me a renewal in September 2021, I ended up signing the renewal because the pandemic was going on and everything was shut down. I quickly thought about my child and let Bahia know I don't feel safe , I have to move, I emailed them my intentions to leave due to constructive eviction around October 10th, on October 16th Bahia placed a notice to vacate letter on my door and told me I had to be gone within 60 days . I had already signed the renewal and my lease auto renewed for 1 year per the lease . Bahia has a non enforceable clause in their lease saying they can end a yearly lease at anytime if they give 60 days notice, that clause is NOT enforceable per florida statue Chapter 83 Section 57 . **When the tenancy is from year to year a landlord can end a lease by giving not less than 60 days' notice prior to the END of any annual period; Bahia never gave me 60 days notice at the END of my lease 10/31/20 . Code enforcement documented that Bahia lied chronically about doing repars. STOP THE HARASSMENT AND REMOVE THE FALSE COLLECTION FROM MY ACCOUNT . THEY ALSO KEPT MY SECURITY DEPOSIT

  

  Business response

  11/08/2021

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2021/10/27) */ Dear *********, We regret that your last experience in the rental property have caused you to be uncomfortable. In an effort to close this account in a satisfactory manner for all parties involved, the property owner has agreed to close the collections account. Our company has instructed the collection company to remove you from collections and to stop contacting you regarding the balance. During the security deposit claim process, our company reviews all the files and photos before a tenant moves in and compares to photos upon move out. This helps the company determine what may be the responsibility of the tenant or the owner in terms of repairs and cleaning. Upon review of your file, our company determined that you had a balance of $1,355.00 due to the owner. Since you had a deposit on file for $550.00 it was used to cover a portion of that balance owed. The remainder balance of $805.00 is what was sent over to the collections agency. Regarding other tenants, please rest assured that all tenants must pass a strict credit and criminal background check prior to moving in to the rentals. We appreciate your feedback and the opportunity to resolve this matter. Consumer Response /* (2000, 7, 2021/10/28) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.) Thank you , I did love the office staff who I had communications with during my stay on the property they were very sweet and kind, I believe the woman who no longer works for your company caused all of this mess with the harassment and planting those neighbors I won't type her name but I'm glad she no longer works for you guys. Please tell the property owner thank you for agreeing to remove the collections I really did not want to go the court route so that is a blessing. Thank you guys and BBB have a blessed life

• Initial Complaint

  09/09/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  In 2017 my husband and I decided to put our property for rent due to getting Military Orders over seas. We looked at many companies to help us manage our property, Bahia Property Management advertised as a Military friendly business. They have been collecting a payment from us for four year but only did work for two. The company allowed the tenants to destroy our home. They refused to do the yearly report correctly for two year due to Covid. I understand that Covid took a toll on a lot of business but that does not mean that they could completely ignore their responsibility. On there site it says that owner will be inform of repairs immediately before they can cause any further problems. They did not follow that and our property got destroyed. Our property has more than 10K in damages and Bahia Property Management refuses to pay for any of the fixes. Bahia Property Management gladly took our money with out doing their job.

  

  Business response

  09/15/2021

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2021/09/15) */ Dear *********: First of all, we would like to apologize for the inconvenience you have experienced regarding this matter. While some of the risks associated with managing a rental property are out of our control, we do our best to mitigate those risks. During the application process, we ensure all applicants are thoroughly screened and match our rental criteria. The tenants of your property were screened and qualified. During the four years of managing your rental property, our company performed the following inspections: An internal inspection was completed in April 2018 An external inspection was completed in November 2018 An internal inspection was completed in *** 2019 An external inspection was completed in October 2019 An external inspection was completed in February 2020 An external inspection was completed in December 2020 A move out inspection was completed in July 2021 The inspection reports were posted to the owner's portal for your review. Unfortunately, due to the unforeseen circumstance of the worldwide COVID-19 Pandemic, the interior inspection of 2020 was not able to be performed. Following the social distancing guidelines to prevent the possible spread of the virus, it was not safe to conduct internal inspections. We want to emphasize that we had an unprecedented time due to the worldwide COVID-19 Pandemic that prevented us from performing the internal inspections. Based on the CDC guidelines and recommendations, we decided to conduct external inspections. In the context of a pandemic, quarantine, isolation, and social distancingcan be an effective public health measures utilized to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. All the other related functions regarding the management of your property were completed. At Bahia Property Management, we take pride in ensuring our customer's satisfaction. As a testament to our service, our company will do our best to recover the damages caused by the tenant. Based on the findings from the move-out inspection, we have determined that the tenants are responsible for $4,889.50 worth of damages. Any repairs due to normal wear and tear are considered owner's responsibility. We have proceeded to charge the tenants for the damages caused against their security deposit. The security deposit will be refunded to you - once the deposit claim settles. We will also send the file to collections should the tenants not pay the balance owed. We truly value our business relationship with you. We take your concerns seriously; therefore, we will do everything in our power to help recover the amount due by the tenant. We want you to know that your feedback will give us the chance to improve and serve our customers better in the future. Consumer Response /* (3000, 13, 2021/11/01) */ I do not agree with the response from Bahia Property management. My spouse and I are both active duty military and finally got the days approved to be able to see hour house in person. Even with putting 15k into fixing what the tenants broke the house still had damages that could of been prevented if the company did their job. I do not agree with them saying that they completed all the inspections but one. The last inspection would have not been done this year if we hadn't asked for the renters to move out. Like i have stated before covid did affect a lot of business but that does not give Bahia Property Management the right to keep collecting a monthly fee from us and not finding ways to work with the pandemic like many other professional businesses did. Business Response /* (4000, 20, 2021/12/03) */ ***Document Attached*** Dear *********, Again, we're very sorry about the damages the tenants have caused. We would need to clarify the following about the internal inspections: Between March-December of 2020, due to the unprecedented nature of the pandemic, all internal inspections have been discontinued in order to keep our tenants and crew safe. This was before vaccination was widely available, and we were in unknown territory. Our team resumed internal inspections in 2021, and have been conducting the annual internal inspections per our normal routine at the time of lease renewal. In the case of your property, the team has been instructed it was going to be sold in March 2021, and thus it became a final move out inspection. Otherwise, a normal annual internal inspection would've been conducted at the time of lease renewal. At the time of the move out, the tenant was charged for the damages in the amount of $4,889.50. This is for tenant damages such as broken outlets and damaged floor, but it does not include wear and tear within the entire house (attached deposit claim letter lists out the damages in detail). Even if the tenant was especially hard on the house, the only thing we can charge them is for overt damages and broken items and not on the overall wear and tear. Regarding the comment about not performing our work, please note that your property was still being managed during 2020. Our team continued to collect rent, coordinate lease renewal, issue violation notice, respond to maintenance and other tenant requests, perform external inspections and compile monthly reports with all documentation. Your property was not forgotten during 2020 - it was an unknown territory at the time and we've made decisions not to send our crew into people's homes based on everyone's safety in mind. The situation is a lot more under control in 2021. Despite all of these factors, the brokers considered your situation and decided to refund you the last 6 months of the management fees. Please advise if this is an acceptable solution. Our team does their best to provide excellent level of service to all our customers, and we're again sorry about the way the tenants damaged your property. Consumer Response /* (3000, 28, 2021/12/14) */ Even though we do not agree on how this situation was handled with Bahia Property Management we will accept the 6 months reimbursement in order to move on from this experience. Business Response /* (4000, 30, 2021/12/16) */ Thank you, we'll be processing the refund shortly in the amount of $624 ($104 times 6).

*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. ↩