ComplaintsforSylvan Homes, LLC

• Initial Complaint

  07/17/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  We received notice on June 24th that we owe a balance of approximately $300 for rental tax for ******* through June of 2024. We refuted this because it wasnt on our lease and in return they have decided to amend our lease, stating we owe $250 a MONTH in rental tax until the end of the year.I have provided evidence that my city does not charge rental tax and therefore we should not be receiving this charge, let alone the predatory action of raising an approximate $50/mo charge to $250/mo to make up for the fact that they didnt include it on our lease.This evidence was sent on July 2nd, when we received notice of the lease amendment (which I dont believe is legal in the first place). I have since sent 6 emails to Sylvan homes regarding this because I have received no communication, even to just confirm that theyre looking into it. The change to our rent amount is supposed to take place August 1st and Sylvan has wasted 2 weeks just dragging their feet to respond and no action I have taken so far has been successful in even getting a response from them.

  

  Business response

  07/18/2024

  *******,

  I received the following information from our legal team regarding this situation:

  "Several ** municipalities impose a % tax on rental payments to landlords. The variable lease term section of our lease has a field for the leasing team to input the corresponding tax charge. For whatever reason, there is a population of ** residents whose lease was not populated with that charge. Despite not showing on their lease, a recurring monthly tax charge did hit those residents' ledger.
  
  For existing ** residents whose lease did not have the charge, we sent the attached lease change notice so we could begin charging it starting August 2024. We also updated the ** lease addendum to further disclose the charge. There was an ** law change and the rental tax will expire 1/1/25 at which time residents will no longer be charged."

  We have attached the document that was sent to your email on file regarding the sales tax. We hope that this clears up the miscommunication regarding the sales tax issue. If you have any additional questions, please reach out and we can relay them to our legal team. 
  

  Thank you. 

  Customer response

  07/18/2024

   
  Complaint: 22004368
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Please See link below to a matrix stating that ******, the city that we live in, does not tax on residential rentals. In addition to this I have spoken to the ************* of ******* directly and received the same response. 
  

  **********************************************************************************************

  In addition, I would like an explanation as to why the proposed tax amount is $250 a month when that amount is 12% of our monthly rent, I cant imagine this is the amount taxed to Sylvan?

  Finally, please explain as to why my 8 emails sent since July 2nd have gone unanswered even still? 

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

  

  Business response

  07/18/2024

  *******,

  Tucson does charge a rental tax. The tax rate is 2.60. We received this information from our legal team. 

  We did find a mistake in the letter that was sent out that included the back pay for the sales tax, which was credited back to your account as a concession. The monthly rate going forward for the sales tax will be $52.65. As we mentioned before, this is a law that AZ has decided to get rid of starting in January, 2025. So, you will not be responsible for sales tax after that date. 

  We hope we have cleared things up, but if you have any additional questions, let us know and we will be sure to relay them to legal. 

  Thank you so much for your patience. 
  
  

  Customer response

  07/18/2024

   
  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.
  

  Please email us the amended lease with the correct monthly tax payment.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  07/16/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I rented a house from this company from March 2023 through March 2024. I Paid them $2,200 for security deposit plus the first months rentin order to move into the property. The Property had a few issues upon move in but i made note of all the damages and problems and submitted it to the company. During my time leasing the property i made several a service request to fix a water leak that was occurring in the bathroom next to my bedroom. A plumber came out to ***** the problem after numerous request, only to tell my that the pipe burst because it was very cold outside and there was no insulation in the rear wall of the house. He said it would be very costly to fix the problem so he would have to confirm it with the company and get back to me. He never go back to and it was unbearable living conditions for me. It was very freezing in the house because the cold air was coming right in through the wall. I had to use about *********************************************************************************** My heating bill was tripled because the thermostat couldnt even heat the place up to above 65 degrees. My rent was always paid 3 months in advance but i had no other choice but to move out because i am disables and i could no longer live under those conditions. I paid my rent until the end of my lease in march, made sure that the house was clean and every thing was in order just the way it was when i moved in. It is now July 16th and they still have not sent me my money back. I have spoke to numerous people, only to get excuse after excuse. Now they are trying to say that there are damages causing them to keep my deposit, which is a flat out lie. I would like for them to return my full deposit with interest as they have held my money hostage for months now. This is very unfair and bad business practice, and judging from the reviews, they do this to everybody. This Business should be terminated immediately.

  

  Business response

  07/18/2024

  Hello,

  All evidence is attached.

  The resident complained about items at move in. However, those complaints were not charged to him at move out. I have attached his 72-hr move in report, his settlement statement as well as the tracking information, which showed that we did send his deposit via **** in April, which was returned to us. I have already reached out to our accounting department to reissue another check. The settlement statement only shows the prepayments. Therefore, I have added a screenshot of the ledger showing he will be receiving 2 checks (prepayment and Security deposit)

  We hope that this clears up the matter. Please let us know if you do not receive the 2 checks that you are owed.

  Thank you.

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  07/16/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On Fri, Feb 9, 5:39PM, (after business hours) I received an email for an representative of Sylvan Homes claiming that me and my roommates were being immediately evicted for violation of section 14 of my lease. Section 14 states violation of use of premises. I asked multiple times in different emails to explain how Section 14 was violated but no response was issued. I spoke with a lawyer and he advised that I did not need to leave and that this was a form of landlord harassment. After not vacating the premises, Sylvan Homes then took my name off of the utility bill with *** and switched services back into their name and threatened to have services cut off. They then reached back out letting me know that we would not be evicted and it would be considered a warning, putting us through all this stress for no reason. Since they switched our *** bill into their name Sylvan endured a deposit fee from ***. They sent the deposit as an invoice to me which made my utility bill jump from around $250-$300 to $819. When I asked about this charge they claimed to have asked their utility personnel and would give me answers back shortly. Its been 2 weeks and no response and I have now endured late fees on this charge. Since I didn't pay the charge as I was awaiting their response, they put my account into eviction status. When it came time to pay rent, I tried to pay my rent many times but they refused to take payment because of my account being in eviction status. This was my first time ever being late on my rent payment. They have now added more legal fees, late fees, and utility fees into my account which has amounted to over $3500. They have not been responding to emails promptly and I have yet to get an answer on the *** deposit. Sylvan Homes is terribly irresponsible as a landlord and has no hospitality when it comes to customer service.

  

  Business response

  07/16/2024

  *******,
  Under Section 24 of your lease agreement with Sylvan, you agreed to pay any and all utilities for the property and have them in your name. However, your failure to pay the utilities resulted in the accounts reverting to **********************, as your landlord, and Sylvan had to pay these amounts on your behalf. As Sylvan had to pay these amounts for you, you are required to reimburse Sylvan under your lease; hence, the charges were made to your account. Furthermore, all charges that were listed on your account are consistent with your obligations under your lease with Sylvan.  
  
  For further information, please reach out to *********************************. His contact information is listed below.
  Thank you!
  
  ************************************
  Attorney
  office ************ | fax ************
  direct ************ 
  ***********;& ********, P.A.
  *********************************************************************
  ************************ | www.tandllaw.com

• Initial Complaint

  07/03/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Im a current tenant. I moved in on April 29th 2024. This has hands down been the worst rental experience of my life. When we moved in, the property was not by any means move in ready. I was picking up human used needles off the floor; everything was disgusting (I.e. human f**** and blood stains in bathrooms, floors, kitchens) Dog pee, cigarette butts, and everything is literally broken (face plates falling off drawers, damaged stove, bad plumbing, bad hvac, holes in the fence, broken windows, etc. This property has been terribly neglected and because of that I called multiple times, submitted pictures, and was told As Is. My first two weeks in, we noticed issues with the **** units. We changed filters, cleaned out the floor vents, etc, and finally called. It took a technician coming out here twice to deal with the issues. Now theyre blaming me, (I hadnt even paid my first month rent) for the damages that have been done to the **** system. Claiming we didnt put a filter in. One unit didnt even have a filter, we had to buy one, the other one was completely filthy, dont even know how long it had been since it had been replaced and now theyre trying to charge us almost $1k in damages we didnt cause! It turns out multiple squatters were in this home before moving in. The house was a disaster; theyve done nothing to help me and my family. Im unbelievably infuriated at the treatment. I have a toddler, and the home's condition stalled my move-in date so I could have it cleaned and a safe environment for my child. Also, the stalled move-in date cost me hundreds of dollars in hula rentals, maid service, and buying items/tools to fix the home and make it livable. By the way, the **** unit is still not running like it should, and its almost 90 degrees upstairs and downstairs. I have a list of all the times I called to resolve these issues, but I can't get a return phone except ******, who just sighs and says it as is.

  

  Business response

  07/11/2024

  *****,

  Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention. We take customer satisfaction very seriously and are committed to addressing and resolving any issues our clients face. I apologize for the inconvenience and frustration you experienced during your move-in process and the subsequent maintenance issues with your home.

  We understand that your move-in experience did not meet the high standards we strive for, and we regret that you encountered maintenance issues shortly after settling into your new home. Your feedback is invaluable in helping us improve our services, and we are sorry for the shortcomings you faced.
  
  To further express our commitment to your satisfaction, we would like to waive the maintenance chargeback on your account as a gesture of goodwill.
  
  Once again, I apologize for the inconvenience you experienced and appreciate your patience as we work to resolve these issues. Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to make things right. We value your business and hope to have the chance to restore your trust in our services.

  We will send this approval for removal of the chargeback to our accounting department to be removed from your ledger. 

  Thank you. 

  Customer response

  07/12/2024

   
  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. I'm concerned that the charge backs were falsely adjusted to assume we were behind on rent, pet rent, and that we owed them insurance, although we've never been late on rent, pet rent, and we use USAA for renters insurance. This was a corner cut way to hold us accountable for the charges for the **** services we were in the process of disputing. I've uploaded screenshots from my portal for proof, and for my own records. We're still having issues with our AC unit, so we'll see how that goes. I've only paid 3 months of rent, and it's been one issue after another. I hope that we're taken care of and valued for how we care for this property (unlike the past residents), even at the state of the home at move in.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  07/01/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My ** went out on a Saturday around 2 PM, so I filed a maintenance order. This happened during a weekend when temperatures in Texas ranged from 100 to 108 degrees. My home became extremely hot, especially upstairs. I continued to send maintenance orders through the Sylvan Housing portal and called after-hours multiple times, but received no response.By Monday afternoon, I finally got a call from a representative who informed me that my maintenance request had been sent to a vendor. She explained that they didn't have anyone available to work on weekends. Consequently, I had to hire and pay someone to repair the ** myself.I asked three different representatives about getting reimbursed, but none were willing to assist me. This seems unfair to tenants who experience emergencies on weekends and can't get help. I hope Sylvan Homes will do right by their tenants and reimburse the money I had to spend to get the ** fixed after submitting eight maintenance orders.

  

  Business response

  07/11/2024

  Hi April,

  We are very sorry to hear that you have experienced a maintenance issue at your home. It appears that you did not give us enough time to resolve the issue with your AC. We did let you know over the phone that we were sending a vendor, but you told us that you already hired your own 3rd party tech. You submitted the order on a Saturday and the vendor could have been to you by Monday. We do not have a local internal field tech in your area, so we have to rely on contracted vendors to accept the work orders that we submit to them. This is always done as quickly as possible, but cannot be done instantly. You did not get prior approval to hire a vendor on your own, so we are not able to offer a refund for the money you paid to the vendor. 

  Customer response

  07/11/2024

   
  Complaint: 21929924
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  As your tenant, I had to endure hardship because you couldnt address an emergency request over the weekend. There was an emergency alert in *****, and your lack of response is not surprising. Its unfortunate and unfair for your company not to be held accountable for this issue.!

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

  

  Business response

  07/12/2024

  April,

  There was not enough time given for the work order to be completed. We told you that a vendor was coming, but you informed us that it had already been taken care of by you. 

  Customer response

  07/12/2024

   
  Complaint: 21929924
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Its interesting that you mentioned not having enough time to repair the *** especially since you said no one was available on weekends. Im not asking for a refund, just a credit towards my account, which I believe is fair. Im not seeking anything extra, just fairness. Thank you in advance.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

  

  Business response

  07/15/2024

  April,
  

  There was not enough time given for the work order to be completed. We told you that a vendor was coming, but you informed us that it had already been taken care of by you. 

• Initial Complaint

  06/27/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I submitted an application and they took $100 and immediately after unlisted the home I was interested in and didnt have any available properties. I want a refund immediately. This is fraud.

  

  Business response

  06/27/2024

  Hi *****,

  We work on a first-come first-serve basis. This is outlined in our application process when you applied. We accept many applications on a home at a given time. We do not remove it from the market when someone applies. It only comes off market when someone pays the deposit. When someone pays the deposit, it is theirs. If you would like to move your application to another home, you are welcome to. 
  
  

  

  Business response

  06/27/2024

  Hi *****,

  We work on a first-come first-serve basis. This is outlined in our application process when you applied. We accept many applications on a home at a given time. We do not remove it from the market when someone applies. It only comes off market when someone pays the deposit. When someone pays the deposit, it is theirs. If you would like to move your application to another home, you are welcome to. 
  
  

  Customer response

  06/27/2024

   
  Complaint: 21910007
  
  I am rejecting this response because: in less than 12hrs of me paying the application fee the  house was gone even though I communicated with a leasing specialist prior to submitting an application and before and after I used rently to view the property. I specifically verbatim asked if the house was going to be leased soon. The leasing specialist  said no was had been an offer in. Which was a lie. By 10am the next business day the house was gone. My application was submitted at 8pm that day prior. Also you didnt have any properties in my area. I wouldve had to move to a new state to switch to another property . To this day there isnt properties in the area. Refund my money! 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  

  Business response

  06/28/2024

  Hi *****,

  I have reached out to the leasing department and requested that they give you a call to explain the process to you. 

  Thank you for your patience. 

• Initial Complaint

  06/26/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The house currently does not need code in regards to ventilation in the attic. Its causing extreme heat in the upstairs of the house. This is an issue that must be rectified and the house MUST be brought to code. Sylvan has repeatedly ignored the issue and has lied about the house being up to code.

  

  Business response

  06/27/2024

  Hi ******,

  According to the latest note in the work order, IFS was present at the property yesterday and repaired a number of items. Could you please let me know the specific issues you are still dealing with? I will then relay this back to the maintenance department. 

  Thank you! 

• Initial Complaint

  06/25/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Sylvan is a rental property company, they have zero hast in addressing issues and do not reimburse for cost incurred to make repairs in their lack of response or action. Two years in a row now we have had issues with our upstairs A/C unit. Last year the technician they employ said the unit needed to be replaced. He ***** rigged it to work at a hightened energy bill to our expense. They have ignored his remarks and done nothing to fix it. Last year during the middle of the summer in the south when temps are reach triple digits I recieved zero response for having someone come fix the air in less than a week. Once again this year it takes a couple days to get anyone to look at the problem while the home becomes too hot to sleep in. Repairs done last week did not work and took two days to get a response from sylvan and even then they didnt give a timeline for repair. Yet again stuck with unbearable sleep conditions. Any repairs paid out of pocket will not be reimbursed. This makes for unsuitable and non ethical living conditions for this day and age and especially for the high rate of rent being charged. The customer service is non existent and less than poor for a business that houses people. Sylvan cuts corners where they can and stick it to you where they can. They should be reprimanded for their actions and made to hold a higher standard.

  

  Business response

  06/27/2024

  Hi ******,

  I have escalated this issue to the maintenance department. We should have a vendor out to your property today. 

  Thank you for your patience. 

• Initial Complaint

  06/24/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  We have rented a home from Sylvan homes for 11 months now and have had problems from day one. There are too many to describe at this point in time but I will go into detail on the latest problem. We have always paid our rent on time, not even one day late. Due to their system malfunction which has been since day one, we cannot make an online payment. We have to make a phone call every month and pay over the phone. We called and made a payment May 29th for the June 1st payment. It shows on our bank statement (attached) that the payment was accepted on June 1st and processed on June 3rd. On June 10th I received an email (attached) stating that they had not received our payment, that we were late, and were charging us a late fee. We called Sylvan homes at ************ and were told that they were not showing us late in the system and that it must have been a mistake. We wanted confirmation, but they stated they couldn't give us that but would transfer us to someone who could; they transferred us, and it went to voicemail, and we never received a callback, which is what happens every time we call this company. We called back a few hours later just for them to transfer us again, and again went to voice mail with no callback. It is June 24th and we still have received zero callbacks, letters, or emails regarding this "system mistake". Today, on June 24th, I received another mysterious email from Sylvan Homes saying that we somehow owe "sales tax" (attached) of $236.60 and a separate sales tax charge of $47.32. I called and spoke to ******** and asked for a reference number for the call, she said she could not provide that as their system does not generate them, but assured me the call was recorded. She said the system was down, couldn't tell me what the charge was, and transferred me. AGAIN, the call went straight to voicemail and it has been an hour with no callback. I called again and have still received no answers.

  

  Business response

  06/27/2024

  Hello there,

  The account is showing that a payment was made on the 24th. The account is showing a -$1,820.00 balance, so there is nothing owed currently. Were you able to speak to someone who helped you with this?

  Please let me know if you still see an issue on your end. I can get into contact with Accounting and also IT because it may be a portal issue. 

  Thank you. 

  Customer response

  06/30/2024

   
  Complaint: 21893398
  
  I am rejecting this response because: No one can tell my why I received the letter and they have made no effort fix the issue. On top of that the "sales tax" portion they are charging me I was told is because AZ is now charging them sales tax for the money they are earning and they are now passing that on to me. Their sales tax is not my responsibility. They need to absorb that cost it was not in a contract.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  

  Business response

  07/02/2024

  Hi *****,

  Please check your account, as it should be updated. There has been a concession added to the account for the ** sales tax. We sincerely apologize for this error.

  Thank you. 

  Customer response

  07/02/2024

   
  Complaint: 21893398
  
  I am rejecting this response because: they are changing my rental contract and agreement AFTER we have signed to include charges we never agreed to. You cannot simply change a contractual agreement afterward to include whatever you want to. You will be hearing from my lawyer.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  Customer response

  07/03/2024

  Better Business Bureau:

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID .********, and find that Mediation is necessary. Sylvan Homes has now breached our contract and has attempted a "change of terms" to an already agreed and signed lease contract.  This is illegal.

  Regards,

  *************************

  

  Business response

  07/04/2024

  Better Business Bureau:

  I would like to reject the offer of Mediation for complaint ID ********. His account balance is updated. 

• Initial Complaint

  06/24/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Sylvan Homes is the property management company I am currently renting a home from. When I got the home it was posted in the listing that there would be access to all *** amenities (a very large portion of why we chose this property over the many others out there)This access to *** amenities was promised to us however the company has not delivered on their promise for over 3 months. I have contacted them nearly every week since starting to rent from them and each time I get the exact same answer that they will "reach out to the *** Team" and will follow up via email. This is what they do to get you off the phone and leave them alone when they cant complete a task they promised. I firmly believe there is not a *** team at Sylvan and if you are looking to rent with them expect you will never get access to the amenities. Another thing to add, I even called the *** directly to see what can be done and the *** said Sylvan homes started renting the property before they were allowed to after purchasing the property and for a few years now they have been on a banned list for amenities. This is likely something they can resolve by contacting the *** and paying the required fees to right the wrong that they did to the *** years before we started renting so we can access the promised amenities. Because there is most certainly no one who manages the hoa@sylvan email this will never get done and we will be stuck without access to the promised amenity due to the property manager's mismanagement of the home. Really a disgraceful business practice and an illegal bait and switch.

  

  Business response

  06/27/2024

  Thank you for contacting us regarding your *** and the recent difficulties youve encountered.  We understand how important these amenities can be, and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this oversight may have caused you. We have contacted the homeowner's association to identify the problem and work towards a resolution. We value you as a member of the Sylvan Homes family and are committed to ensuring you have a positive living experience. We will keep you updated on the progress with the *** and reach out as soon as we have more information. In the meantime, please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any further questions or concerns.
  

  Sincerely,

  Sylvan Homes

  Customer response

  06/27/2024

   
  Complaint: 21892521
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I would like to see receipts because this is the same response I get from the phone attendant each time Ive checked in on the status for the past 3 months. Please share receipts that actual progress is being made. I do appreciate the time taken to reply to this but too many times Ive been told this same thing with no action being taken. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  

  Business response

  06/28/2024

  *******, 

  I understand your frustration with the issue. I can assure you that our HOA team is working on this diligently. You will receive notification when the issues have been worked out. 

  Thank you. 

  Customer response

  06/28/2024

   
  Complaint: 21892521
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  honestly it shouldnt take 3 months to provide me something I am already paying you for. All that needs to be done is to send the letter of permission to the *** so we can access the amenities. This was promised to us in the agreement. 
  

  I would like to remind the *** team that bait and switch is illegal. I would advise the team to make headwinds on this process or expect future litigation 

   

  please contact the *** and provide the letter of permission and give us access to the agreed upon amenities access 
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

*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. ↩