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:07/12/2024

  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.

  My son was a student at ***, he was tenant there in 2022-2023, he signed a new lease for a different unit for 8/2023-7/2024. The leasing office was sending promotional notices to new tenants for an early move-in. We accepted the offer, site unseen, and they made us sign a "As Is" form. This was a five-bedroom unit that was labeled as a "frat house," rented to five college students, each paying almost $1,000/month, which is above average for that area. The average rent is $450-550/month. On the move-in day , the house was so dirty it's beyond words to describe it, it was unlivable, unhealthy and it was unethically presented to us as a normal house. Other boys' parents already told the office the unit had to be cleaned, so the office was aware of the unsanitary conditions, and they tricked us into signing the As Is form knowingly. They wanted to clean the unit at our expense. I have photos of that filthy, dirty, abhorrent, dusty, moldy, dingy, and dilapidated unit that somehow they expected my son to move into. The carpet on the stairs was stained black, I had to pay ***** ****** $130 to clean it, and had to pay $220 to clean the unlivable & unusable common area- everything there was trashed, rotten and molded; clothes and garbage was everywhere, roaches running around, the oven, fridge & freezer were filthy, soda and other drinks were spilled everywhere. I notified the office and told them they had to reimburse me but they refused. Plus they gave the wrong key to my son, and he had to pay a locksmith $147 to open his room door. I deducted $497 from the last month's rent, the mangr ****** is threatening to ruin my credit, I can't talk to anyone in their corporate office, I am rerouted to the leasing office. Their dealings are unethical, deceitful, dishonest and unprofessional, they exploit these college kids and their families. ****** tells me I don't have a standing in court! Leasing a clean house is their responsibility. Please help me resolve this, thank you.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/24/2024

  The Cottages on Port Republic offers 3 move in options to our onsite transfers. As-Is, Transfer Day, and regular move in. These 3 options are given to all residents and the resident must email and sign a document to confirm the option they have selected. Your son selected the as-is option and both you and your son signed the document waiving the turn over services. The regular move in day and transfer day (fee required) allow us enough time to send all turn over vendors into the unit. The unit is fully cleaned, painted, carpet cleaned or replaced, and maintenance repairs are completed. You selected the as-is option which allows the resident to move in to their new unit and out of their current unit on the first day of the new lease term. However, it does not allow time for the unit to be turned over and so all vendor services are waived for the bedroom and common area of the unit.  The As-Is document you both signed stated that no services would be completed and that you accept the unit in as-is condition. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/24/2024

  I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. I am 100% rejecting their empty deceptive words and explanation. It is entirely unacceptable to expect a NEW tenant, who has never seen the inside of a unit, to clean a FRAT HOUSE that was occupied by five college boys and was going to be shared by FIVE COLLEGE BOYS. The lease office knew what condition the unit was in, WE DID NOT. I have never seen the inside of the house nor did my son, after the previous residents moved out. They never offered for us to see it. they should have sent us pictures of the disgusting unit and told us this is the condition of the unit- do you accept, then ask us to sign the unit. Never in a million years did i even imagine that a leasing office would be so bold, brazen and unethical to trick someone into moving a place that was not fir to keep an animal in.We were misled and deceived by the office. They knew the unit was unlivable and extremely dirty, as i described in my detailed note to them. They wanted to clean the unit at our expense, and in addition, there is NO excuse for them giving my son the wrong key to his door. How do they explain that, after my son repeated asked them to give him the right key. I am not paying for their mismanagement and trickery, because they did trick us into moving into that unlivable place, charging us almost $1,000 a month for a five-bedroom unit. the house was/is a frat house, they knew how dirty it was, WE DID NOT. They need to remove those charges and make my account ZERO. The management/leasing office failed to do their job and want us to pay for their mistake, it is inexcusable, unacceptable and unimaginable that we, as a new tenant, would have to pay for cleaning the black-stained carpet by hiring ***** ****** and professional cleaning company to clean the house at our expenses. When we sign a new lease, moving into a clean and fresh house should be a given, not a bonus or a treat. We all have been a tenant at one time or another, and that is expected of a lease office to provide, not the tenant. They are threatening to ruin my credit, we have never ever been late on our rent, this is unacceptable and deceptive business practice and defrauding consumers. They are running a monopoly, because we send our kids to college in that town, and they know those kids have to rent a place in order to go to school (***** ******* **********) in that town, so they think they have a license to exploit our kids and families like us. Completely unacceptable and unconscionable.  Regards, ***** ****