“The second day of living in my apartment I realized that there were ants…EVERYWHERE. They lined my windowsill and crawled single file across the borders of my room. It was disgusting but seemed like such a small problem. I bought ant spray to get rid of them but they KEPT coming back. I did some research online and saw that many people had complained about the ant problem on different apartment websites. If only I had known….”
“I was put with roommates that are underage and like to drink. I am freaked out about being the only “of age” resident and getting busted for their screwups. I tried to change apartments within the complex but at first the management said “no” and then they said maybe – but I would be the one breaking my lease and they were going to charge me $350 just to change apartments within the complex. This is not my fault – I shouldn’t have to pay, but I didn’t realize what was in the lease and now I guess I’m stuck”
“A guest of mine, whom I am trying to avoid, keeps coming back to my apartment and picking fights. I have called the cops and they have dealt with him, but now my complex is trying to get me evicted for “disruptive behavior” by me and “my guest.” They say they will charge me $455 for breaking the lease and then I have to pay for the rest of the year (six more months!) – there’s no way I can afford this.” –P.L.
My apartment complex had us pay a “hassle free fee”, which is supposed to avoid added charges to my account when I move-out. They charged $175 for basic cleaning, steam cleaning of carpets, and paint and labor for the walls. BUT they are still making me pay for damages they say were not included, including trash removal. I could have cleaned the apartment for much less than this $175 – now I am fighting this and it is a freaking hassle! -F.R.
I found what I thought was a great apartment and signed a lease in April. When I went to check in and get my key in August, they threw a “Water Addendum” in my face. They said I had to pay an extra water bill each month (wouldn’t say how much of course) which I had not been told about before, when I signed my lease. They said I had to sign it or I could not get my key and even if I didn’t sign it, they told me I would still be responsible for the rent because I signed a contract! School was starting and I needed a place to live, so I signed. I feel really gypped. –L.L.
I was shown a really nice apartment on the top floor of this apartment complex. The staff member who showed it to me really emphasized how nice and bright it was – beautiful views and so close to campus. It was pretty expensive, but I figured it was such a great space that I wouldn’t have any problems finding a roommate to split the costs, so I signed the lease for the fall. When I pulled into town a few days before the start of school, I stopped by the front desk to get my keys. When they gave me my room number I didn’t think anything about it until I couldn’t find my apartment. It turns out I was looking in the wrong spot – they had given me a basement apartment with almost no windows at all. When I complained, the manager told me that the person who had showed me the loft was not authorized to promise me that and she is now gone anyhow. Besides – when I had signed the lease it didn’t have what apartment I was going to get, so they could assign me whatever room they had available. So now I am stuck in the basement and being charged the exact same amount that I was going to pay for the loft with all the windows. I am steamed but will never sign another lease without knowing where my apartment is! -R.J.
I signed a lease that specifically said “no pets.” I like dogs and cats, but I also know there is a huge bill if the apartment catches you with one you didn’t tell them about. Then my girlfriend found a kitten and at first she said she would have it out by the weekend. Two weeks went by and the cat was still here – peeing on the carpet and sharpening her claws on the couch. We fought about this a lot – I didn’t want to pay for the damage that cat made. She finally left – it was the cat or me and the cat won. Now I am stuck with all the damages. – A.L.
When I moved in with my two roommates, we agreed how we would split the utility bills – one third on everything. I put the electric in my name because I had saved up the money for the deposit and besides, I figured it would help my credit if I had something like that out there. Now at the end of every month, one of the roommates never gets around to paying me and I have to cover for him. It really makes me mad. I don’t always have the extra cash but if we are late, there will be late fees and I can’t afford that either. I like my friend but he really is a slacker and I wish I had a roommate agreement or something before we started this so at least I could feel like I had something to fall back on. We won’t be friends by the end of the lease. K.M.
When I moved into my place, I thought everything was taken care of. Then when I was gone over Christmas, the pipes broke in the apartment above me and my place got flooded. My TV, bedding, furniture – everything was ruined and the apartment complex said it wasn’t their fault. I think it was and they should pay, but I can’t afford an attorney to sue them, so I guess I’m stuck. Renter’s insurance is really worth the $11 a month. – B.T.
When I moved into my rent house, I knew it was older and needed work. The carpet was ancient and the wind came through the windows in the winter, but the rent wasn’t bad and I was near work so I figured it was worth it. When I moved out I left a few empty boxes, but for the most part it was clean. Then I got the bill from the landlord. He said that I damaged the carpet so much he would have to replace all of it – for $1200! The crummy carpet had to be 10 years old and I didn’t damage it, but by the time I got the letter they had already replaced it and I didn’t have any photos to prove it was rotten so now I am stuck. REALLY hacks me off! -B.B.
I got a roommate match through my apartment complex. The other guy and I didn’t have a lot in common but he left me alone and I left him alone. After a month or so it became clear to me he was selling weed. The people he started hanging out with were pretty scary and I asked him once to not do that in the living room, but he just gave me a dirty look and kept on. One day he came in and accused me of stealing $100 worth of his weed. I told him I didn’t smoke the stuff and wouldn’t take anything of his. He got really angry and threatened to kill me if he found out I took it. I went to the management and asked them to move me – they said at first they would let me move to another unit, but then that manager was fired and the new one said no dice. When I told them I feared for my life, the apartment moved to evict us both! I went along with it because I was afraid of this guy and wanted out, but now my renting history says I have an eviction. – C.L.
I complained to my manager that the toilet ran all night. He said he would look into it and nothing happened, so a week later I call again. Another promise, another useless wait. Meanwhile my water bill is going up. The third time he sent someone and they said they needed a part. So I waited another month and again asked when it was going to be fixed and the manager said they changed service companies so I would need to wait a little longer. I finally talked to an attorney who told me that if I didn’t put the complaint in writing to the complex then it would be as if I never complained at all. Really frustrating! -S.K.M.
