Progress Residential took over the management of my home from another property management company less than a month after my lease started. The original property management company was very reputable. Had I known that I Progress Residential would be my landlord and now property manager, I wouldn't have signed my 2-year lease. I consider it the ultimate bait and switch.
Fast forward and I am mid-lease. Late on Sunday night only 5 days before rent is due, I received an email stating that they required proof of Tenant's insurance within 5 days with very specific requirements including adding Progress Residential as an "Additional Interest". If we did not comply within 5 days (by the 1st of the month when rent was due -- how convenient), then we would be forced to purchase tenants insurance from "Effective Coverage" for 10 bucks per month.
I forwarded my Tenant's policy declaration to them immediately because I refuse to pay Progress Residential another dime than I have to -- and never mind the fact that they are forcing this change unilaterally mid-lease when my lease has no such requirement -- only requires that I have Tenant's insurance -- no mention of an "additional interest" or liability amounts.
I received an email from Effective Coverage that my proof of insurance was not approved because I didn't have Progress Residential listed as an "additional Interest". So I call up my insurance company and they were happy to add Progress Residential on as an "additional interest". However, I am fully expecting to still be dinged 10 bucks per month because really Effective Coverage has a clear conflict of interest in being the sole approver/denier of 3rd party proof insurance declarations. If they can find a reason to deny the proof of insurance, then they have yet another captive customer. And even better -- a captive customer who they would NOT be required to pay ANY claims for because they would be subordinate to our regular insurance coverage.
I don't mind the requirement as much as how it was done. It was done mid-lease and is, in effect, changing the terms of the lease -- so probably not legal. AND they only give 5 days to respond during a week prior to a major summer holiday when many people are already on summer vacation. That TELLS you that they are trying to cram tenants into this illegal scam.