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| - What a Slum Lord Looks Like -
The previous tenant of the rental property moved out less than 24 hrs prior to my move-in. My Townhome Realty refused to clean the unit and felt the unit was "move in ready".
My application, fee, and deposit for the property was completed within a 24hr period and more than 30 days prior to move-in. I was informed the previous tenants would be moving out by 2/28/14 when they did not move out until 3/7/14. My move-in date was scheduled for 3/8/14.
Upon arrival 3/8 it was apparent the property was not cleaned at all and the previous tenant left belongings behind as well as leaving significant damage to the property. I was in contact with the property manager 7 days prior to move in and expected a courtesy call to note the state of the property. A respectable establishment would've requested I move my move-in date so a "proper" clean could be performed to this property as repaint, carpet replacement, as well as a plethora of maintenance issues required immediate attention.
Upon arrival 3/8 and exchange of payment and keys it was apparent I was dealing with a "slum lord". The property manager was aware that I was moving "across the country" from Phoenix, Arizona and paid over $15k for the move, yet he was more concerns with zero lag between occupants and his commission rather than customer service and doing the right thing. He literally ran out of the property once the exchange was done and I immediately called him after walking the premises to state my disgust and lack of communication regarding the state of this property. He assured me it would be taken care of yet, my entire move was delayed because of the poor state of the property.
As a contractor for the past 13 years, I immediately took photo documentation of the damage and mess left by the previous tenant who moved out less than 24hrs prior. A "punch list" was created and blue taped was used to mark every damaged item on the premises. This written documentation and photo documentation was submitted via email and a request for pro-rated rent was requested. The only response given was that the repairs would be taken care of.
The following week, the local "repair man" came by but stated he was only there to removed the items left behind and not to make ANY repairs.
After several threatening calls, the property managers boss and owner visited the townhome and stated the repairs would get done. 70% of the repairs were completed over a 2 week time frame and the remaining repairs were refused.
The following month I submitted the "pro-rated" rent value considering I could not unpack for 2 weeks while the repairs were being completed. 2 weeks after the pro-rated rent was issued, a rejection was received via email and a late fee was assessed to the online payment account. The property manager stated they weren't willing to accept any pro-rated amount and I accepted the property "as is". He clearly ignored the damage to the property by the previous tenant and did not take the necessary actions to correct them prior to my move-in.
1 year later, they are still disputing the late fee in addition to not responding to any of my repair requests submitted via web or voice messages. In addition, I have request to go month-to-month until I am re-assigned by my employer. Instead of property manager adhering to the month-to-month rate acknowledged in the original lease, they issued another lease with an increased rate of $300 and refuse to acknowledge or remove the late fee or the 30% damage clearly documented but unrepaired by the owner or leasing company.
My Townhome Realty has put the slum in slum lords and show that there only concern is to collect a commission and without any common courtesy or customer service a reputable firm would provide. Chris Smith and Treva McCain of My Townhome Realty are a disgrace to the Real Estate and Rental Community.
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