Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I asked many questions when I called about an apartment I was interested in. My first question was if the hot water was limited and was told that I would have as much as I want. The leasing agent I spoke to told me there was unlimited hot water (my first question), no construction, lots of light in the apartment, and that the apartment was ready to move in to after the other tenants left. He mentioned that it would be painted if it needs it. I argued that I could not move in unless it was painted. He told me that the building next to the apartment was a football field away (it's about 15 feet away from my dirthy windows). He emailed me pictures of an apartment with cabinets under the bathroom and kitchen sinks, lots of light coming through the windows, and told me it was very large. I viewed the pictures and floor plans. He also told me I would get a month free rent after I sent in all my paperwork. I decided to take the apartment. The building manager took back the one month free rent because I was late in sending in my paperwork due to a snow storm. I decided to go anyway. When I got to the apartment on Saturday after a five hour drive, I found the apartment very dark, light bulbs blown out, windows filthy, and no cabinets under the sink in the kitchen and bathroom. There were metal bars all over the bathroom walls. The heat had to be turned on to 79 degrees to get any heat. It was late in the day. The concierge came up because the huge microwave, that should have been attached under the cabinets (in the picture), but was sitting on a tiny space in the kitchen, was making very strange noises. The bathroom was sitting right in the kitchen (not in the floor plan picture). I went down to the leasing office the next day and the guy who I had been speaking to was there with the apartment manager. I asked about why there were no cabinets and bars all over the walls of the bathroom, as well as the windows being filthy, the blown lightbulbs, and the heat hardly heating up the apartment. The guy told me that he didn't construct the apartment, so he didn't know why there were no cabinets. The manager said that the apartment was ADA approved and that is why there were disability bars all over and no cabinets. I said that this was not told to me and I would not have moved in if I knew this. I constantly asked the manager where the apartment pictures that were sent to me came from and why I was lied to. No answer, absolutely no answer. She eventually said I could move to another apartment after I completely unpacked in this one, but the move would be at my own expense and she could not guarantee me the same price of the apartment I signed the lease for. This has been going on for 1 1/2 months. The leasing agent said nothing, except that he didn't consturct the apartment. I was lied to completely, the electric bill is huge for only 10 days, the hot water is only for 15 minutes at a time until the boiler heats up again (2 hours). I had to place tape all over the edges of the windows and baseboards of the apartment to keep it a little bit warm. I received a flimsy email from the building manager about letting me out of the lease, nothing about my security or pet fee. I spent almost $2000.00 to move here. I don't know what to do, I want to know why they lied to me about the apartment and why they didn't compensate me for some of the hardship they put me through.They lied to me about this apartment, totally lied and will not admit it. I have the original emails with pictures of the apartment I should have moved in to. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. This has never happened to me in my life. I am looking for other apartments, but they are all gruesome, with mice. By the way, this is in downtown Philly.
A word of advice, if you break up your post into paragraphs more people will read it and respond.
I think if you don't go see an apartment in person you run the risk of this happening. You said they are willing to put you into a different apartment, please make sure that you view these in person.
I feel badly for you about your situation. Have you tried any housing agencies that work with people who have been duped...Call 211 from your local area code and ask who you should call to get help with this.
211 is a resource information service whose volunteers answer the phone 24/7 it is there for anyone who has questions about where to start and who to talk to about any situation. They will help you find out what agencies and provide the contact information also. Good luck, and keep updating please. 2-1-1.org
I didn't bother to read your wall of text, but I'm assuming you rented a place without ever seeing it for yourself and are now regretting that decision.
Not much you can do at this point other than read your lease carefully, read any paperwork you have carefully and see if they breached the contract in any way. You signed a lease so make sure you continue to pay rent until you decide what you're doing. If you stay, well good luck; the place sounds like a dump. (2k to move in?? that's it??) If you decide to leave, make sure you read your lease regarding early termination and follow it to a T.
Take loads of pictures and videos now and save them for when you do move out in case you need to sue for you deposit.
This is the second thread in a short period of time of someone moving into a unit without doing their due diligence...why do people do this?!?! Why do they think this is a good idea??!!
Thanks everyone. Sorry my post was so long and not separated into sections. I was 300 miles away and the apartment was not available to see until one week before the move-in date.
Yes, it was definitely bait and switch for sure. Thank you Jan, Kim, and HokieFan. Going to contact legal aid.
It was almost $2000.00 for the moving plus of course security and rent. I have pictures that were sent to me by the lying leasing agent and pictures I took myself. I'll continue to post and let you guys know what happens. It's not a dump apartment building, just a dark ADA approved apartment (don't need this lol), which I am totally miserable in. Jan, not sure if 211 is available here, but I'll check. I come from NYC and know about 311 for issues. Will let you know.
Try calling the management company and asking who to direct your complaint to. The on-site leasing agent should have a supervisor in a corporate office who over-sees the property. I'd ask them to transfer you to an apartment similar to the one you were sent pictures of.
There may also be a "Tenants Council" in your city who can help you and they often have in-house attorneys.
I totally understand "leasing unseen", people come to my city and move directly into rentals and even buy a home they have never seen. Most of the time it works out just fine. Good luck !
Misrepresentation and gross misrepresentation at that. I have personally listened to applicants tell me stories of moving out here and being told one thing and getting another.
The longer you stay the more it looks like you're accepting the situation. I would of started making noise about the same day I showed up and saw what I was getting vs what I was promised.
Didn't read all that text but is there a chance it said something like you are not seeing the actual unit for rent but are seeing a similar unit to the one available? I see this with apartments all the time.
Life tip:
Even if you are far away and can't come in person, a GOOD landlord will Facetime a walkthrough with you. Next best thing to seeing it for yourself in person.
I actually won't sign a lease with someone who hasn't either
1. Seen the property for themselves
2. Had a Facetime walkthrough
or
3. Had a trusted friend or family member do a walkthrough for them
Even though I'm a good landlord, with nice properties, who isn't trying to bait and switch, I've had too many experiences with someone who arrived and gave me the "this isn't what I thought I was getting" and wanting out of their lease with no penalty.
Try calling the management company and asking who to direct your complaint to. The on-site leasing agent should have a supervisor in a corporate office who over-sees the property. I'd ask them to transfer you to an apartment similar to the one you were sent pictures of.
There may also be a "Tenants Council" in your city who can help you and they often have in-house attorneys.
I totally understand "leasing unseen", people come to my city and move directly into rentals and even buy a home they have never seen. Most of the time it works out just fine. Good luck !
It is a well known management property. I am going to call the corporate office on Monday when I'm off from work. I don't want to start any tenant landlord complaint, since I have heard that this goes on your rental history. But I will call Tenant's Council on Monday. Austin-HomeGirl, I appreciate your help. I have cc'd all my emails to this manager to her manager and never received a response, except that I could move to another dark ADA approved apartment or a 450 sq ft one bedroom in May with the move at my own expense.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
