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:05/27/2025

  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.

  Dear Better Business Bureau,
  
  I am writing to report what I believe to be deceptive advertising and a failure to disclose essential financial information by The Domain on Donahue, a rental property in ******* *******.
  
  In *** ****, I applied for an apartment listed on their website at $1250 per month, with no mention of additional mandatory fees. After submitting my application, I was required to pay $1499 in upfront charges, including a $1250 security deposit, a $149 administrative fee, and $100 in application fees for myself and my fiancée. It was only during the lease-signing stage that I was informed of an additional $110 monthly charge for amenities and utilities—something that had not been disclosed previously.
  
  To this day, their website lists other units at $1400 per month, still without clearly indicating the additional $110 monthly fee ($1320 in total per year). I believe this practice is misleading and prevents prospective tenants from making informed financial decisions.
  
  I respectfully request that your office investigate this matter for potential violations of consumer protection standards. I am also requesting that The Domain on Donahue honor the originally advertised rate of $1250/month for my lease, as shown at the time of application.
  
  I am happy to provide supporting documentation upon request.
  
  Sincerely,
  ******** ** ********* ********* ********** ** *********** *** ********** ****** ********** ******* ** *****

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/27/2025

  Dear Best Business Bureau:

  Thank you so much for the update!

  I am following your instructions to update with more documents, which include 1. Lease contract signed on *** **; 2. Bank record for my current purchase to ******** ********; 3. Emails with the leasing manager on ***** **. 

  Again, what happened, in short, is that we are not informed about the extra $110 monthly payment until the day we signed on the lease (which is *** **); and before that, we have already paid $1350 to the Domain on Donahue WITHOUT knowing the extra $110 monthly payment (more precisely, this amount of money never appears in any emails from the Domain on Donahue, any signed documents before the signed lease, also before ***** ** or even any oral announcement before ***** **). We believe that the Domain on Donahue failed to provide us the correct and transparent finance information during the whole process, in particular, they should let us know the exact price for renting before ***** * when we made the first $50 application fee.

  Thank you so much for your time and your investigation on this!

  Best wishes,

  ******** *** ********* ********* ** *** ********** ** *********** *** *********** ****** **********

  Business Response

  Date: 05/30/2025

  Dear Better Business Bureau,
  Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the concerns raised by *** ******** ** regarding his experience at The Domain on Donahue in ******* *******.
  My name is Cindi ****, and I serve as the Property Manager at The Domain on Donahue, located at **** ***** ******* *****. I had the pleasure of personally touring *** ** and his wife around our community. During the tour, *** ** inquired whether water was included in the monthly rent, and I informed him that it was. They both appeared to really appreciate the property and were enthusiastic about the community.
  Following the tour, *** ** and his wife submitted an application, which was subsequently approved. As part of our standard process, I sent him the lease agreement and a Welcome Letter, which outlines all associated fees and expectations. Upon reviewing those materials, *** ** contacted the office with additional questions regarding the fees outlined in the documents. He and his wife visited the leasing office in person to discuss the Welcome Letter and associated charges. During that meeting, I printed a copy of the letter and thoroughly reviewed each fee with them. I apologized for any confusion and made sure to address all their questions. Before they left, I asked *** ** if he was comfortable with the fees and rental amount. He confirmed that he had done comparative research and believed our pricing was consistent with similar properties in the area. I then asked if he wished to proceed, and he confirmed that he did.
  Additionally, *** ** followed up with an email to our corporate office at ******** ********** requesting a breakdown of the rent and utility charges. ******* ***** from our team responded promptly, reiterating the monthly charges and clarifying the $110 utility and amenity fee.
  On *** ** ****, *** ** signed a lease agreement that clearly outlined all charges, including the monthly $110 utility/amenity fee. We have attached the first and last pages of the signed lease agreement, as well as the relevant email correspondence with our corporate office, to confirm that all charges were disclosed prior to move-in and were mutually agreed upon.
  Additional Clarification on Fees and Marketing Practices
  The base rent advertised on our website reflects the standard monthly rental rate and does not include ancillary charges such as the amenity and utility fee. These fees are standard in the multifamily housing industry and cover services such as internet, trash, pest control, and use of community amenities. While these fees are disclosed during the leasing process and in the lease documents, we acknowledge that their visibility on marketing platforms could be improved. We are currently reviewing our website and advertising materials to ensure these details are presented with greater clarity to avoid any future confusion.
  Regarding the Request for Pricing Adjustment
  We understand *** **’s request to adjust his rent to the originally advertised rate of $1,250 to include the utility/amenity fee. However, the $110 monthly fee is a standard, mandatory charge applied uniformly across all lease agreements and is part of the total lease obligation, not a negotiable item. *** ** was made aware of this fee before signing the lease, and he chose to proceed after confirming his understanding.
  We are committed to transparency, fairness, and excellent customer service. We regret any misunderstanding and value *** **’s decision to make our community his home. We also appreciate the opportunity to address this matter and improve our communications moving forward.
  Sincerely,
  Cindi ****
  Property Manager
  The Domain on Donahue
  **** ***** ******* *****
  ******* ** *****
  ************
  
  *****************************
  
   

  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/02/2025

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Dear Better Business Bureau,

  Thank you for allowing me to respond to the apartment’s latest message regarding my complaint. I appreciate the opportunity to clarify and reiterate my concerns, as many of the apartment's statements are either misleading, incomplete, or directly contradict the facts.
  

  I would like to respectfully address the following issues in detail:

  1. Core Issue Still Not Addressed: Undisclosed Fees Before Deposit

  The apartment continues to avoid the central issue of my complaint: I paid a $1,500 deposit under the understanding that the total monthly rent was $1,250. Only after the deposit was paid was I told about the additional $110 monthly utility/amenity fee, which had never been disclosed to me during the tour or in any written format beforehand.

  This is a clear violation of fair advertising practices. No rental listing or verbal explanation mentioned this additional monthly charge before I made a financial commitment. The fact that this fee is "standard" does not exempt it from being disclosed up front, especially since it significantly affects the total monthly rent.

  2. Misrepresentation of My Tour-Day Question – A Critical Contradiction

  In the apartment’s response, Cindi **** wrote: “*** ** inquired whether water was included in the monthly rent, and I informed him that it was.”
  

  This is a selective and misleading statement. What I actually asked during the tour was: “Is water and internet included in the monthly rent of $1,250?” Cindi replied “Yes.” This implies that $1,250 was the full price, inclusive of water and internet. At that time, I had no knowledge whatsoever of the $110 amenity/utility fee. The $1,250 was the only number I was aware of, and I based all decisions on that understanding. If, as the apartment now claims, this $110 fee is “standard” and always part of the lease, then Cindi should have clearly stated that during the tour, when I specifically asked about what the $1,250 includes, but she never did so. 

  By omitting this crucial fee in her answer and now claiming that I was informed, Cindi is creating a direct contradiction in her own testimony. She admitted we had that conversation but omitted key details – and at that time, there was no written documentation, no lease, no welcome letter, and no mention of any other charges. The reply from Cindi indeed proves that she either knowingly misled me, or failed to disclose a material fee that directly impacted my decision. Either case reflects dishonesty or negligence.

  3.  False Assumptions About My Feelings & Decisions

  The apartment also stated that I was “comfortable” with the fees and chose to proceed. This is not accurate. On the day I was asked to sign the lease, I was actually uncomfortable, confused, and felt pressured. I did not feel that I had a real choice, as I had already paid a large deposit and was unfamiliar with U.S. housing practices as a new resident. I also believe the apartment has no right to claim knowledge of my internal emotional state, especially when they provide no documentation or neutral third-party confirmation of what I felt.

  4. No Evidence Provided to Me or to BBB

  Despite saying they provided me with a lease and explanation, they have never shown any documentation of when and how the $110 fee was disclosed before the deposit was paid. They have also failed to provide BBB with such documentation.
  Their entire response depends on verbal claims that cannot be verified and continues to avoid the timeline that proves the fee was introduced after financial commitment.

  5. Marketing Practices Still Misleading
  

  Their own admission that their advertising does not include the $110 fee strengthens my case. They say they are "reviewing their website" — which confirms that the fee was not visible to customers before applying. A reasonable customer seeing “$1,250 per month” would believe that is the full rent unless told otherwise. The omission of the $110 charge on listings or tours constitutes false or misleading advertisement, especially when the customer explicitly asks whether the price includes all utilities.

  Here is a summary for all the information:

  Concern                                         Reality
  Undisclosed Fees                          $110 charge not disclosed before deposit
  Verbal Misrepresentation               I asked if $1,250 included water & internet – was told “Yes”
  No Written Proof                            No documentation of charges provided before signing
  Psychological Pressure                 I was not truly comfortable, felt forced to sign after deposit
  Advertising Practices                     Apartment admits fee is not shown up front

  Finally, here is my request: I respectfully request that:

  1. The apartment acknowledges they failed to disclose a material fee before financial commitment.
  2. My rent be adjusted to the originally advertised $1,250, inclusive of all fees.
  3. Clear disclosure practices be implemented to prevent future confusion for other tenants.

  
  Thank you again for your time and support in helping resolve this matter fairly!

  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ******** **

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/03/2025

  Dear Better Business Bureau,
  Thank you again for your continued assistance regarding my complaint against ******** *** (Complaint #********). On **** ** ***** I received a follow-up message from the apartment management. For transparency, I have included the full text of their response as well as my reply in the attached file entitled with "Follow-up the conversation with the Domain on Donahue on *** **** (New message sent by ******* ***** with my response)". 

  While I appreciate their willingness to correspond, I must respectfully offer the following analysis, as many of their claims continue to misrepresent the core issue.

  Here is my analysis. 

  1. Mischaracterization of “Standard Fees”
  

  Mulberry states that the $110 fee is “standard in the industry.” While that may be true in some cases, the fact that something is standard does not exempt it from being disclosed. The key issue is not whether the fee exists, but that it was not disclosed before I placed my $1,500 deposit.
  
  2. Deflection by Referring to the Lease

  They state that all fees were disclosed in the lease signed on May 1. This is not a valid defense, because my complaint is about the period before the lease was signed or shown. I had already committed financially, and the lease came afterward.
  
  3. Attempt to Shift Responsibility

  The message claims that “if there were concerns, the appropriate time to raise them was before signing.” This ignores the reality that I was not given all the information needed to make an informed decision before placing a deposit. Once the $1,500 was paid, I felt trapped and pressured to proceed—even though I was confused and uncomfortable.
  
  4. Their Offer to Terminate the Lease

  They say they are willing to release me from the lease and refund the deposit. I interpret this as an implicit admission that their process was flawed. However, I am not seeking to break the lease—I am seeking to rent the apartment at the rate that was advertised and verbally confirmed ($1,250/month).
  
  5. Confirmation of Incomplete Advertising

  They state they are reviewing their website to clarify fees. This is a further admission that fees were not properly disclosed, supporting my original complaint.
  
  **Final Summary:

  1. Mulberry’s own email confirms that the $110 fee was not visible in advertising.

  2. They still have not provided any documentation showing that this fee was disclosed before I placed my deposit.

  3. I respectfully reiterate my request: To rent the unit at $1,250/month as originally presented, inclusive of all fees.

  Thank you again for reviewing this latest information and helping ensure fairness in housing practices!

  Sincerely, 

  ******** **, ********* ********** ********** ** *********** *** *********** ****** **********