ComplaintsforThe Equity Group

• Initial Complaint

  11/15/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On August 22, 2023 I sent a notice to vacate to my landlord because my yearly lease would be expiring August 31, 2023, I moved. According to Equity I was on a month to month which would mean I would have to give a thirty day notice. When I moved into ****************************** #A in September 2020 I signed a yearly lease with ************************** A little over a year later The equity group became the new owners. I was never notified at anytime that my lease had changed to a month to month or signed a new agreement with the new company that I was changed to a month to month. Equity claimed they didnt need to notify me. I also turned in my keys a couple days before the end of August. Equity group claimed they did not get my keys and proceeded to place a letter of abandonment on the front door. Equity is also claiming things were damaged, that were not like the towel bar, screen slider and trash. I have a video that I took before I left. I requested receipts and pictures which they would not provide. Also, during the whole time I lived there my gas bill was excessive by fifty dollars a month. I complained and told them. About 5 months before moving I had the gas company come out and check appliances. It turns out the gas line that is connected to the ** unit was loose. I sent equity an email with the notice from the gas company as well as my bill from the time I moved in. My bill went from $75 to $25, I got no response. After asking equity again through email, if they were going to respond. Equity claimed they never got it.

  

  Business response

  11/30/2023

  We attempted to explain to the tenant that a lease at its expiration reverts to a month to month agreement.  As such, we would have to provide the tenant with ample notice to vacate just as the tenant has to provide us with ample (in this case - 30 days) notice.  The tenant said they would consult an attorney on this issue which I suspect that attorney enlightened the tenant as to basic tenant/landlord law regarding vacating a unit and giving a 30 day notice.  If there are any questions on this, a great website to refer to is *****************************************************; The tenant was charged the remaining amount of time left on the 30 day notice.  This tenant had very minimal repairs that were handled in one small visit from maintenance. The repair amount was higher that what we billed the tenant but in order to complete the move out, we elected to just charge the $125 amount that we can charge without the requirement of sending receipts to the tenant for the repairs.  Regarding the gas bill, we tell any tenant that feels they are paying too much for a utility to contact the utility provider to find out what the issue is.  In this case, the tenant contacted the utility company, identified the issue and we fixed the issue - as it should be.  Waiting 5 months to call the utility provider is the tenants issue just like not understanding the basic tenant landlord laws even after we explained them to her.

• Initial Complaint

  09/20/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Failure to respond, keeping payment.We were three rental housing applicants. We went in-person to the office on 10/10/22 to discuss the application process. On 10/17, we paid $105 total to apply to a listing. On 10/18, we received an mail-system email and a voicemail from representative ******; we immediately replied to the email requesting a viewing. On 10/24, we received a mail-system email that they were encouraging the landlord to respond, and an email from representative ****** stating our application would expire 11/18 and requesting further documents; we immediately provided these by replying to the mail-system email as before.Having heard nothing for days, we called on 10/27 three times and left a voicemail, called again on 10/28, and finally on 10/31 went in person to the office and learned they hadn't received the emailed documents; we immediately forwarded them.On 11/2, we received an email from ****** stating our application wasn't chosen. I immediately called, around 10:15am, and got through; ****** stated to call back on 11/4 to learn if it was finalized. I called again around 12:05pm and left a voicemail with further questions. I then called on 11/4 as instructed and left a voicemail.Hearing nothing, on 11/6 I started an online ******************* request to view another listing and transfer our application. This request completed 11/8 for a viewing on 11/9, but we never received email confirmation. That same day, 11/8, we received an email from ****** saying "If we do not respond within 48hrs please contact the office at ************ option 3. WARNING: Failure to respond to our communication, after multiple attempts, will result in cancellation of the application. I immediately called and left voicemails to both ****** and the office main number asking for an update. We called again 11/10.With no contact, the other two applicants went in person on 11/14. They were told we had been unresponsive and could not be refunded.

  

  Business response

  10/04/2023

  We received and followed up on the application to try and place the applicant into a location.  Last update was Nov 30 when a new rental list was sent out.

   

   Posted to ************************. Posted  *************************;on Wed, November 30, 2022 at 02:11:07 PM
  Edit Delete
  Sent follow up email and vacancy list.show full note
  
   Posted to ************************. Posted  *************************;on Tue, November 08, 2022 at 11:10:20 AM
  Edit Delete
  Followed up and sent updated listingshow full note
  
   Posted to *********************************************. Posted  Leasing Department on Wed, November 02, 2022 at 08:46:43 AM
  Edit Delete
  EMAILED
  "Unfortunately, your application was not chosen for **************. Your application is approved and transferrable. Applications are valid for 30 days; your application will expire 11/18. I have attached the current vacancy list, please review and let me know if you are interested in any another unit. The listing is updated weekly, so please be sure to request the most recent one by Tuesdays."show full note
  
  EDITED  Posted to ************************. Last edited  *************************;on Mon, October 31, 2022 at 04:38:28 PM
  Edit Delete
  Came into office and provided bank statementshow full note
  
   Posted to ************************. Posted  Leasing Department on Mon, October 24, 2022 at 01:03:18 PM
  Edit Delete
  2943 W Ashland
  App presented to owner
  Pending Schedule C and 3 most recent bank statements for ****'s self employment

• Initial Complaint

  05/17/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  1 air-conditioning/heater unit not working when we moved in, and the second office air condition/heater stopped working and Equity is refusing to repair.

  

  Business response

  05/19/2023

  The tenant moved in July 2022.  As part of the lease negotiations we were required to service and ensure proper operation of the Air Conditioning unit the cools the office areas.  We did have the unit service and was in good operating condition.  As part of the lease, the tenant is required to pay for a service contract for the HVAC system.  The tenant failed to perform this duty of the lease.  This is a NNN lease so the tenant is required to fix and pay for any issues in their unit including the air conditioner.  If the tenant would have had a service contract on the HVAC system, the unit would have been regularly serviced to prevent any breakdowns.

  Since the tenant neglected to perform this duty of the lease, the unit requires a larger repair that they are responsible for according to their lease document and they are trying to pass that problem onto the landlord.

   

• Initial Complaint

  06/01/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I’ve been tenant for years and fumigating is a must but giving me a check with the old tenants name… they refused to give me one with my name so I can pay for a hotel during the days . I’m being out on the street . I had a previous subtenant that left and abandoned their lease for over a year , and i can’t make any changes without previous sub tenant approval. I have no contact to this person . This isn’t right I pay everything and have for over a year

  

  Business response

  06/17/2022

  You may not have followed up with the complaintant  yet on this but the issue was resolved.  When there is a lease contract with multiple individuals on it, we cannot give just a single tenant any refunds or reimbursement funds - it must be broken up between all tenants on the lease.  This tenant never informed us that the other tenant was no longer living in the unit so WE reached out to the old tenant and that person gave us the documentation necessary to remove them from their lease and obligations so we were able to provide this tenant the funds to obtain a hotel room during fumigation

• Initial Complaint

  07/07/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My daughter and I applied for one of the rentals they offered and paid 30 each for an application fee. The next week they updated the listing to say no pets and we have pets. If they had updated the listing before we applied we never would have applied. I called the leasing agent and had to leave a voicemail for her requesting our money back due to the listing not saying no pets at the time we applied and to this day they have not responded nor issued a refund

  

  Business response

  07/19/2021

  I am sorry to hear that you were unable to receive your refund.  Please come by the office and pick up your refund of the application fee.  

• Initial Complaint

  05/28/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The problem is, we have submitted 2 30 day notices to vacate the property 1 we were told was never received when we dropped it off, the second was copy of the original and EMAILED instead of hand their on site box since they claimed it was never dropped off . To go with this , the woman was calling us a liar and asking for video of us dropping it off. Who videos themselves doing things like this?! After the 30 days of the notice we gave we are now being requested to pay extra days after we left the property and key since the verbiage on their document says OR instead of AND which is on their document . They are extremely rude and condescending and I’m astonished their document clearly says or which implies one or the other and are still trying to charge us 6 extra days on top of their request for the 19th when our notice expired the 16th (we paid in good faith and now regret ). Extremely unhappy and want this resolved

  

  Business response

  07/19/2021

  The tenant said she left the keys in the apartment which we found no keys but verbally gave us possession shortly after.  I can refund the $220.0 to her account based on the complaint but we are not wrong in the situation.

  Customer response

  07/21/2021

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  

  The tenant (me) was not wrong in this situation. The policy clear states I am responsible up until my 30 day notice was up, which they received two from me. I am being charge $256.67 for the prorated rent not $220.  This business is very wrong in this situation and they need to change their written documents if this is not what they go by. 

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