ComplaintsforThe Rental Group

• Initial Complaint

  09/19/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In around mid August while I was expecting my wifes arrival from oversees, I saw an apartment through a broker house [The Rental Group (a ******** of ********* real estate), *****************************************************************************, ***************************************, the Broker/owner, Cell # ************, office phone # ************ ] that I liked and gave the brokers agent the holding fee ($2300 by check) that they could deposit and gain if I signed the lease,As I did my final assessment before signing the apartments lease, I learned that my wife will not be able to join me for another at least 8 to 12 months, therefore I told the broker that I will not be able to sign the lease because my wifes arrival has been delayed and I financially wont be capable of renting that place, because I will be encountered with roof cost split while my wife is still oversees. I told him that I couldnt financially jeopardize neither the landlord nor myself by a wishful thinking to expand to a larger place before my wife joins me.When I submitted the application, the broker's agent made me sign a piece of paper, indication that they will charge 1 month fee upon agreement and put me under impression that they will never gain the fund unless I sign the lease. Nevertheless, he cashed the check while he was preparing the lease and never return the fund after I couldnt sign the lease.While he used lots of discriminatory languages to proof his point, I tried to show him my existing lease extension in order to proof that my reason for not signing his lease isnt because that I have found better and/or less expensive place, furthermore I offered him time compensation for showing the place to me and preparing the lease that didn't go through.He arrogantly declaimed all and didnt return my deposit while I never signed the apartment lease.

  Business response

  09/20/2022

  **** applied for an apartment, we do NOT take as he states "holding deposit".  Please see attached documentation.

  **** was applying and he said that his wife who was overseas, would be joining him at a later date.   He filled out and signed the application docs an left an ******* deposit.

  Same thing we have been doing for almost 20 years.  He also provided his pay stubs and wife's information as well.

  We we successful in getting him approved on August 18th for an August 25th move in date,And the apartment was taken "off the market".  We turned away other potential tenants since the apartment was now ****'s.    We informed him of  his approval immediately  (see attached documents) and proceeded to prepare a Lease

  for Electronic signatures.  The documents were emailed Aug 22 around 11:30 AM (also in attached paperwork) and he was also reminded of the balance that he would need to pay.  The Agent sent him a reminder text later that day.  Since the move in was in a few days, we resent the lease documentation.   On the day of move in (august 25th) **** says he cannot take the apartment because his wife's arrival was being delayed.  

  While this is unfortunate, it is not our fault and has nothing to do with us.  With September 1st being a critical move date. we missed that window and still have not found a tenant.

  NEVER was any discriminatory language used and it's disgusting that he would even say this.   When he didn't like the fact that his deposit is non-refundable, he even brought his work Supervisor for a meeting

  with me.  During that meeting, his supervisor agreed with me after reviewing the signed application docs and hearing the whole story.  Please contact me if you have any questions.
  

  Customer response

  09/26/2022

  *********************************** (The rental group broker/owner/ **************************************************************) mentioned that he would care Less about The BBB opinions/reflections and or solution,

  
  I am bringing this to BBBs attention, so Greater Bostons resident specially Minorities with English verbal language barrier could hear my voice and avoid becoming a victim of this

  
  pushy opportunistic business model with no mercy one way or other.

  
  Because he mentioned it in his respond, My boss also thought that ****** is unfortunately hustling me by using an acquired advantage thorough his Pushy Dishonest agent, along with anyone else who I spoke

  with regarding this Issue,
  
  The ************************ has also Directed me to Notify them immediately if I Dont get Resolution sooner than later.
  
  *********************************** is diminishing the factors that led to this outcome.
  
  After Steves agent (Blaze) showed me the rental unit, As soon as he realized that I liked the apartment, he became incredibly pushy by utilizing passive aggressive verbal maneuvers

  
  to convince me to give him holding deposit as soon as possible otherwise I may lose the place by the end of that day.... upon seeing the apartment, I told him that I will need sometimes

  
   before I give him the deposit check since I have uncertainty about my wifes arrival to the **. that would govern my decision whether I could financially be capable of upgrading to a larger

  
  house or not, while he was insisting that they will not gain the check amount unless I sign the lease agreement, and this is for credit check and to verify that I own saving/checking account therefore

  
  there isn't anything that I should be worried about.

  
  No matter how I tried to distance myself from him for at least few hours before giving him the check, HE FINALLY IN THE SAME DAY CHASED ME ALL THE WAY TO MY HOUSE because I

  
  told him that I didnt have my check book with me to provide it to him at that point, I even said that I will need to use a certain bank check (that I had ordered previously and waiting

  
  to arrive) but he never left me alone until I gave him a different check.

  
  After I came to conclusion that I will not financially be able to sign the lease and because ***** became Hostile by not returning my deposit, I even offered him time compensation for

  
  his agent showing and preparing the lease that I didn't sign, which he declined and kept the whole deposit and told me in a discriminatory language that because I kept the place hostage for few days, now its his turn to

  hostage my deposit. 

   

  Regards,

  ****

   

   

  Business response

  10/02/2022

  1. **** requested to view the Condo

  2. **** was shown the Condo and applied for the Condo, left the deposit and the requested supporting documents (pay stubs etc.) because he wanted to rent the Condo.

  3. He signed both the application and Fee Disclosure documents.

  4. **** was approved and informed of the approval and was told the Lease documents would be set up for electronic signatures.  He was informed of the balance that was due.  In one

  email, he mentions that he will come to the office the following day.   Everything was done expeditiously since he requested a "move-in" in less than a week.

  5. Then the day before lease start date (or possibly the day of), his personal situation changed and his wife's arrival would be delayed.

  6. After he backed out, he requested a refund.   He's worked for the ********************** for over 12 years, currently rents another Condo/apartment and brought his Supervisor to meet to discuss

  a resolution.   I agreed to refund $500, to which his supervisor encouraged him to take after reviewing the signed documents and hearing both sides.   **** decided to not accept this.

  Please contact me if you have any questions.
  

   

  
  

  Customer response

  10/04/2022

  I had a legitimate family-based reason (not being financially ready because of my wifes arrival to US has been postponed) for not preceding with signing the lease,

  that will be beneficial to both landlord and tenant in near future.

  
  ****** on the other hand as a broker, wants to get his portion regardless of the difficulties that a landlord and/or tenement (with tenants non-promising financial situation) could go through in future.

  
  His role as broker is not only to find tenants ***************** but also making sure that a potential tenants will be financially not only be responsible but also credible.

  
  He instead heard the issue from me, Ignored the consequences as far as landlords concern and kept forcing me that I must follow through with the lease, otherwise he will not return my deposit.

  
  *********************************** is insisting, because he has prepared the lease, he is entitled to charge me a brokers fee, weather I sign the lease or not.

  
  Of course, I disagree to let him take my hard earn money through his Discriminatory mindset, while I allowed him to hold on to my deposit (and potentially gain if I sign the lease) in the process of

  lease preparation and credit check procedure.

  
  He did not earn the brokers fee, because I did not sign the lease!!

  
  Resolution: I will reluctantly compensate ****** agent up to $150 for the time that he has spent for showing me the apartment, etc., I will also compensate *********************************** $150 as a broker business 

  owner for the incomplete lease procedure/preparation, Total $300.

  
  As a result, *********************************** shall return $2000 out of $2300 that he has received from me.

   

   

  
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  ****

   

   

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