ComplaintsforVinebrook Homes Ohio, LLC

• Initial Complaint

  03/19/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have been receiving invoices for utilities by this company and they have falsely charged money for me to pay for service thats not even getting serviced in this area. They are charging me for trash and the trash provider to told me they do not provide trash service at this address and this company uses their services at different addresses. The lady from the company called & stated I need to get my money back because they took trash bins for another resident and placed them at mines. The lady had the trash company come and take the trash bins away and told me don’t pay them anything because they don’t offer those services in my area.

  

  Business response

  03/26/2024

  *******,
  
  Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you. Regarding your trash service concern, it appears there may have been a misunderstanding with the advice you received about not making payment. Your property manager will reach out to you promptly to ensure that your utility services are confirmed and to review all the services you should be receiving. We hope this addresses your request satisfactorily.
  
  Thank you,
  VineBrook Homes

• Initial Complaint

  03/18/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am a current Vinebrook resident and they wanted to be in charge of water and trash bills. I still have not received any trash bills after asking about them. Vinebrook has charged me one water bill in the almost year I have lived here until 3 weeks ago (just days before rent was due) they added an almost $400 bill where you could clearly see a past amount due as they hadn’t been paying Aqua and I requested any late fees from Aqua be removed as it is not my fault they didn’t bill me, while they worked on that they allowed me to drop off a money order for just my rent (since their automated system does not allow for anything less then the outstanding amount due to be paid) and now I’m continuing to get notices to leave the premises and emails I may be evicted and no one will reply and confirm no legal action will be taken over the amount due on the water

  

  Business response

  03/20/2024

  Dear ******,
  
  We apologize for any confusion or inconvenience this may have caused you.  I wanted to provide you with an update regarding the recent water billing situation. Since your move-in on July 5, 2023, you've only received a total of three water bills, including the latest one.
  
  To recap, the first bill covering July-August amounted to $77.43, which you promptly paid. The second bill for August-September was $110.56, but it was fully waived by APM due to maintenance issues reported at that time.
  
  After that, there was a gap in getting your bills, like you noticed. The most recent bill of $368.81 covers three months' worth of usage from November 7 to February 11, due to non-payment for a few months. However, it's worth mentioning that you should have also received bills for September and October, which unfortunately did not reach you.
  
  Yesterday your property manager reached out to discuss the possibility of arranging a repayment agreement for the outstanding balance on the latest bill. Please contact him back directly to work through a plan. 
  
  Thank you for your attention to this matter.
  
  Best regards,
  
  VineBrook Homes

  Customer response

  03/21/2024

  It will not allow me to attach the attachment that I have because saying they are too large, but I am mostly rejecting this response because they do not address the fees that I was charged for the current water bill that I did end up paying because no one at Vinebrook wanted to reach out to me or try to correct this issue, I was getting eviction notices over the water bill. now that they found more money to get from me they suddenly want to work with me and are reaching out I would only like to communicate with them through the Better Business Bureau if possible and I would like the current fees address before we add any more bills I would also like to add that last Friday they did provide me with copies of these bills from aqua some showed a late fee and some did not so I’m not sure where the disconnect is or why there are two sets of bills.  Also, they told me that there were no late fees and that there would be no credit to my account although when I open the bill, I could see a late fee that I circled and sent back still no response to that email. I would also like to add that for the two months that they are trying to collect payment on now my toilet was broken and leaking water. I did have an open work order that was marked urgent and it took two months  For Vinebrook to finally send out an actual plumber after allowing them to attempt to try to fix it, and the plumber did inform me that my toilet was leaking so bad and allowing the fumes from the plumbing up into my home because Vinebrook was simply trying to caulk the broken toilet back together , making a very unsafe living environment for myself, my husband and my at the time one year old son. 

  

  Business response

  03/26/2024

  Dear ******,
  
  Following additional discussions within our team, it has come to our attention that the Property Manager has spoken to you yesterday and addressed the concerns raised by you and taken appropriate action. Upon thorough examination, it has been determined that there are no Work Orders currently open. We understand you were unsettled about the late billing and we are pleased to inform you that the entire outstanding balance has been settled, and you now hold a credit of $55 on your account.

  We hope this satisfies your request and sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.  
  
  Best regards,  
  VineBrook Homes

• Initial Complaint

  03/07/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  03/05/2034 HVAC company came out to do free inspection of ventilation system. Me and my children moved in property in December of 2023. Since moving in we have been extremely sick as far as allergies, sinus issues and breathing problems. Upon inspection specialist said there is black mold in ventilation system that is unsafe. I reached out to the sales woman who rented me the place via text and home several times with no response. I reached out to maintenance and was told I was not able to speak with actual person. The hvac gentleman also text the sales woman with pics of mold and estimate but still no response. The house is also infested with ants and I have had to have exterminator come out several times and still having ants issues. They are in the walls and all over the house. The home is really uninhabitable.

  

  Business response

  03/12/2024

  Dear *******,
  
  Thank you for reaching out regarding your concerns about the air ducts and pest issues. We received your customer service Inquiry (CSI) on March 6th, which was transferred to our ATL team on March 8th. Prior to this, we were unaware of any such issues, as there were no previous work orders or CSI's entered by Ms. Brown.
  
  Upon receiving your CSI, we promptly entered a work order and assigned it to a vendor to address your concerns as swiftly as possible.
  
  We attempted to reach you via phone on Friday at 3:59 pm and again this Monday at 10:00 am, but unfortunately, were unable to connect. We left voicemails both times requesting a call back to discuss your service request. Additionally, we sent follow-up emails to inform you of our attempts to contact you and to confirm the accuracy of the phone number we have on file.
  
  Please let us know the best time to reach you, or feel free to contact us directly at your earliest convenience so we can address your concerns promptly.
  
  Thank you for your attention to this matter.
  
  Best regards,
  VineBrook Homes

• Initial Complaint

  03/05/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  this was just on 03/01 a walk through with Vinebrook Homes lights that did not come on was pointed out i returned back to the house two days later still no lights on one side of house. i was told that the problem was on entergy due to power not coming into the house but they want lights to be transfer over to my name. that is not going to be my problem now you can not get nobody to take care of this issue. but the only thing entergy will help with is that i need to know who the acct belongs to or but lights in my name. (that would mean that i would be responsible).

  

  Business response

  03/06/2024

  Dear *****, 

  I am sorry for the incontinence you have experienced in your home. Please provide the home address in which you rent, and I will look into your issue further. 

  thanks,

  VineBrook Homes 

• Initial Complaint

  02/27/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  VINEBROOK HOMES LLC is the Business that has trends of Civil Rights Violations. I signed a lease on 11-21-2023 than told that I will need to wait till 11-24-2023 to move in a resident that I felt would be fit for me due to the fact am disabled 52-year-old woman. But as a NEW RESIDENT OF VINEBROOK HOMES LLC (I ******* ***** was placed in a home that was inhabitable due to the fact, at the time of my move-in there was no working heating system (furnace did not work) (no working wall vents) in temperatures -7 below with (countertop doors hanging off), (No insulation around the doors). I notified VINEBROOK HOMES LLC here in Missouri at 6100 Connecticut to hear them say, "call the service line to make a work order" immediately, I did. No return calls- As a new resident it took them a week to fix my furnace. On November 28, 2023, (Thanksgiving/ Christmas) I could not have my children visit due to the unfit unhabitable conditions. It states on their lease that maintenance request has a time limit for (non-urgent 5 to 10 days) and( Urgent work orders is to completed in 2 to 3 days) (urgent orders and Emergency is 1 to 2 days) I had to wait a week in the cold with no furnace along with 2 months of no (ventilation) in my bedrooms that was investigated by the City of Kansas City Healthy Homes who I contacted. They submitted a claim to VINEBROOK HOMES LLC gave them 10day timeline that was ignored for 2 weeks. By law it states (a tenant who is not provided with necessary services and maintenance of the leased premises as required under (Act) suffers property damages because of the leasehold is decreased by absence of necessary services (such as plumbing, heating/ cooling etc.) rights violated. I have been threatened, I have been mentally suffering, dealing with anguish, discomfort, intentional infliction of emotional distress and breach of contract. They have deliberately ignored my requested by keeps taking $1175 for rent every month. Threats made by the Asst. Director.

  

  Business response

  03/01/2024

  Dear *** *****,
  
  We hope this letter finds you well. We would like to address the concerns you have raised regarding your recent experience as a resident of VineBrook Homes LLC.
  
  First and foremost, we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience or discomfort you may have experienced due to the issues with the heating system and ventilation in your residence. Upon reviewing your case, it came to our attention that when you initially moved into your residence, you did have heat available. However, we understand that there was a broken duct line under the house, which limited the airflow and affected the overall effectiveness of the heating system. In recognition of the challenging weather conditions at the time, we provided you with space heaters as a temporary measure to mitigate the impact of the broken duct line. We apologize if this solution did not fully address your heating needs.
  
  Regarding the timeline for resolving maintenance issues, we acknowledge that the response time was longer than acceptable but all issues you address have been taken care of at this time.
  
  Regarding your request for a full refund of all payments made, we must respectfully inform you that this is not feasible. While we understand your frustration and acknowledge the difficulties you have faced, we must consider the services provided during your tenancy, as well as the costs associated with maintaining and managing the property.
  
  We remain committed to addressing your concerns and ensuring that your living experience with VineBrook Homes LLC meets your expectations. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected] if you have any further questions or if there is anything else we can do to assist you.
  
  Sincerely,
  VineBrook Homes LLC

  Customer response

  03/01/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: By law this Lease has been Breach due to the lack of maintenance service. I’m disabled and you all had no right to make me wait  from November 24, 2023 to 02-15-24 no way do you want me to excuse the fact that the lease states that urgent emergencies will be taken care of within 1 to 2 days but instead it was 3 months later to get vents fixed for proper air flow out the vents. I should have never had to call the city of Missouri Healthy homes inspector to come out to verify that there was no pressure whatsoever that had reached the level required by the State Regulations . I have been retaliated against and discriminated against since November 24, 2023 by actions of your maintenance crew. 
  You honestly don’t understand what I have been dealing with but please know that I have plenty evidence that VineBrook violated my rights. I fine that VineBrook deliberately failed to supply an essential service to me during this crucial time to where the temperature has been o- below and The suffered I cannot utilize my whole House my heart was supposed to be a joyful place for me, but instead you made me suffer mentally, you caused me discomfort you retaliated against me for reporting the problems. And most of all you breached the lease that stated I will receive service one to two days but now I’m getting different responses and stating that I never never made work orders and if that was true, why did Service maintenance service started November 27, 2023 and I moved in November 24th 2023. VineBrook had no right to make me suffer in the cold To the point, I couldn’t celebrate holidays with my grandchildren during that time.

   

  I do feel I should be compensated for the neglect for mental suffering for anguish discomfort because the landlords failure to maintain the least property and fit in habitable condition. 

   

  Your apology is not good enough for me as a disabled mother of two suffers from epilepsy along with other medical problems. I deserve so much more from VineBrook Holmes. VineBrook Homes LLC has given me the worst experience ever as a new tenant. I wish I had read The reviews before I left my last resident Because from what I see, and from what I know, VineBrook do not care Their residents or tenants and I now can say that from experience.  No, this problem is not resolved. You said that I don’t deserve a refund but you apologize for the delays that I had and the suffering that it caused but I don’t take that as a sincere apology being your basically saying, it’s fix now get over it… No, I can’t get over it to the point I loosing sleep, dealing with headaches and anxiety. It’s been super hard. Like I said, I have evidence to support  my complaint in this matter. 

  Sincerely, I don’t accept your apology because it doesn’t feel sincere and I want the retaliation to stop due to the fact I called the State and made them aware.  Thanks

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

• Initial Complaint

  02/26/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Due to a very difficult hardship, an eviction was filed on me by VB. After a couple of weeks, I did come up with the money and was told through many emails that as long as I made my payment BEFORE the court date, I would be able to pay via the portal- which is easier for me to do. I have not yet received a court date and VB still refuses to accept my payment via the portal. I was going to pay via debit card, they are saying that I have to pay with a certified cashier’s check or money order and overnight the payment to them, which I do NOT feel comfortable doing because I do not trust them after reading reviews where they told former tenants that they did not receive their payment. I cannot take that risk. I do not understand how they can tell me that as long as I pay before the court date, I would have access to the portal and then turn around and lock it. The eviction Prevention Specialist, Fawn Helfgott, told me the reason why the portal was locked is because I did not file an answer with the court which is a lie, I filed and called the court and they confirmed they received my answer. I SIMPLY asked if I could make my payment over the portal which is a substantial amount and they want to be nasty and play hardball! I am so over this company. I am disgusted by how they run business. I will upload emails of correspondence between myself and VB. I am willing to pay my full balance, and simply requested that I be able to pay via the portal and they won't even allow me that simple request. I wished that I would have read reviews prior to renting from them. They exhibit no customer service at all. I simply fell on hard times and unfortunately, this situation occurred. I am TRYING to honor my obligation by paying my full balance due and they want me to jump hurdles just to do that. I do not TRUST sending a substantial amount of money via mail, for all I know, they will turn around and say they never received it, that's my fear. Please beware of this company.

  

  Business response

  02/27/2024

  Dear *******,
  
  Thank you for reaching out to us. After speaking with your in-office team we have updates to your case. As you may recall, there were concerns about falling behind on rent, and we had informed you that to avoid eviction, it would be necessary to settle the outstanding balance along with any additional fees accrued during the delinquency period.
  
  I understand that there was frustration regarding the inability to make payments online due to your portal being locked following the eviction writ filing. However, I'm pleased to inform you that we've received a response from the court, and as a result, your portal has been unlocked, enabling you to make a payment.
  
  Upon reviewing your ledger, we noticed that you made a full payment last night, which is greatly appreciated. There remains a small balance for late fees, but I want to assure you that the eviction process has been halted effective immediately.
  
  Thank you for your cooperation in resolving this matter swiftly. If you have any further questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to us directly at [email protected].
  
  Sincerely,
  VineBrook Homes

  Customer response

  02/27/2024

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* *****

• Initial Complaint

  02/26/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  This house has more company-caused damages than anything with a hole in the ceiling, mold in a kitchen light fixture (that I can’t reach) caused by stagnant water due to an abandoned work order caused by an incorrectly set up A/C until upon move-in, paint shedding off door frames, and more. There were bedbugs and roaches everywhere before I could move my furniture. I was told it was my problem for pests. The current issue is that have been without power for three weeks now. This makes almost two full months. I went a full month without power with only a $500 decrease in rent after being threatened with eviction while in the hospital. Two days before a snow storm, I was without power and had a leaking ceiling with no resolution for a week. I would like to see a $0 rental balance for the month of March. I reached out multiple times about the hardship program after putting in my request with no response. The lack of notation of me calling was confirmed by an agent which led to me only doing email and voice recordings for verbal conversations. This is after I’d been told someone would follow up with me via robot. After receiving multiple notices to the point of harrassment about a violation that I did not commit, I disclosed that I had voice recordings as proof. After that, the notices stopped and I did not receive any more timely communication from Vinebrook. As a resolution, I’d like my security deposit returned in full along with the $700 that I paid for the month I could not live in my property and I will vacate early. I was offered to sign a contract to vacate (which was delayed without an amended date to recoup for untimeliness) which included no security deposit return, an NDA, a confidentiality agreement, and a release of landlord liability on top of other terms. We will not sign an agreement that voids lack of accountability, limits my speech about illegal practices (details not included for limited characters), and does not meet the one term requested.

  

  Business response

  03/06/2024

  ******, I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience you've experienced in your rental home. After carefully reviewing your case, unfortunately, we cannot issue a refund. The damage was determined to have been caused by an unauthorized dog. The dog had chewed through the wiring of the AC unit, which was newly installed before your tenancy began. Additionally, it is reasonable to assume that the meter box was pulled off the house by the dog, as it was tied to it.
  
  Furthermore, delays in completing service were primarily due to your refusal to grant us entry into the home for inspection and diagnosis of concerns with the panel. Once work was approved and scheduled, further delays occurred when the unauthorized dog to the meter box, preventing the vendor from completing repairs.
  
  Regrettably, we will not be issuing any refund or offering a fee-free lease break.

  If you have further concerns, please contact us at [email protected].

  Thank you, 

  VineBrook Homes 

  Customer response

  03/06/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  1) Your agents received paperwork for the authorized dog and I did not hear any other word about it. He is a service animal and is required by law. He has a doctor approved letter. 
  

  2) I have a voice recording of your agent representative admitting that he did the work required and where he admitted that an electrician was not dispatched as required and I requested that he contact someone for verification that he can operate on the home outside of the work that he completed. I am a woman living alone with a man who attempted to come to my home without following legal notice in regards to providing 24 hr notice. The same man who blatantly told me he was NOT going to fix the issues with my home and did not have the qualifications which led to me recording the conversation. Your delay was not due to me. It was due to the electrician not being scheduled as promised. The electrician that was dispatched without warning with no notice and did not arrive on the scheduled day even after I requested multiple updates. Try again. I’ll attach emails and voice recordings along with your contract that was given. So I know that the contract can be re-written.

  Additionally, the delay occurred due to the agents not responding to our emails in a timely manner. It’s been a month and still no power to the house. Electricians did their job next business day and still no power. The agent inspected the house and the panel and was unqualified to do so and did not have the appropriate tools. I’m not sure why he didn’t divulge the information to you that he admitted he would not be able to fix the issue but still wanted to come into my home to look at a portion of my house that was not connected to the electrical panel in any way.

   Sincerely,
  
  ****** *****

  

  Business response

  03/12/2024

  Hello ******,

  I appreciate your clarification. It appears there may have been some misunderstanding. Someone from our team will be reaching out to you to delve into further detail regarding what we require from you. Hopefully, we can reach a mutual agreement. Thank you for your prompt response.

  Customer response

  03/16/2024

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this response is satisfactory to me but do NOT conclude this case as resolved. I would like this message to stand as a notice that their message was received but no farther action of resolving this issue has been accepted or offered. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** *****

• Initial Complaint

  02/22/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Several pieces of expenses furniture were ruined and not covered by insurance due to it being a foundation/structural issue with the home!! Maintenance repeatedly said they were fixing the issue but essentially never did!! This resulted to us having to move because our things kept getting ruined and weren’t being fixed so we had to up and move!

  

  Business response

  03/01/2024

  *****,

  We sincerely apologize for any damage to your personal items that may have occurred during your time in our home. Upon further review of the case, our records indicate that we addressed maintenance requests in a timely manner to the best of our ability.

  Additionally, there was no foundational or structural damage to the home. Because of that, I would double check with insurance to see if they will cover some of the damage to your personal property. 
  
  We understand that you chose to vacate the home earlier than expected, and you were only billed for February rent and standard move-out charges such as water and cleaning fees.
  
  Unfortunately, we are unable to reimburse you at this time. 
  
  If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at [email protected]. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  VineBrook Homes LLC

• Initial Complaint

  02/12/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My husband & I live in a 4 bed home for the past 4 years. When we first moved in it was owned by conrex but vinebrook bought the house. His aunt had found this home for my husband's family so the lease had been in his aunt and uncle's names and his parents added as additional tenants. About 3 years ago we inquired about being added to the lease.We were told that it was not possible because there were already 4 adults on the lease. for whatever reason a walkthrough was never conducted when vinebrook took over and still hasn't been done. Last year his parents were looking at home to purchase a couple of states away, they called vinebrook to discuss allowing us to do a lease takeover. We were told that would be fine his parents were emailed a link to the application for us to fill out. We filled out our applications called the next day & were told that they were really busy but that someone would call us if there were any issues. The home his parents were trying to buy fell through so his dad called & told them to wait on doing the takeover yet. A couple days later they were told the house was going to go thru & they suddenly left without any real notice. We were told that the lease l lease would be put in our names within a few days. We called several times and never got a call back. weve been paying the rent to his parents for over 6 months. They said that we were going to takeover the lease in February. Then last Wed we got a text stating they'd been emailed that vinebrook would be coming Thurs to add a lockbox & we couldn't stay but given to further explanation. That day someone from vinebrook came but he was just maintenance. He said they weren't aware anyone was still living here. We told him we were apparently having to move without notice but we wanted to rent like we were promised. He got our # for the lady in the office to call us but it's now been a week and no call, but vinebrook has been emailing his parents demanding that the property is vacant by Wednesday.

  

  Business response

  02/16/2024

  Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. Your inquiry has been forwarded to our property management team, and your local property manager will be in touch with you in the coming days to discuss your options. Should you have any further questions in the interim, please don't hesitate to contact us at [email protected].

• Initial Complaint

  02/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  They charged me a late fee of $50.00 for last month and my rent wasn’t late I paid it on the fourth of the month in January. And on top that they trying to charge me $271.43 for one month on the sewer bill which I never missed a month of rent and the sewer bill is included with the rent and plus when I called the sewer company they told me that they took me off ass tenet and now the bill was is more than my regular bill which is $79.00 month

  

  Business response

  02/15/2024

  Dear *******,
  
  Regarding your recent concerns, we'd like to address them in detail:
  
  1. Rent Payment:  As per the Lease Agreement, rent is due on the first of the month, with a late fee applied at 12:00 AM EST on the 5th. Upon reviewing the payment history, we noticed that you logged into the payment portal and processed a payment on 1/5/2024 at 12:58 AM. Due to reported login difficulties in January, our customer service team processed a $50.00 concession as a courtesy.
  
  2. Utility Bill Dispute: We have investigated the utility bill matter and acknowledge an error in the chargeback process. We are working directly with the utility company to remedy this matter and your office manager will be in contact with you explain the utility matter in more detail. 
  
  We apologize for any inconvenience these issues may have caused and assure you that we are actively working to rectify them. If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out directly at **********************************.
  
  Sincerely,
  VineBrook Homes

  Customer response

  03/13/2024

  Nope they still over charged me 

  

  Business response

  03/19/2024

  *******, I apologize for the oversight. Upon further discussion with our team, it has come to our attention that we have mistakenly overcharged you. The utilities department will be contacting you, if they haven't already, to rectify the overcharge and issue a credit on your bill. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

*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. ↩