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:09/03/2024

  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.

  I recently purchased a vehicle and the finance manager brought a ****** debt in collection from *************** This charge appeared on my credit report 6 months after I gave notice and 4 months after the termination of my lease contract and vacating. My walk thru was received and they kept my deposit which was also bogus because they hadnt renovated my apartment like the others prior to me moving in. They immediately did after I moved out because it was the only apartment left that wasnt. I kept all documents. I was NEVER notified of this charge in any way and dont understand how they charged me in the first place and for what Im not sure. The troubling thing is the finance manager ALSO had this happen to him. They have a history of deceptive practices as evident by the abysmal reviews all having to do with financial misconduct. Im considering legal action and have consulted an attorney. The charges appeared after both I, and the finance manager interestingly enough, posted negative reviews. My interest rate was affected and the manager is willing to give statement to that.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/05/2024

  *************** has an outstanding balance for damage charges.  He previously submitted a complaint about his damage charges through the BBB in November 2023 which was subsequently closed.  Our stance still remains the same; the property damage caused by **************** exceeded his deposit amount and is still due.  Attached are pictures of the damages.
  Our office followed proper law in that he was mailed a copy of his Final Account Statement and itemized list of damages within 30 days of his vacate date to the forwarding address he provided.  When payment was not made his account was turned over to CBY collection agency as is explained will occur on the Final Account Statement for unpaid balances after 30 days. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/08/2024

  Type:Order 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.

  Our apartment management company asked us to renew our lease to a month to month (our building is up for sale). We agreed to the new lease. They sent up the lease by email and by mail. We went to fill it out and we found a letter tapped to our door revoking our lease and have 60 days to get out. The letters where dated 10 days apart. They did not give us a reason why they were revoking our lease. We then found a new place to move in, and we call the apartment gallery and asked if we could get out a month sooner. They said we could, but we would still also have to pay september's rent. They then sends that same revoking, letter certified mail. We then got an email stating that there was a fee. They are charging us a fee for the month of august. We are moving on August 24, and 25. The fee is for moving out early and not staying for the whole month of August. We paided our rent for the month of August in the end of July. We are paid up for August. We can't figure out why we are being charged.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/12/2024

  We have issued a non-renewal letter for the Complainants current 12-month lease which runs 10/1/2023-9/30/2024 which indicates that possession must be returned to us no later than 9/30/2024. This is not a termination of their current lease, but a notice that we will no longer be offering them a renewal lease.  The Complainant is responsible for rent through the entire lease term they are currently in.  If possession is delivered to us on August 29, which is the move-out date they have provided to us, their account will be charged a lease break fee equal to all monthly recurring rental charges from 8/30/2024-9/30/2024.  This fee is explained in the Complainants lease and cannot be waived.
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/28/2024

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  I rented from the apartment gallery, which is under the apartment name of ********** and Brandywine In **********, ********. We paid $1460 a month for rent. We rented from September 2020 September of 2021. We gave a 30 day notice of leave. We left the place in great condition, but we did not receive our security deposit back. Im not complaining about the fact that we did not receive our security deposit, I am disputing the fact that we owe an additional $1106. During our time of living there, it was during Covid and my hours were cut short. Money was very tight, but we still continue to pay our rent each month even if it was late. The fact that they kept the security deposit is fine in order for repairs and replacing anything that needed done for the next tenant. However, they have put this amount of $1106 on my credit report saying that I owe them and they will not do a lesser settlement because Ive already called. York collections is the company handling the collection for them. I disputed this on my credit report and it was removed. They also removed it from my background Because it was during COVID-19, so it does not show on a background check. Just recently, they resubmitted it to my credit report again, even though I had already been removed, which I didnt think they were allowed to redo it once they took it off and it shows the contract was closed . Now that they have re-added it , the collection is preventing me from being able to move to another apartment complex, get a loan, apply for any type of help regarding getting a house or anything because this still shows on my credit report. Like I said, I offered to do a settlement and a lesser amount to kind of break even and they are unwilling to work with me on any of it. The Amount of $1460 that they kept plus the $1106 they say I owe Is a total of $2566 which is insane that someone would be charged to move out of an apartment. Ive never been to court over any of this.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/29/2024

  Thank you for forwarding this complaint to us for response.  As you can see from the ledger which the Complainant has uploaded already, in addition to damage charges, rent for the last month of tenancy wasn't paid.  As you can also see on the Final Account Statement, it plainly states that this account would be sent to collections if the balance was not paid in 30 days.  Because this account is currently with the collection bureau, we are not able to speak any more about the account itself.  Thank you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/29/2024

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: 21638052
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  Even if the last rent amount was not paid in full, the  security deposit that was held  shouldve covered that. Some of the damages that we are being charged for,  we feel that they are unnecessarily high. Any other place that *** lived in *** never had a company that has charged for removal of blinds and carpet replacement such as the prices that were on the ledger sheet.  It Was removed from our credit report once before and now its back on there again. I Called the collection agency to see if they would settle for a lesser amount that would seem reasonable to us.   I was told by the collection agency that Woodbridge and ********** would not work with me that way .  The fact that it was during covid  And money was short and hours were cut at work,  it made renting Here very difficult. It shows that there was no compassion for any of the tenants. The reason we moved out was because we could no longer afford to rent from this company
  
  Regards,
  
  *********************
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/07/2024

  We will restate that the Complainant was specifically notified on the Final Account Statement that the account would be turned over to a collection bureau and the amount due would increase if the outstanding balance was not paid within 30 days.  The Complainant did not pay nor make any attempt to set up a payment plan prior to the account's being turned over to collections.  Photos of the damages that were charged to the Complainant are attached.  Please note that the carpet was new when the Complainant moved into the apartment.  One year later it was torn and stained through the padding so badly that it needed to be replaced.  As is written in the lease, we expect that apartments are returned to us in the condition that they were given to tenants less normal wear and tear.  Stained and torn one-year old carpet, broken blinds and large items left behind is not normal wear and tear.  We continue to stand by our charges.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/08/2024

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: 21638052
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  I viewed the pictures that you sent us, and while I do have to agree that the carpet does look pretty rough, I believe its partially because of our pets that we had and we paid an additional amount of money each month for damages due to having pets. The picture of the sink with the blue ***** that was there when we moved in. I do see the blinds were cracked, but in all fairness, there are a very cheap plastic and when sun comes in there, it makes them brittle. I know as a business you have to charge what you feel is right , and I feel like youre not going to budge in anyway to agree to a lower settlement amount. We were not evicted from this apartment complex ever.   We gave 30 days notice and returned  the keys When we moved out .    I felt like we left the apartment in decent condition but thats considering we could not see the padding under the carpet . 
  it seems like every time rent was due, even if we paid half you would put an eviction notice on my door which intern added a court cost to the rent, which was already tough to even make due to the fact that our jobs shortened our hours due to Covid. If you Agree to remove this from our credit report We can come pay you directly the amount in full.   Would you be willing to at least take $800 and instead of $1106 Since we did pay an extra charge per month for pet damages?
  Regards,
  
  *********************
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/09/2024

  Because this previous resident's unpaid account has been submitted to a collection agency, we are not able to attempt to collect the debt.  All discussions about this from the debtor must go through the collection agency.  This will be our company's last reply to this complaint.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/09/2024

  After all these messages back and forth , they will no longer discuss this dispute because its in collections which was my original complaint to begin with .  The collection company has  said that the apartment gallery will not agree to a lower settlement amount .  While I am not happy with the reply I have to accept it since they said this will be their last reply to me .  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/10/2024

  
  
   Complaint: 21638052
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  After all these messages back and forth , they will no longer discuss this dispute because its in collections which was my original complaint to begin with .  The collection company has  said that the apartment gallery will not agree to a lower settlement amount .  While I am not happy with the reply I have to accept it since they said this will be their last reply to me .  
  Regards,
  
  *********************
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/06/2024

  Type:Order 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.

  I am writing to you under circumstances that are unfortunate circumstances, detailing a series of issues my family and I have faced since moving into ******* **** Townhomes. I believe that you should be aware of these concerns, and I trust that you will take the necessary steps to address them promptly. Ever since we moved into ******* **** Townhomes, it has been a distressing experience. This situation is exacerbated by a household member's pregnancy and the presence of an 18-month-old child. Despite our reservations based on third-party reviews and BBB claims, we did not anticipate the extent of the challenges we would face. Our initial move-in on August 18th was rushed to avoid a lease rate increase. The price was already significantly raised due to the 6-month term. To make matters worse, we did not have hot water for a week, rendering the apartment uninhabitable under tenant law. The maintenance technician informed us that the computer board had been removed from our unit for repairs and was never replaced, indicating a lack of pre-inspection before our move-in. Throughout our tenancy, we have encountered numerous maintenance issues, all of which were reported upon moving in. The lack of timely responses and resolution from your leasing office has been disheartening. Notably, ***** has experienced rudeness from your staff during various interactions. To date, we have not been compensated for the first-week inconvenience when we were unable to live in the apartment due to the hot water issue. On December 7th, 2023, we received a renewal offer via email, offering month-to-month lease options. After confirming with *****, as attached in the email dated December 8th, 2023, we opted for the month-to-month rate until we move out. However, on January 9th, we were informed by ****** ***** that this was a mistake, and we are already on a month-to-month lease, restricting us until March 20th with a subsequent significant rent increase.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/12/2024

  ********************,
  We acknowledge you received a renewal offer that listed both a month-to-month rate at $1895 along with a 1-month rate of $3652. The month-to-month rate was an administrative error for several reasons. The first being short-term leases leave an apartment community without stability, and for that reason, come with significant increase premiums, which $1895 does not represent when compared to your previous rent of $1870. The second reason the month-to-month rate was an administrative error is because it is redundant to the 1-month rate which was also displayed.  
  
  My understanding is that team members who were aware of the administrative error initially denied the incorrect renewal rate, but that ultimately, our Property Manager, ******, honored the incorrect rate beginning February 19th. Beginning on that date, you will be entered into a month-to-month lease as you have acknowledged by accepting of the month-to-month rate.
  
  We reserve the right to increase the rate effective March 20th,after the expiration of your month-to-month lease at a rate of $1895.

  Regarding all other matters, we believe that we acted with customary diligence as per the terms of your lease as detailed in the Responsibilities of Owner and Residentsection. You reserve the right to disagree with us.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/12/2024

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  We received an email from ***** whom is the resident account administrator on December 8, 2023, stating, " Please go ahead and select the Month-to Month of $1870.00. I will honor the amount and make sure it gets processed with hat amount since you are leaving in a few months. Just a friendly reminder that when you know your house will be ready you will be required to give a 30 day written notice to the leasing office of when you will be vacating."

  The company is now going back on their word from "honoring" the month to month rate of $1870.00, even after acknowledging that we are leaving "in a few months." They are only honoring one-month and not the two-three months we require before moving to our new home.

  Regards,
  
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/11/2024

  Type:Order 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.

  I was terminated from my lease and told that I did not have any violations and I had no late payments. I believe I was targeted because some of the staff has a friendly relationship with my ex fianc who I had to have evicted because he was abusive. Once he was removed due to a no contact order I was then targeted and then they denied me to renew after I was told I qualified solely. When they contacted me about the lease they included him on as well even after he signed to be removed and I was told he wouldnt be removed. Through all this I dealt with mouse infestation and was told by maintenance that they were under floor between my home and the person under me. Rent was increased without proper fixing of things broke

  Business Response

  Date: 01/12/2024

  The Complainants lease was not terminated.  We made the decision to not offer a lease renewal.  A notice to quit was provided to the Complainant 70 days before her current lease-end date of March 20, 2024.  There is no relationship between any of our staff and the Complainants ex-husband and there has been no targeting.  All service requests that Complainant has submitted during her residency have been promptly tended to, and will continue to be tended to through the end of the lease term.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/12/2024

  Not sure if this is for the BBB but how do you say no violations, no late payments and nothing to do with the ex (not husband) but respond that the tenant is banned from renting from any other properties. You only ban someone that has violated their lease or been evicted. Why would you ban a person who has paid rent on time and no issues since 2018 with this company and was at one property for 3yrs and switched to this property 3 yrs ago for more space. No issues in 6 years. There is a reason someone stops renting to a person especially when they have ppl in these houses for 15+ years. You don’t just pick a person unless there is a reason or you are targeting them because of the incident with the ex or someone doesn’t like the tenant

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/12/2024

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  how do you say no violations, no late payments and nothing to do with the ex (not husband) but respond that the tenant is banned from renting from any other properties. You only ban someone that has violated their lease or been evicted. Why would you ban a person who has paid rent on time and no issues since 2018 with this company and was at one property for 3yrs and switched to this property 3 yrs ago for more space. No issues in 6 years. There is a reason someone stops renting to a person especially when they have ppl in these houses for 15+ years. You don’t just pick a person unless there is a reason or you are targeting them because of the incident with the ex or someone doesn’t like the tenant.
  
  i have spoken to multiple individuals who work for leasing companies and they informed me they want to put you out so they can bring someone in at a higher price, the situation with the ex and worried he could come back or someone in that office just don’t care for because no company is giving up a good tenant that pays on time and exceeds 3x the income required. They can lie and say there is no reason but banning someone speaks volumes and they are hiding behind the PA law of giving no reason. It’s sad that businesses do this to others just because they can. 
  Regards,
  
  Upset former tenant 

  Business Response

  Date: 01/12/2024

  While we respect that the Complainant does not agree with our decision to not offer an additional renewal, our decision stands.  We gave the Complainant more than required notice of the non-renewal so she could find other housing.  We will continue to provide customer service consistent with the current lease for the remainder of her tenancy and wish her well in future endeavors.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/31/2023

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  Constantly being fine by bogus allegations of noise. Tried to tow my friends car for being there over a weekend Harassment like you couldn't believe Took all my deposit and rent on time after seven years and claimed I was a bad tenant. I moved out because I bought a house but had to pay 2,5 months rent or an inflated abandonment fee. Just a terrible experience

  Business Response

  Date: 11/03/2023

  Good afternoon,

  Our records show **************** resided with us through 06/07/2023 which was also his lease ends date.  **************** provided adequate notice and therefore was only required to pay rent through his lease term/vacate date.
  
  The deposit was used to cover the costs associated with the damages caused by **************** during his stay. (Please see attached images.)   During our inspection we found heavy staining on the carpet, the fridge was left very dirty, the stove was destroyed beyond repair and there were items left behind in the apartment that had to be removed and disposed of.  For these reasons **. ******* security deposit was applied to the costs of these damages and would not be refundable. 

  Sincerely,

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

  Property Manager

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/05/2023

  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.

  I had to break my lease and seek tenency elsewhere for a first floor apartment as I am unable to clumb 2 flights (32 stairs) to third floor apartment for 6 months from 8 hospital stays and illnesses that caused massive muscle loss & deconditioning. (Dr's nores provided) ***** *****, ******** ***** employed by The Apartment Gallery management co caused extreme hardship during this entire ordeal trying to swindle away my $3,146.00 deposit without legal cause. After filing a complaint with the MD Attorney general, they conceeded charging breaking lease 2 month fee, after quoting the law they cannot charge this fee if they rent it out and receive rent for same time period they are charging me for broken lease rent. They lost no money. But they have now sent me a deposit return of only $762.07 when it should be $2,248.86 Wrongful charges on Final account statement: 1) incorrect interest of $98 on original deposit of $3,146.00. It should reflect 1.5% monthly interest or $47.19 X 18 months = $849.42 2) Wrongfully charged an NSF fee $35 for last month's rent after they deducted it illegally from my bank account automatically without authorization. After I filed dispute with the bank, the debit was reversed and the last month's rent was paid from deposit they had in their bank account for 18 months. 3) Bogus $80.15 late month payment for same reason as above. 4) Their moveout Inspection statement shows Zero charge for any carpet. all other selections to check off are blank (replace, repair, clean, other) Photos of Second bedroom are attached. They cannot indescriminebtly charge $622.00 carpet replacement just because they want to replace carpet that has furniture or box indentations which are NOT excessive wear or damage and is not cause for replacement congruous with Moveout inspection sheets. Disputing return depisit of mere $762.07 Return deposit should be: $2,248.86

  Business Response

  Date: 05/15/2023

  Deductions were made from the security deposit on hand for damages beyond normal wear and tear as allowable under Maryland Law.  An itemized final account statement was provided to the consumer as required.  Deductions made for damages include replacement of carpet in two bedrooms.  Wear and tear age was deducted from the replacement cost of the carpet before the replacement amount of $622.00 was charged.  The general life expectancy of carpets within our company is seven years, or 84 months; an age of 36 months was applied for this calculation.  The determination to replace the carpet was not made due to the furniture indentations as the consumer believes, but rather was replaced due to actual damage sustained, presumably from the dog that resided in the home.  We have attached photos of damages in the home.   
  
  As the screen shot provided by the consumer accurately indicates, security deposit interest is calculated on an annual basis.  I believe the consumer is misunderstanding this calculation to be an annual rate assessed monthly, however.  The State of Maryland provides a resource tool through their government website so that Landlord’s may correctly calculate interest payments.  This tool has been utilized and the calculation has been reviewed again at this time.  The interest paid on the Security Deposit held for 18 months is accurate and within the legal requirements. 
  
  The consumer has made previous claims that an ACH Debit transaction is disputed dated 3/1/23.  He claims that this payment was not authorized.  Our records indicate that the leaseholder or someone on his behalf, authorized this transaction through a Recurring Auto Draft that was scheduled for 2/28/23 from his Active Building Resident Portal account.  A stop payment was then issued by the leaseholder or someone on his behalf, on 3/16/23 to reverse this payment.  Rent was unpaid at the time of move out and lawfully owed for the month of March 2023 for the days that the unit was occupied.  As possession was not returned to the Landlord until March 29, 2023, rent charges are applicable in the amount of $1,537.94.  This amount has been lawfully deducted from the security deposit on hand, along with the standard 5% late fee and a $35.00 returned payment fee as a result of the stop payment.  Both the 5% late fee and the $35.00 returned payment fee are listed in the lease as a consequential result for paying rent late and executing a transaction resulting in return payment.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/03/2023

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  I recently moved into one of their apartments. The apartment was not cleaned at all before I moved in. As I was beginning to do my own cleaning I discovered dead bugs, dirt and grim in the cabinets, broken and water damaged cabinets, holes and cracks in the walls. As well as dirty windowsills and floors. I went to office to see if cabinets could be replaced. They advised only broken cabinets since most of the issues as cosmetic. I also explained the apartment was not cleaned at all before I moved in. This should be done before it becomes available.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/03/2023

  Good afternoon,
  
  All concerns shared by ******************** have been addressed or are currently being addressed.  Anything we considered cosmetic wear and tear and was not replaced has been notated on her move in inspection form to ensure we have record.
  
  Our staff has offered twice to clean the areas that ******************* has concerns over and both times she has refused.  This apartment was professionally cleaned prior to her move in. 

  Respectfully, 

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

  Property Manager

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/03/2023

  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.

  On August 25, 2022, my husband and I moved out of ******************* Apartments in Virginia Beach, VA, which is managed by The Apartment Gallery. After moving out, we received an invoice in the amount of $1509.00 (September 19, 2022) claiming that we were being charged for damage to the carpet in the entire apartment and other items. On September 24, 2022, I sent them a letter disputing these charges because we did not cause damage to the carpet. I requested evidence of such damage and evidence that an attempt had been made to clean the carpets (which is a landlord's responsibility under Va. law). In response, they sent me some black and white pictures that did not show the damages they were alleging, and no evidence of an attempt to clean the carpets. In my letter to them, I also pointed out that even if we were responsible, the amount would not be a full replacement cost of the entire 3-bedroom apartment as the invoice stated, but would be based on the extent, cost, life expectancy, and other factors. Their response to me was that "the amount was already prorated" with no information about original cost or breakdown of how it was supposedly prorated. I also believe that if the carpet was damaged, it was more than likely due to leaks in the roof/siding that we would not have been aware of, and not caused by **. I have pictures of the apartment that I took prior to moving out, and the entire apartment was cleaned thoroughly and the carpets were vacuumed thoroughly and appeared in reasonably clean condition. I also have records of a maintenance request that I submitted in 7/2021 because of water pouring into the ceiling and wall of our apartment. The roof was replaced months later, but the interior water damage inside our apartment was never repaired. Rather than correct this, ******************* sent the account to a collections agency: *** ******** **** ********************************************************************* This company has now reported negative information on my credit report. I contacted the collection agency by letter on November 29th, 2022, and again on December 30th, 2022, explaining that this charge was not justified and requesting that they cease collection efforts. They reported the collection account and an additional $500.00 for fees, totaling $1909.00 to at least 2 credit bureaus on March 10, 2023. I have disputed these with the credit bureaus, but that has not been successful. If this were to be heard in a Virginia Court, I do not believe that ******************* would be successful as we did not cause damages they allege and I have evidence that shows that, but I have no desire to file a suit against them for the $30 remaining of the security deposit after they charged over $450 for a bs insufficient notice fee (35 days) on top of the carpet. I believe that they count on most people just paying it in order to avoid collections because that helps their bottom line. I'm not paying for damages that I did not cause. I just want this off my credit report.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/03/2023

  The residents in question vacated the property on August 24,2022.
  After the move out inspection was completed and the Final Account Statement was mailed out, we received a letter from the former resident disputing all charges on their Final Account Statement and requesting that evidence of the damage and evidence of an attempt to clean the carpet be sent to them at their forwarding address. On 9/30/2022 our office emailed the photos of the damage and the report from the carpet cleaning company to the former residents. The photos that were emailed were color photos. These items were also sent via USPS to their forwarding address on 10/04/2022, as they requested. The photos that were mailed were black and white. We waited several weeks and did not receive a response to those items being provided, so the account was forwarded to collections as stated in their Final Account Statement.
  The carpet in question was stamped with a manufacture date of July 12, 2020. It was installed in the apartment on August 8, 2020. The apartment remained vacant until the resident in question moved in on 09/20/2020. Upon move out our maintenance team noticed stains on the carpet, as well as wear that was inconsistent with the age of the carpet and contacted a third-party carpet cleaning company for an evaluation. The cleaning company inspected it and recommended that the carpet be replaced due to permanent stains and excessive wear. The charge for the carpet replacement was prorated based on the age of the carpet at the time it was replaced and the life expectancy of the carpet in our units. At no time did the former resident ask for any explanation on how we arrived at the prorated amount. We would have been happy to provide this if asked.
  The roof leak that occurred in July of 2021 did not affect any of the flooring in the apartment. Roof repairs were done by a roofing vendor and some drywall repair was done inside the apartment, but there was no carpet damage. The leak was reported in the pantry area, which did not have carpet.
  We’ve provided the former resident with all documentation that they’ve requested. On December 7, 2022 we received a letter from the residents demanding that we make no further attempts to contact them. 
  I've attached a copy of the carpet inspection report. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/14/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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.

  On 22-December 2022 at 2:51 P.M. I sent email notice to ********************* to vacate my apartment on 20-February-2023.I received email notice from ********************* on 27-December-2022 at 9: 38 A.M. that she had processed my notice for move out on 20-February-2023. Showing my rent prorated from 1-February 20-February-2023 thus creating a zero balance due.Originally I had my walk out inspection scheduled for 20 February 2023. I called and spoke to ***** to request to complete the walk thru on 7-February asking if this would be an issue. I was told No and told that I would then need to turn in my keys after the walk thru.On 7-February-2023 at 10:00A.M. I met with the Maintenance Manger to complete the walk thru. I was informed that I would be charged three blinds and the drip pans for the oven. Due to being ordered to turn in my keys I was not granted the opportunity to correct either issue thus being charged $173.00 for stated issues.On 6-March-2023 I received a bill in the mail for a total of $392.33, $219.33 for insufficient notice fee being for turning my keys in early, at the order of *****.No one in management will provide proof in my contract as to why I have this charge. They have refused to give explanation of damages incurred.On paragraph 44 of my rental agreement, it states that if I move out early all rent must be paid in full prior to leaving which is what I did. There is no documentation of being charged in excess of my lease agreement for handing in my Keys 13 days prior to the end of my lease.I was sent a move out responsibilities document for the first time 12/27/2022 that I did not sign or agree to that she is using as the reason that I am being charged. It only states that if you move out date is above and beyond what I stated that I would be charged. I moved out early not late.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/15/2023

  Our staff has reviewed this resident account file and move-out charges as well as all previous correspondence the consumer has had with our site and resident account administration team.  Please refer to Paragraphs 3 and 44 of the Apartment Lease Contract.  Paragraph 3 indicates that 60-days notice of the move out date is required, and Paragraph 44 indicates that if the move-out date doesnt comply with the 60-day requirement in Paragraph 3 you will be charged an additional months rent.  A charge was assessed in the amount of $219.33 as an insufficient notice fee, not the full one-months rent that we could have charged.  While the original notice to vacate indicated a 2/20/2023 move-out date, the consumer relinquished possession of the apartment to us on 2/7/2023 by returning keys.  Please also refer to Paragraph 45 of the lease which indicates that the move-out date cant be changed unless agreed to in writing by both parties.  Had the consumer indicated to us prior to 2/7/2023 that there was a change in the move-out date, a new Move-Out Statement would have been provided to the consumer indicating the $219.33 insufficient notice fee.  The insufficient notice fee and rent are two different things.  The lease requires that rent be paid for every day you have possession of the home.  Insufficient notice fee is required because you relinquished possession prior to 60 days from when your notice to vacate was given.
  
  

  We have previously provided the following items to you:  The Final Account Statement (which is the itemized statement of charges), photos of the apartment damages for which you were charged, Apartment Lease Contract.  These items are attached to our response again for the consumer's record.  
  

  All of the move-out charges listed on the Final Account Statement dated 2/27/2023 are in compliance with the lease, and they will not be changed. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/16/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  

  This early move out fee does not follow Maryland state law on what can be withheld from a security deposit. You must provide how your business incurred those charges, you cannot just pull a number out of thin air and charge me. There was no loss in revenue from me handing in my keys early since I paid my lease term in full and notified you with adequate time that I would not be renewing my lease. I have attempted to schedule mediation through Maryland court resources to resolve this but I was refused. Below is Maryland state law regarding this issue, please take your time to read it over with your HR team as well as take a look at the entire article. 
  Article - Real Property §8–203
  (4)    If the landlord, without a reasonable basis, fails to return any part of the security deposit, plus accrued interest, within 45 days after the termination of the tenancy, the tenant has an action of up to threefold of the withheld amount, plus reasonable attorney’s fees.
  (f)    (1)    (i)    The security deposit, or any portion thereof, may be withheld for unpaid rent, damage due to breach of lease or for damage by the tenant or the tenant’s family, agents, employees, guests or invitees in excess of ordinary wear and tear to the leased premises, common areas, major appliances, and furnishings owned by the landlord.
  (2)    The security deposit is not liquidated damages and may not be forfeited to the landlord for breach of the rental agreement, except in the amount that the landlord is actually damaged by the breach.
  (g)    (1)    Subject to subsection (j) of this section, if any portion of the security deposit is withheld, the landlord shall present by first–class mail directed to the last known address of the tenant, within 45 days after the termination of the tenancy, a written list of the damages claimed under subsection (f)(1) of this section together with an itemized statement of the cost incurred.
  
  Regards,
  
  *******************************

  Business Response

  Date: 03/16/2023

  Our company has acted consistently with our policies and procedures that are well within the legal parameters of Maryland Landlord Tenant Law.  It is of our opinion at this time, that no amount of explanation will satisfy the consumer.  We will choose to refund the requested $219.33.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/23/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  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. Please contact me Via email with final receipt.
  
  Regards,
  
  *******************************