One thing I did not understand at all was the way the cleaning charges work for the apartment. So before moving out, I got professional cleaners to clean the house, and the job alone cost me about $100. The job looked excellent, and the apartment was spotless; however, when I did an apartment inspection with the maintenance guy, he told me that I would still be charged for cleaning. I was extremely appalled! I challenged him to find a spot that he was unsatisfied with, but he could not find one. Instead, he told me that it was management's policy and he had nothing to do with it.
In the end, after a heated debate with the management, they agreed to waive the $300 cleaning fee that was deducted from my security deposit. This was one of the many hiccups and problems I encountered during my move. I could ramble on, but I'm going to save everyone's ears from bleeding out.
Hope everyone is having a better week than I am!
I feel like so many of these fees and charges are unnecessary and at times predatory. I'm glad you managed to fight back and get your fee waived though. Hope you have a good weekend after a not-so-good week!
ReplyDeleteIn general, I feel that leasing agents always prey on international students because of the language barrier. I'm glad you managed to waive off the fees from them.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear about your moving struggles. Most housing management can be pretty sketchy. The fees and charges are never thoroughly explained, and people often get weird charges on their statements. Even USC housing can be pretty vague about where they get their numbers. I'm glad you got your money back. I hope everything else with the move goes smoothly!
ReplyDeleteIt's usually easy for landlords to take advantage of people since most people don't know the laws regarding tenancy. You only have to pay to get the apartment back to the condition it was in when you moved in. Also, you cannot be charged for normal wear and tear. That's where they usually try to overcharge.
ReplyDelete