Best Apartments Inc.

Revdex.com:At this time, I have not been contacted by Best Apartments Inc. regarding complaint ID [redacted].Sincerely,[redacted]

Review: In mid July, my roommate and I were shown an apartment for which we provided a security deposit ($2,800.00) and the first month's rent ($2,800) and signed a lease. When we attempted to move into the apartment, at the beginning of August, we discovered that the apartment we were renting and had signed a lease for was not the apartment we had been shown and was not in similar condition. What we were shown was in new and excellent condition, but the apartment we were given was in a horrible state of disrepair. One of the two bedrooms did not have a legal window but merely a small transom, multiple objects in the apartment were held together using duct tape, and the lights flickered on and off constantly. The wooden cabinets were coming off the hinges and the floor boards were warped. The front door to the apartment had neither a heavy duty latch nor a dead bolt but instead a large hole with a piece of duct tape over it.We left immediately and did not take possession of the apartment.We were treated poorly by these brokers who not only blamed us for the circumstances but shouted at us using foul language. They used deceptive practices and misrepresentation to ensure that we would rent an apartment. The Attorney General's office informed us we had 30 days to legally void a signed contract but Best Apartments maintained that a copy of our lease could not presently be provided and the day on which it would become available was strangely the [redacted] day after our signing; however, we have yet to receive a signed copy.Although our contract has been voided we have yet to be reimbursed our payments of $5,600.Desired Settlement: We are still trying to get our $5600 refunded, a copy of our lease, and a signed release of lease.

Consumer

Response:

At this time, I have not been contacted by Best apartments regarding complaint ID [redacted].

Sincerely,

Review: I've used service of Best Apartments Inc. rented studio apartment to me, located at [redacted], [redacted]. Rent amount $1,650.00, Real Estate Fee $2,500.00

Lease Signed On 09.**.2014 with agent [redacted], agent from Best Apartments Inc.

I signed the leasing agreement, paid 2.5 months rent and $2500 real estate service fee in cash, as it was advised by the broker, "to speed up the process" and get the keys the same day, it was [redacted] and bank was closed. I got the keys on 09.**.14, and I was able to move to the apartment on 09.**.2014.

First night at the apartment at [redacted] I was bitten by the bed bugs. I tried to fix this issue with landlord, but nothing worked. Exterminator was in the apartment 5 times, during the two week period, unfortunately bed bugs continued to reaper and bite. Each night I was able to catch a bug with scotch tape. In addition to bed bug infestation in the entire building, it was unbearable to live in the place due to strong chemical odors from exterminations. I had to treat allergies from bed bug bites at the dermatologist

After two weeks of suffering in at the studio apartment I had to live with my mother since 10.**.2014, while still keeping my personal belongings at the apartment, I hoped that Best Apartments Inc. will find me another place. I called numerous times to [redacted] (agent) and to [redacted] ([redacted] of Best Apartments Inc.) to find me another place to move, [redacted] refused to help, stating that market was tough and there is nothing else available for me.

Lease on on the apartment [redacted] was terminated on 10.**.2014

I believe that Best Apartments Inc. was obligated to find me another place, since the apartment which they rented to me (address: [redacted]) was in unlivable condition. Best Apartments failed to find another apartment, and they must return the fee in the amount of $2500 to me, [redacted].Desired Settlement: $2,500.00

Consumer

Response:

At this time, I have not been contacted by Best Apartments Inc. regarding complaint ID [redacted].Sincerely,[redacted]

Review: I was referred to a Real Estate Salesperson named [redacted], through a work acquaintance, who was going to help me find an apartment in New York, NY last July, 2012. I was in the process of being relocated by my job from Los Angeles to New York City, so I wasn't really aware of typical renting processes in New York City. [redacted] asked me to meet him at his office, which turned out to be the Best Apartments Office on [redacted] street. [redacted] asked me what I was looking for regarding apartments, asked me to sign a quick piece of paper and told me that I didn't need to read it because we needed to hurry to check out some the these newly listed apartments before they were rented. I listened to [redacted] and signed the piece of paper which I found out later that said if I was approved by a landlord I owed Best Apartments the brokers fee, regardless of whether I signed the lease. I looked at a few apartments with [redacted], and I found one which I was interested in. He told me we had to go as fast as we could with the paperwork to get the apartment otherwise it would be rented right away. [redacted] asked me to give him a cashiers check for $2025 for the brokers fee right away and said he would hold it until I signed the lease. I was approved by the apartment building, gave them a $4000 deposit and then they ended up telling me that they thought the apartment wasn't right for me and I should probably not take it. So I did not sign the lease. Then [redacted] proceeded to tell me that Best Apartments would not give me back my Brokers Fee that he was holding and explained the piece of paper that I had signed. I tried numerous times to get my brokers fee back from [redacted] and he said that I could take Best Apartments to court but he had seen this happen a million times and they would win so it wasn't worth my time. I called another branch of Best Apartments on the Upper Westside shortly after and someone in upper management listened to my stary and said it was illegal for [redacted] to have collected a Brokers Fee from me BEFORE I had signed a lease. I then contacted the owner of Best Apartments, Howard Feingold, numerous times with which he said he would call me back and we could work something out. He would never call me back and every time I would call again he would say he has no idea what I was talking about regarding that particular situation and he didn't owe me anything. I went to his office numerous times and he always told me to go and he was busy. [redacted] had mentioned that he wasn't licensed in NY, AFTER he thought I had already signed the lease, which leaves me to wonder how can Best Apartments hold me to their shady sales paper they ask you to sign when the real estate salesperson they are employing isn't licensed in the State of NY? I also checked online at http[redacted] and [redacted] is not listed as a licensed real estate salesperson in NY.Desired Settlement: I would like to be refunded my $2025 Brokers Fee

Consumer

Response:

At this time, I have not been contacted by Best Apartments Inc. regarding complaint ID [redacted].

Sincerely,

Review: My girlfriend, dog, and I are currently looking for a place in NYC and we have to move out by this Friday. We've been looking at all kinds of places and yesterday my gf found a place she really liked. This happened around 1 pm on 6/**. The rent is $2400 and the broker ([redacted]) got her a "deal" bringing the rent down to $2350 with a 12% ($3400) broker fee. He talks her into submitting an application for the place and talked her into giving him $2500 ($2350 good faith deposit and $150 in application fees). She doesnt make enough for the apartment nor do I. Her parents said they would be our guarantors if we were both paying for the rent. My girlfriend gave them her parents and our w-2's, 1040's, bank statements, and SS numbers. The broker also decided to run my credit and her parents credit without getting our permission. There were no signatures on the applications or consent from myself or her parents but we were approved by 3:30 pm. By 3:45, they had the lease for us to sign.I called him at 4 pm saying that I want to see the place. First thing he said was "it doesn't matter since you're already approved and you're not getting the good faith deposit back". I went down to that apartment and realize I do not want the apartment. I called them again and told them that my girlfriend argued and broke up over this and I did not want to be part of the lease anymore. I then talked to her parents and told them about what happened and they did not want to cosign without me since she could not afford it herself. She said she still wanted the apartment and would try to get the apartment herself.Then I talked to [redacted] yesterday saying that I wanted the application to be resubmitted with myself and her parents taken off the application since we did not consent to the application. They said that they would only take me off the application but not her parents, since was only a student.Desired Settlement: I would like them to run the application with only my girlfriend's paperwork. They had no right to run my credit nor her parent's credit. They run a very unethical practice and must be looked into. They ran credit checks and rental applications on people without signatures or consent. Please investigate the practices of this organization. Thank you.

Review: In mid July, my roommate and I were shown an apartment for which we provided a security deposit ($2,800.00) and the first month's rent ($2,800) and signed a lease. When we attempted to move into the apartment, at the beginning of August, we discovered that the apartment we were renting and had signed a lease for was not the apartment we had been shown and was not in similar condition. What we were shown was in new and excellent condition, but the apartment we were given was in a horrible state of disrepair. One of the two bedrooms did not have a legal window but merely a small transom, multiple objects in the apartment were held together using duct tape, and the lights flickered on and off constantly. The wooden cabinets were coming off the hinges and the floor boards were warped. The front door to the apartment had neither a heavy duty latch nor a dead bolt but instead a large hole with a piece of duct tape over it.We left immediately and did not take possession of the apartment.We were treated poorly by these brokers who not only blamed us for the circumstances but shouted at us using foul language. They used deceptive practices and misrepresentation to ensure that we would rent an apartment. The Attorney General's office informed us we had 30 days to legally void a signed contract but Best Apartments maintained that a copy of our lease could not presently be provided and the day on which it would become available was strangely the [redacted] day after our signing; however, we have yet to receive a signed copy.Although our contract has been voided we have yet to be reimbursed our payments of $5,600.Desired Settlement: $5,600 - first month's rent and security which we paid

Consumer

Response:

At this time, I have not been contacted by Best Apartments Inc. regarding complaint ID [redacted].

Sincerely,

Review: My roommate and I paid a $300 cash application fee for an apartment with Best Apartments. We were told, in writing and verbally, that the full $300 would be refunded in the event that we were not approved for the apartment. We were not approved and [redacted] of Best Apartments said that our money would be mailed to us the following Monday (July **, 2013). After a week we contacted [redacted] as we never recieved or mail and he said it wasn't sent out, but he would send it out the next day. We've contacted him several times to attempt to get out money back and he would either claim it was in the mail or ignore our email/text/call completely. We made an appointment to pick up our money on Aug ** with him and when we arrived at the office at the given time, he was not there. We spoke with the "manager" ([redacted]) of Best Apartments and he claimed to be unaware of the situation entirely and was just as vague and unhelpful as [redacted].Desired Settlement: The full $300 refunded to us immediately.

Consumer

Response:

Best Apartments has refunded our payment in full when we notified them that we were filing a complaint.

Sincerely,

Review: We rented an apartment through Best Apartments in April 2014 for our lease that started May 2014. We were told that our money was for first months rent, last month's rent, security deposit, and fee. However, now that our last month's rent is due our landlord informed us that last month's rent was not paid to him by the broker, meaning he pocketed the difference and added it to his fee. We never received a copy of the receipt or a copy of the lease which they said they would provide is with, and now that we have contacted the business and the individual broker, neither of them have records, receipts, or contracts. Supposedly the broker is no longer at the company but took our apartments account, but all of our checks whent through Best Apartments so they should have detailed accounts of transactions. They are skimming money off the top.Desired Settlement: We would like our funds back for a total of $2500.