Equity Residential

called and left a voicemail to get in touch with corporate yesterday, November 28thFor the purposes of corrective action and reconciliation, please forward or provide the best contact to address this toWe’ve dealt with multiple on site representatives and have not been assisted the way we deserve to be and quite frankly, it’s frustrating to get a hold of anyone else who can breakdown and detail point by point what we need to rectify everything (past and current)From inception, I have laid out issues/problems up until the present time, for referenceTopics/Subjects addressed in this email as to why we are leaving:
Prorated month - discrepancy (December 2018)
advertising on Company’s Website / Incorrect Information provided
Illegal Practices / Compliance with Move Out Inspection
Criminal Activity without safeguard measures/improvement
Revision to leases without Lease Addendum
Misleading “$off” special
Term agreements and prorated rent
To whom it may concern,
I am sharing what I have witnessed/endured by far regarding poor and unethical business practices that have been conducted throughout my entire experience residing at The Cleo, owned by Equity ResidentialIn addition to that, I am seeking explanation/clarification on some confusing and contradicting information related to our move out arrangementsUPON MOVING INTO THE CLEO AND PREMATURE PHASES
To begin, I inquired on a floor-plan that was publicly advertised online through the Equity Residential website and was informed that the unit would be available at a later dateIt was 1st floor, cheaper monthly rent than what was being shown to me via a tourUpon agreeing to a December 21, commencement date, I checked on the unit (cheaper one) that I was more interested in and saw that the post was advertised at an available modate of December 22, (day later, and cheaper monthly rent)Due to the tight time-frame and financial allotment in place, I did not bother to pursue further clarification once again because I felt that it would lessen our chances of becoming eligible/accepted as a tenant through this residential companyMoving forward, lease was signed, and all tenant requirements were delivered on time and to the appropriate party, but I encountered another hiccup, shortlyPrior to signing the lease through the Docusign portal for electronic signing, I was reviewing the breakdown of charges that would shortly be dueFrom deposits, application fees, renter’s insurance, prorated rent, 1st month’s rent, special, etc., I managed to make sense of it and as a prospective tenant, ensured to proceed accurately and accordinglyI even asked again about a $credit we were promised as it was aforementioned through the physical tour of the unit and via verbal discussion (witnesses as well present and can attest to this), I was informed that the special would be $off the first month’s rent, which is also what is being advertised on Equity Residential’s websiteI do have email correspondences to show that the lead/landlord (Tenicia) that was assigned to this account reassured me it would be applied the day we move inI was relievedFirst few weeks, it was apparent that there was a leak below the kitchen sink (obviously could lead to mold if persisted and we made sure to report on it) and assigned parking issues/mixupsOn top of that, come to find out ~ a month later, a lease agreement had been revised showing a deposit that initially had $now decreased to $I was trying to find the Lease Addendum to accompany this revision as this would have been required for every landlord to provide And that first month special of $off the rent, ended up becoming a tricky and deceitfully well played misleading somewhat scamWell played because it continues to work if the company til this day uses that to attract their future rentersWithin the same email chain showing the history in back and forth correspondences pertaining to this specific subject, the landlord/lead/consultant (Tenicia) had now changed her story from first month special to deposit specialI’m sorry, but what is a deposit special? A deposit is something you intend to get back anyway and is nothing that would be guaranteed as an owner’s safekeeping? I found it bizarre and now all of a sudden, we were forced/threatened to sign the revised lease agreementI use the term forced and threatened because there was nothing that could be done since we were just settling in and had this late fee hanging over our heads, everything needed to be paid had been paid, and there was no turning back, especially from a legal perspectiveIn addition to that, realistically speaking, it would be very difficult to battle this out, find a new place, cough up more money, and look into legalities as well as legal advisement, etc.; just to rectify something that would be considered as “minuscule” damagesTo avoid extra fees such as “late payments” and worrying about $because we were standing by our principles and morally speaking, it did not feel right accepting this, however, it was decided that we just let it go and be as it may and come to the hard fact that a security deposit went from $to $and splitting that among individual incomes, it’s really not much you’re losing I guess… Trying to look at the bright side of it allABOUT HALFWAY INTO OUR LEASE AT THE CLEO
Roughly months later, another upsetting situation arose and negligence on Equity Residential once again, with their lack of pro-activeness and enforcement of community rules and securityAround 3:am someone was attempting to break our living room window (considered as threat/harassment, mind you)At this point, it was safe to say that this is dangerous and can be a possible breat this point considering the time and amount of force that could be felt all around the apartment unit (literally vibrating through the walls)The amount of weight that was being struck again and again for minutes was not only scary/traumatic, but also dangerous for your tenants!!!! We called as we should, especially since law enforcement keeps record of every call/reportThe dispatcher was on the line with us the entire time this was occurringThe police officers (there were 2) informed us that apparently it was a drunk man who thought he lived in our unit?! So upsetting and Equity Residential did not do their part in acknowledging how concerning this is, especially since they accepted this person as a residentAll the feedback that was received by Tenicia as we tried to share with her:
Courtesy Patrol days/week and the phone number-- I am sorry but if my life is at risk, I am going to call 911, plain and simpleThat’s what we’ve all been doingAsking if there were damages-- Wow, why don’t you guys just come and investigate instead of being worried about what costs might be incurred?
Proposing to purchase an alarm system and making sure windows are locked and secured-- So unbelievableObviously the windows were locked and the securing part is out of our controlWe didn’t install the windowsWhy not an “I’m sorry, I hope you are okayWhat exactly happened?”
None of that! However, the organization’s terms say otherwise as it is perceived that safety is a priority and that there will be repercussions as far as criminal activity goesI don’t even think that individual was reprimanded? We couldn’t even get any of his information?
We could not even have management bring any awareness whatsoever to other tenants regarding this situation because as a resident in this building, I would hope that the neighbors around me would look out for me the way I would look out for themI know for a fact that someone heard the noise that early morning, but did not do anything about it**We see emails from management about people improperly parked, but management rejected our proposal to use our situation to motivate an ongoing cultivation of togetherness and support for our neighbors here at The CleoCOMPLETING MOVE OUT PROCEDURES AND MONTH TERM FULFILLMENT
Fast forward to the currentSending our day notice, we come to encounter more problems as far as questioning why there were extra charges for our final month’s rent? Inquiring on these, the representative working at the time basically said in summary, “you signed the lease, there’s nothing we can doThat’s how the system works, and you’re obligated to pay even after your month term hereWe cannot change the contract”
Are you kidding me? We’re now at fault because our initial representative (Tenicia) who assisted us in moving in was currently away from the office (she was away from the office as well around the time we moved into the apartment unit), and it was through verbal discussion that we could indicate a move out by December 22nd, since we all agreed that the 25th was a holiday and it would be exactly year (months), anywaySo you could change your system to revise a lease agreement, but you can’t honor what was explicitly said to us before we signed the lease? Our renter’s insurance policy even covers from December 21, - December 21, This was sent as well to Equity Residential and that is also a contractual termIf you observed the dates and had an issue, you would have said something, but did notPer Equity Residential’s terms, all tenants must carry renters insuranceIf you want us to pay from 21st - 25th without renter’s insurance, that would be considered a breachThis is evidence and sufficient enough to prove that all the parties involved were under the impression and confirmation that move-out date would NOT be Christmas Day It’s truly upsetting to us how antagonizing this company has been towards us, how dishonesty is so widespread within, and receiving no help or empathy from ANYBODY is the absolute last strawHow dare all of you who keep blaming your system for these faulty ways of maintaining an organized entityYou hire these people to serve and they cannot even take the time during their work shift to sit down with you and give you the breakdown of charges and justify why they need to be paid and make us feel at easeWhat’s the point of having a leasing office downstairs if nobody wants to actually utilize it for the purposes of retention/customer service? Yesterday, I spoke with Mandy (Mengdi) and she was crying tears of frustration and at that moment, I couldn't have it anymoreIn no way is it acceptable to communicate the way you did towards a tenant like thatA tenant who has been committed from the beginning and addressing concerns in a respectful mannerThis entire experience has been crookedPlease be cognizant of the fact that you had exceptional tenants who did not cause any trouble or inconvenience and always paid rent on timeMaybe that makes us easier for you to prey on, and it’s not okay to take advantage of us and discriminate us like this, especially since we do everything properly and have shown our contribution in the way mitigate risks/harm to the propertyAs we fulfill our obligations, it seems even the move out inspection was an issueWe were told that we could NOT see the copy of the document when the inspection was occurring and as it was completedAs one party of the residence was present (well within our right to be), we needed to ensure we can understand the notations that Sam and another recipient were making on our unitIt’s illegal to withhold this information and is totally counterproductive of what the move out inspection is supposed to convey and the sole purpose of it is so that both landlords and tenants can be agreeable and avoid misunderstandings upon moving out of the unitFor us to drag our feet like this is unbelievableIt’s the landlord’s role and responsibility to provide us with this, however, at Equity Residential, tenants must take it upon themselves to request this document in order to authenticate the predetermined chargesMandy (Mengdi) had to speak with a male representative and basically be forced to obtain the information that we were entitled to receiving in the first placeOnce the copy was transmitted, it was communicated that it would be ~$for cleaning/touch up/etcNot even explaining that wear and tear could be the reasoningSo now, that leaves us with $left from depositIt went from $to $to $in a year's timePlease take a careful and more concentrated approach and focus when you hire peopleI mean it seems everyone we've dealt with does not want to do what they are doingIt makes an enormous difference when you actually have company affiliates who actually care about making a difference and enjoy working with people and tenantsSeems every person we come across has an attitudeWhy is that? When someone has an inquiry, it’s your job to alleviate the confusion and do your best to articulate reasoning/logic! The point of everybody being on the same page is to make sure that the understanding is clear, but the intention seems moreso geared towards capitalizing and filling vacant unitsThe overall unprofessional demeanor and antics are probably why other tenants on the Revdex.com and *** were miserable, dissatisfied, and left elsewhereThe lawsuits endured with this company can be a little daunting as wellLook at the bigger picture of things and not ask us questions such as “What can we do to make you reconsider ending your lease?”
Everything that we wanted you to do throughout our month term, you failed us at! That’s a fact!
We’re nearing the 1st and rent will be dueWe received our prorated charges prior to me sending this email, however, your system, AGAIN, is showing incorrect charges and an outstanding balance that isn’t making senseWe have a few days to reconcile this and for extra charges that were not accounted for in the past cannot just spring up and be expected for remittanceWe will pay what is owed and agreed uponmonth term is what it wasThat’s itPlease do not try to have us pay for your employees to clean up the unit before the new tenantsThat’s not part of our job and it’s very poor of you to make us financially responsible for that, especially since you offered us a higher renewal offer rate than what your website currently shows as the monthly month term rent priceYou even publicly advertised that the available date on our specific unit would be December 27, December 25, is a federal holiday, and with another leak we discovered in the kitchen on the way and maintenance crew to “touch up” and clean a few things, how realistic is that December 27th date for the new tenant?
It may be realistic considering that we will be moving out December 21st and submitted our day notice on November 21st (Again, your system shows November 23rd as the notice date, which is incorrect since we were told on November 21st that the following day is a holiday and that we could send everything over on the 23rd, however initial inquiry should have been recorded because we were in compliance)BUT, you’re still having us pay up until the federal holiday (Christmas Day 12/25)It’s ridiculous and fraudulent to milk your tenants like this, by the wayFinally, it’s a misleading and falsified tactic that you indicated a federal holiday as the expiration date of our leaseWe moved in and commenced (LEASE START DATE) on December 21st and again, our renters insurance that was provided in advance reflects year, mirroring in conjunction with the exact terms you continue to advertise and emphasize: months!
The Cleo would be my 5th lease undergone throughout my residential living around the Downtown LA/Westlake/Koreatown area (since 2013)My overall credit and never late, on-time payment history, should credulously prove the credibility in what I have expressed and emphasized in this emailI cannot stress this enough how distressful this was nonetheless; far from pleasant and most of all mentally exhausting and emotionally drainingWhen time permits, please advise on our final prorated rent as it's due on the 1st and we will pay on time because we know what it means to follow through with our obligations to any company that we remit payment of rent to

Applied for an apartment at The *** ** *** *** located in New Jersey which is managed by Equity ResidentialAfter submitting application form & fee, I received a sheet (attached) noting that in addition to the rent, the apartment charges a $"alarm fee" and I would have to activate service with a company called "G*** Securities", which I found out to be unlicensed in violation of NJ regulations (see details below)Leasing agent confirmed that the alarm fee is required and charged to all tenants
Since the website of the alarm company no longer exist (parked *** service), I digged a little deeper and found that the company is neither listed in the NJ Business Records Service database nor the NJ license verification website (***.mylicense.com)I have also called the Consumer Affairs hotline and spoke with *** who confirmed that she could not locate any license record for "G*** Securities" as required by NJ regulations to operate an alarm mon

We had a previous issue with this company thought to be resolved however they are now going back on their word from what was told to us
Initial complaint is #*** thought we sorted things out by a transferring apartments and waive amenities fee by CM - Marco ***A fee that Marco agreed to waive was because of the "confusion" we had with denial of our transfer to purposely keep us in a bedroom so we could pay more rent, instead of decreasing to a bedroomIn the closed office conversation to sort out our issues we had with Marco, he stated that he would transfer us into a bedroom like we initially requested and also stated when you renew your lease on your same apartment an amenities fee is not charged but when you transfer there is one charged, however, stated he would "go ahead and take care of the fee for us" for our troubles and so we can start a clean slateMarco transferred to another property shortly after and of course nothing he promised was done
Our n

I am concerned about a hard inquiry to my credit report as part of my rental application Although I appreciate the phone call from *** advising that all applicants are subject to a hard inquiry and that it will be removed in months, I am concerned that this is not an accurate answer I applied twice within a few months (and was approved both times) I was unable to move in after my first application was approved due to pending RIF at the company I was consulting for I thought it was smart to wait until my employment stabilized, which I did I reapplied and was again approved but when I received my weekly credit monitoring I noticed a hard inquiry from Equity I have never (and I have been renting since undergrad) had a landlord conduct a hard inquiry; I have excellent credit, meet the income requirements, have never paid any bill late, have a clean rental history and had an offer letter from my new employer I provided contact info for all former/current landlords and empl

The Equity Residential management team has been grossly negligent of their responsibility to maintain the property during my time as a resident in the *** Apartment CommunityThe issues started on moday when our apartment had missing cabinet doors and handles, and had not been adequately cleaned prior to our moving inThe issues have continued throughout the yearThe primary concern is that the fire alarms are faulty and go off every time it rainsThe alarms will sound for hours at a time, and at all times of the day, thus making the residence uninhabitableThe management team has sent out mass emails informing residents to stay indoors and ignore the alarms, which is a direct safety risk to all individuals who live within the communityGenerally speaking, the maintenance team does not respond to maintenance requests, or will close out the requests without entering the apartment to resolve the issueThis has been consistent when dealing with the faulty alarm systemR

Thank you for your follow-upWe would like to confirm that the credits have been posted and a formal apology has been issuedWe still dispute that any PII was displayedHowever, if you would like to provide copies of the photos that you took, we would be happy to look into this further and take the appropriate action.
In regards to the security deposit, the lease agreement includes a deposit of $199, which you acknowledged when you signed your leaseHaving said that, we would be willing to refund this deposit to you, so long as you sign a new lease acknowledging the change.
Please contact the management office to finalize the deposit disputeWe trust that this matter has been addressed appropriatelyThank you

Since July I have asked for the accounting and management team to provide an accurate accounting of charges To date they have handed off my request to several people but have still not answered my questions and or provided supporting documentation They are also charging me fees on the amounts in dispute and posting collection notices on my door with PII information displayed which is a violation of the Fair Debt and Collection Practices Act
I can't seem to get the management team to address the issue and I keep receiving threatening notices for $in dispute I pay $4,per month and have paid all my rent to date They have been charging me for fees on apartments I do not live in I need help to get this company to correct my bill and stop threatening my with eviction for unpaid balances

The community amenities are terribleweeks after saying the hot tub was fixed, it was luke warm like bath tub water againThe trail it claims to be close to is across highway with no crosswalk, there are constant traffic accidents due to people attempting to cross the busy highway

My experience with Equity Residential was the absolute worst experience of my life, with any company - ever
For several very minor cleaning issues we were charged $460, and only my husband's signature was required on the form accepting the chargesI find that sexist and backward, but once that form was signed Equity was a stone wallThey were so aggressive and rude when I contacted them that I was left stunned
I wasn't allowed back in to rectify the minor issuesThey refused to allow me to hire a cleaning company from their approved list, despite the fact that I was quoted $less than what they charged usThey were flippant and smug when I asked for a grievance process to debate the exorbitant charges
I would never in my life, ever do business with Equity againWe've never been charged by any military housing before EquityWe never had a single complaint against usWe're good people, who were treated deplorably

I lived at Cleveland House in Northwest Washington, DC for seven years, and while a large old building it had a terrific staff who had been with the building for years When I moved in it was run by a different company, but once purchased by Equity, the management of the building deteriorated rapidly Maintenance was slipshod, air conditioning of the common areas including the laundry room turned off resulting in putrid air and mold, rampant pests - including mice and insects, and an attitude towards the tenants that was dismissive and unethical It was no longer a place I felt safe for my family, and I moved out The new manager, Rebecca ***, discussed terms with me, and then refused to honor them I stopped by repeatedly to get the bill, only to find out it had been sent to an incomplete and incorrect address - despite the fact that they had the correct forwarding address, my email contacts and phone numbers If I had not stopped by to find out what was happening, I would not have known that she had slapped charges on for late fees - even though I had received no bill or no return phone calls to my inquiries When I finally got a copy of the bill, she refused to acknowledge responsibility for the address and only reluctantly produced the bill which she then said she could not accept payment for since it had been sent to a collection agency I have since paid that bill but the coercive tactics and outright falsehoods in my interaction with the management of Cleveland House left me shocked and speechless I had previous managers who were dedicated to ensuring tenants were taken care of, but this unprofessional and deceitful manner of doing business prompted me to write this review Beware - this goes beyond simply the lack of attention paid by a large corporation These are coercive and unethical business practice that should be investigated

The company opened lines of credit without my consent or my knowledge when they shouldn't haveThe company does rental for tenants for apartmentsThis has had disastrous effects on my credit and they have been ignoring my calls and requests to talk to someoneThis has destroyed my chances at finding potential homes for my family and interest rates when looking for vehicles

I had trouble accessing Equity Apartment's payment portal over the 4th of July weekendI tried multiple times to access the portal and submit payment but each time was unable to do soI received all sorts of technical error messages on my phone and my laptopSince I was unable to submit payment, I received a $late feeI sent my screenshots of these errors to Equity staff and was told that there was nothing they could do because the payment was lateClearly, the payment was late because of technical issues on their end that were completely outside of my realm of controlI just don't understand why this company is so greedy as to steal $from me when there was a readily apparent technical problem on THEIR portal that prevented me from paying! Their staff told me that I should have "signed up for auto pay to avoid these problems." I don't feel it's right to demand that I allow you to automatically withdraw money from my account in order to not be charged late fees when your t

After receiving numerous harassing calls from an automated system all day instructing to call my old place of residence, I called only to be told to go online*** and *** refused to answer my questions regarding my charges for water, sewer, and trash which are included normally in the rent paymentThese charges appear high for a prorated day period
We were also charged for reported previous damage to paint and worn-out carpetI submitted my inspection report to agent *** on 2/11/by *** to create a receipt*** and *** are not the most ethical individuals in business so I needed to cover myselfI was however, forced to sign a blank document under duress and before viewing the actual apartmentI expressed concern, but was not given an option*** *** used the blank form in lieu of the real report to predicate charges for paint and carpetThe paint was already damaged and listed in the inspection report and the photos are of cleanable scuff marks from m

We value Ms*** choosing to live with us, and we take seriously her concerns regarding wear and tear chargesThe community
does follow a move in and move out inspection processPart of that process includes the resident completing a move in inspection form to note condition, a pre-move out walk performed by the property, and a final walk after the apartment has vacated.
When finalizing Ms*** account, all three pieces were reviewedThe move in checklist did not note any concerns with the floor, shades, or cleanlinessThe pre-walk was completed by a member of the leasing staff, as maintenance was not available at the requested time We do make every attempt to accurately as charges during the pre-walk, but it can be challenging for the leasing team to determine the amount of time to paint, clean, and maintenance the apartmentDuring the final move out walk, performed by the maintenance team, it was determined that it would take additional time to paint and clean the apartmentCharges were made based on the hourly rate and materials costs.
Ms*** did reach out to the office to dispute the charges, and an agreement was made to remove a charge for resurfacing the tubWe are striving for a satisfactory resolution, and have re-opened the account*** *** is revising Ms*** account to reflect a zero balanceShe will receive a revised statement via mail

I moved out of ** *** Apartments in OctoberMy disability caused me to have to switch jobs and living situationsWhen I went to the office to see what could be done about my lease, they had a form that my doctor signed to verify my health conditionNext we signed an Intent to Vacate Form stating that I owed $plus utilities upon move outI paid the $(acct # ***) the day I moved outI was told to check back in a month for utilitiesWhen I checked back there were additional fees of several thousand dollars
Equity residential has also reported this incorrect balance to the credit bureau twice

My rental payments are automatically drawn out from my Bank of America checking account at the beginning of every monthI have NEVER missed a payment during the years of occupancy at this property
Earlier this month, I was a victim of check fraud; so the bank froze my checking account and had me create a new checking account as an added security measure As a result, I the rental payment for April could not be processed on time, and I was assessed a late fee on May 6, for the amount of $dollars Once the new account was established, I paid the full rental amount, plus utilities and the late fee ($2,721.71) on May 7,
When I explained to the situation to the Equity Leasing office, they said I could not have this late fee waived/refunded because I already paid this amount on May 7, This explanation makes no sense to me, given I also informed them that I have a police case number and have a confirmation letter from Bank of America that I am a “vict

I live in *** *** *** *** ** *** and I have a dryer that has caught fire, destroys clothes, it rips apart everything, even smokesIt has become so bad it makes loud noises and it won't dry or work to its maximum without damageI have had over $in damaged clothes, etcfrom this dryerWhenever I submit a repair order the complex either hits COMPLETE or completely ignores itI have even went as far to e-mail the general manager (who ignores me) and the service director Miseal who will forward my e-mailI have asked several times for the entire unit to be replaced as the repairs don't workThey go unanswered and now, the dryer; catching fire, has destroyed a family quilt

I became a tenant at *** Apartment homes in 2/ In September my family dynamic changed and I requested to transfer to a larger unit At the time I was advised that I could transfer and my initial deposit of $would be transferred and I would pay the additional $deposit difference with my first months rent We came up for a lease renewal in 9/ During this time my husband finished graduate school and was continuing on post graduate school I was working full time with and in come times the rental amount One month after renewing our lease my position was cut and I was laid of from my job We used my unemployment benefits, our savings and my husbands income to keep up with our lease payments for the past months Once we realized I was not going to be able to secure a new job before my unemployment ended my husband reached out to our property manager to request a transfer to a smaller unit within the same communityWe explained our situation and was advised

I lived at a property formerly owned by equity residential at the time, I had paid a pet deposit of $and only had the pet for a week before rehoming itI let the property know and they said they would refund me the money at the end of my leaseWhen the lease was up I never got the deposit back and instead they charged me $for the carpetThe carpet was not that damaged but that's what a deposit is for(which I never got back either)I have tried getting in contact with this company to settle this issue and all I have gotten was every number but one leading to an automated voice messageThe one number with a person answering was extremely rude and unprofessionalIts extremely unprofessional to not have a direct contact number!

I am writing to dispute the following item that one of your portfolio properties, “*** ***” and/or your partner debt collection agency, ***, provided to ***, ***, and ***I kindly request that it be removed (deleted) from my creditPlease send correspondence to my address confirming that the erroneous item has been removed from my credit history
I was a resident of *** Villas, an Equity Residential Property, with a move out date of 9/8/This was days additional to the original 1-year lease term, for which I visited the office and spoke to XXXXX , who agreed that I could stay an additional days at the pro-rated original rent
After moving out, I was sent a bill where it showed I owed *** Villas payment, however I had some questions on the charges to which the community managerShe said that she would try to find an explanation from their Accounting department but in the meanwhile she verified my credit would not be affected, even though