Never--I repeat, NEVER--rent from H.E.W. Properties in Stillwater. My two roommates and I paid a…read morecombined security deposit of $1,050 for our duplex, and one of my roommates and I paid an additional $250 each in non-refundable pet fees. With a grand total of $1,550 in fees and deposits, one would expect not only a spotless, problem-free home, but also stellar maintenance and pest control services. Unfortunately, there was no such luck with H.E.W.
Not only did we end up getting a house already infested with mice and bugs and no help whatsoever from H.E.W., we also had to call every day for more than a week at a time if we wanted or needed anything fixed. No one came before we moved in to do a walk-through with us, so the house was filthy and many things in it were broken (the fridge, washing machine and garbage disposal were a few). When we called to get them fixed, we got the run-around from the office for literally three weeks--they refused to come fix them until we threatened to withhold our rent payment and make them pay our electric bill (the fridge was running constantly). When we called about our doorbell (also not functional since our move-in date), they came after more than a month to repair it. It took three men two separate several-hour visits to attempt to fix it before putting a cheap, battery-operated doorbell set in--and affixed the button to the brick with a 3M Command peel-off sticker. Needless to say, it fell off. When we had to call to get our thermostat fixed, they only changed a fuse so it broke again two days later.
The entire year we lived there, the gates of the so-advertised "gated community" were not functional. During the last month of our lease, they began locking the two side gates with chains and padlocks at 9 p.m. That would have been a fantastic plan, except they had no one sitting at the front gate checking residents, so anyone could get in anyway. It was ineffective at best, but more inconvenient and moronic.
As if that weren't enough, we are getting literally none of our deposits back. Despite the $1,550 we paid initially and the fact that only two sets of mini blinds were damaged (and the rest of the house is in MUCH better condition than when we moved in), we are receiving nothing back. About halfway through the year, I met a woman who showed me her move-out sheet which itemized the deductions H.E.W. took from her deposit, and she was charged two separate fees regarding carpet: a $125 carpet cleaning fee, and a $100 carpet "wear and tear" fee. She lived in a unit with not even one square inch of carpet.
These people are incompetent, greedy and rude. They will do everything in their power to make your stay with them as unpleasant and expensive as humanly possible. Never, EVER rent from H.E.W.
