While my post may echo some of the same sentiments of those dissatisfied with their experience with a Chateau property, I feel that this is extremely important for any prospective tenant to read before engaging in a legally-binding contract with them. As a result of questionable business practice and poor property management, we are now out nearly $1700 after renting from them. I am not exaggerating.
Let me start off by saying that, at first, my wife and I were pleased with the unit we rented. Rent was competitive, the amenities were competitive, and the location was decent.
The first sign of what we'd gotten ourselves into with this property occurred when there was a visible leak stemming from beneath the toilet in our master bedroom. We were prompt in reporting the issue via Chateau's "convenient" online reporting mechanism as soon as we noticed it, explaining that the vinyl flooring was becoming visibly stained. Four days, another post online, and two phone calls to management later, a maintenance man finally came to fix the problem toilet. He never fixed or replaced the vinyl in the bathroom, and we never heard anything else about it. Upon moving out, we were charged nearly $100 for the repair of the vinyl and told that this is standard policy.
The second, and more reprehensible, sign occurred upon moving out of our unit. Two weeks later, we received a bill in the mail detailing $1700 in repairs to the unit for replacement flooring, saying that if we didn't pay the balance or set up a payment plan, that the issue would be sent to collections and reported to credit reporting agencies. I knew that one room would need cleaning or repair, having had a dog who would urinate in one of two spots next to the patio door until he was kennel-trained. I was appalled that carpet for that one room would cost that much, so I decided to look into it further.
I called Angie in accounting the next day, the person who was listed on my letter to call with any questions, to ask what had needed replaced and why it would cost such an amount. I was faced with nothing but evasion and the inability to answer even the most straightforward questions regarding my bill.
Angie then said she would have the apartment manager, Nicole, call me back that day to discuss it. She did not call me back, rather, I had to call at the end of the next day to finally speak to her. This began a week-long game of phone-tag, Nicole telling me she would look into it and call back the next day, two days passing with no word, me calling back to hear the same thing from an employee who was clearly told to answer the phone for Nicole, etc. Finally, a week later, Nicole told me that carpet in the entire apartment needed replaced due to "pet damage" and that they had photographic evidence. I asked her to send me the photos, but after viewing them, noticed that both photos were from the two spots in the room that I had originally suspected. No evidence was provided for any of the other rooms.
I then called Nicole back to question her about this, and she dismissed me saying that the facility manager had confirmed that everything needed replaced and that this was good enough to her to justify charging us for it. Again, no evidence was provided for replacement of any of the other rooms. I asked Nicole if there was anyone else I could speak to, like an owner of the property, but she refused to give me any further contact information.
We have now begun paying our balance, understanding that to bring the matter to court would end up costing us more in the long run. I'm sure Nicole understood this, as well, and that is why she was so dismissive of me. I am still vehement that Chateau, especially its representatives Nicole and Angie, approached this situation in one of the most underhanded ways possible. We were charged unduly for repairs that were not necessary, and the lack of prompt attention to our matter, or even a call back, signifies a great disrespect for my wife and me. I will never recommend a Chateau property and I hope anyone who has read this really thinks about if they would be willing for a similar thing to happen to them. read more