RENTER BEWARE -- This has been the most unpleasant, oppressive experience that I have ever had with a rental company (or any company for that matter). Take pictures of EVERYTHING before renting one of their properties. They are fully prepared to bully you out of your deposit.
We moved into an older home which was far from perfect. The carpets were crusty feeling and pretty worn, the landscaping was a little rough, the walls were spot painted and patched in several areas, and the bathrooms had some buildup from the hard water. None of this really bothered us; we cleaned the carpets a few times, but the rest was pretty negligible to us. Most of these issues seems insignificant and common wear and tear, so we didn't take pictures and note these. We did take pictures, but only of the obvious damage.
At the end of our lease, we spent two days cleaning in order to turn in the keys. I asked what are some common mistakes that people make when moving out, and I was told to leave it in the condition we obtained it in. The only notable damage caused by us were two small dents in the wall and a stain, all in the U-shaped stairwell. I am saying this because I understand that there was some damage to the house which should have been taken from the deposit.
We requested a walk through, and they denied it. They also denied doing a move-in walk through. This should have been our first red flag. When we turned in the keys, we asked when we would receive our deposit back. They said that they would "negotiate," before even seeing the property. We finally received our letter (almost 45 days out), and they billed us for $1800 for repairs. This included repainting the entire house (we didn't even use 3 of the rooms, so they were impeccable). Most of the rooms had some finishing nail holes, but that doesn't require repainting the entire room. There were several other things, including cleaning a shower that we only used twice.
At this point, I was directed to speak with the owner of the company, Scott Combs. He basically said that all of the charges were legit, even the tub that we only used twice. He kindly "negotiated" for our $1095 deposit, which I knew was their goal all along. He quickly mentioned how court is a long and expensive process after a few emails back and forth (I didn't even mention it). He also mentioned that he has 150+ pictures that he can take to court. After reading some reviews, I can see that they are more than prepared to go to court with their tenants. I have never, ever, met a business so sleazy in my life. They turned the law against my wife and me and forced us into a position that I wouldn't wish upon anyone. I strongly believe that they have set up the whole experience, including avoiding all walkthroughs, to keep deposits. I could even tell from the receptionist that it is common for people to be upset about their deposit letter.
Please, if you do rent from this company, take pictures of EVERYTHING when moving in. If it is even slightly worn, take a picture. They are running a scam to rip people off, and put them in a position that they cannot retaliate.
Anyway, here are some pros and cons (excluding the story above):
+ Payment portal is easy to use and does not charge for payments
+ It is easy to submit maintenance requests through the portal as well
+ Professional demeanor
+ Maintenance was knowledgeable and friendly
- Maintenance was slow and sometimes ignored our requests (i.e. the built-in microwave was broken for 3+ months without acknowledgement)
- Maintenance was limited by the owner's requests, so some repairs are completely ignored (i.e. the master bedroom couldn't close)
- Billing was a bit unorganized (i.e. the waste bill was applied on a random date without notification)
- Pre-move in requests were ignored (i.e. the fence was not repaired, which was verbally agreed upon)
This is from my niece and her husband. read more