We had a good relationship with Nice Property Management during our two year tenancy in a lovely property in Franklin, MI. They liked us and we liked them. As tenants, we had to be fairly proactive to see that repairs were done, but the company was overall responsive and ethical, even if occasionally disorganized and cheap.
Given our overall positive experience, we were disappointed and frustrated with the move-out process. The security deposit refund was issued on the last possible day (30 days after move-out), and cleaning fees were taken out without no prior discussion, which is technically illegal. The company was silent when documentation was requested. At this point, we have no leverage and, having moved out of state, are not willing to return to Michigan to take them to small claims court.
Please, do your due diligence when working with this or any other property management company: Have a checklist on hand for them to sign during the walk-through, and get any potential charges in writing prior to move-out.
FYI: A landlord is legally required to provide itemized documentation of any deductions; tenants have 7 days to approve any deductions; and cleaning fees must be specified in a lease agreement and are not permitted to be taken out of a security deposit. read more