Major Changes for Me

[sanantone]

Hey sanantone! I'm a newbie, but one thing I know is property management...seeing as I'm a Property Manager. And what you're describing is absolutely unacceptable. #1 Never sign a legal binding contract/lease without seeing it first...I DON'T CARE WHAT LINE THEY TELL YOU...it's all about a commission. But since you're in it, it's not much you can do about the paint color and the gashes, but they MUST IMMEDIATELY fix that leak. God forbid, it starts leaking heavy and your stuff gets damage. Put in a work order, give them 24 hours to respond. Yes, only 24 hours, because this is what I would consider an emergency. An emergency is anything that affects heat, hot water, and plumbing. And if they don't...then call the City. If they're anything like Chicago, they'll come out right away and cite them. And don't worry about retaliation, there's nothing they do to break your lease unless you are non-compliant with your lease. I'm in Chicago and every city has different, but I feel your pain, lemme know if I can help.

Thank you for offering advice. There wasn't a leak when I moved in; I believe there was previously a leak that caused damage. They did a sloppy job of covering it up. They've actually been quick to fix things. The lease says that they have to fix something in 48 or 72 hours...can't remember which. So far, they have been fixing things within 24 hours.

One thing that is really bothering me now is how we are billed for water. I thought I was going to be billed for MY water usage. However, they have a bill for the whole apartment complex and split up among the units based on square footage. A couple who lives in a one-bedroom will pay less than a single person who lives in a two-bedroom. The small two-bedrooms are the only units with washer and dryer hookups, so those in the larger, two-bedroom townhomes are essentially subsidizing them. If they wanted to do this collective thing, then they should have just included water in the rent. Not that I'm saying that they should raise the rent to do this. Our rent is high enough.