Pub. 4 2019 Issue 1

6 www.ctaahq.org 3 2 1 10 Things That Can Result in an Ugly Move-Out Experience W hen residents move out of your apartment community, you want them to leave on a happy note with pleasant memories of their residency with you. Your hope is that they will recommend your community to their friends and family both online and offline. Things sometimes can take an ugly turn. Former residents may lash out online claiming to be “robbed of their hard- earned money” and accusing the management company of engaging in “unfair” and “unethical” business practices. Some may openly call for a boycott of the community or company, urging readers to “never” rent from them. If your property has too many reviews reflecting the same sentiment, you may have a problem. The most common reason for this resentment is a dispute over move-out charges. Residents want their entire security depos- it to be refunded. When this doesn’t happen, it has a domino effect and an irate resident finds fault in almost every aspect of living in that community. Suddenly, everything from park- ing to landscaping to neighbors to the staff become intolerable and the apartment is not worth the money. “So, if you plan on living here we suggest you don't plan on leaving without expecting an extremely high final bill as well as be someone who doesn't expect things to be how they should be since you definitely don't get what you're paying for at ABC!” Below are the top 10 reasons echoed in online reviews that make move-out an ugly and disappointing experience for some resident. Move-out inspection done in the resident’s ab- sence. Residents want to be present at the time of the move-out inspection. They begin to question the details in the bill when the inspection is done in their absence. They often demand answers from the staff and become frustrated if the staff is unresponsive. Move-out charges not communicated explicitly. While defending the “unfair” or “unwarranted” move-out charges, residents complain that the staff did not make them aware, clearly explain or remind them about various move- out charges. A resident doesn’t expect to know or remember all the ins and outs about move-out charges in the contract and wants to be reminded about those prior to move-out. Exorbitant fee for routine wear and tear. Residents have expressed being charged “exorbitant” and “unreasonable” charges for routine wear and tear. For instance, one shared that without any proof of damages, he was charged a $500 cleaning fee, despite leaving the apartment in pristine condition. Exorbitant fees for routine wear and tear and a rude onsite staff are only two of the reasons behind a bad move out. Find out what the others are.