DO NOT TRUST THE MANAGEMENT AT THIS COMPLEX. When we went to sign our lease agreement we were told that the complex did not...
DO NOT TRUST THE MANAGEMENT AT THIS COMPLEX.
When we went to sign our lease agreement we were told that the complex did not offer a 12 month lease because they didn't want a bunch of tenants moving out at the same time. That is understandable. We were given the option of an 11th month lease or a 13 month lease. We opted for the 11 month lease, which meant that our lease is up in November. When it came time for our lease's end, we submitted the necessary paperwork for our 60 Day Notice. Shortly after, we received an email from management stating that they received our 60 Day Notice and confirmed that our move-out date would be November 30th. We moved out in the beginning of November, but had paid for the month of November anyway to fulfill the lease agreement.
As it turns out, sometime in the month of November, they went under new management. I was suddenly being asked to pay rent for December because according to the new manager, we signed a 12 month lease, which was NOT CORRECT. We even forwarded him the emails from the previous manager stating that our move-out date was confirmed to be November 30th. I told him there must be a misunderstanding because I most certainly did NOT agree to a 12 month lease and I was not obligated to pay for the month of December. We promptly went down to the office to discuss the issue with the new manager. He claimed that they'd never received our 60 Day Notice and it was not found in their records. He continued to insist that the lease we agreed to was 12 months and we needed to need to pay for the full month of December. Baffled, we asked him to pull out his copy of our lease agreement. Clear as day, you could see the previous manager's handwriting on the lease agreement stating that we agreed on an 11 month lease and he COMPLETELY DISREGARDED IT!!! So even though we went through all of the necessary steps to end our lease, and had been moved out for almost a month, they were demanding that we pay Decembers rent. I had to repeatedly spell it out to him that this was a mistake on their part and I am NOT responsible for December's rent, but they continue to relentlessly harass me for the rent via email. They decided to "compromise" by putting me in contact with a third party that would help us set up a payment arrangement for the month of December, even though we were NEVER obligated to pay for it in the first place. We agreed to pay it anyway because we didn't want to go through the legal trouble. Not to mention, we left the apartment in pristine condition and they refused to give us our deposit back.
My mother was once a leasing agent and she claims that what they'd done was entirely illegal. I'd also been advised by a few different lawyers within Utah to take legal action, but chose not to bother with it.
If this were to happen to me now or in the future, I would most certainly take them to court. In my honest opinion, these guys are crooks. Though it seems dramatic, I would advise anyone that plans to move into this complex to get it in writing, on recording, do whatever extra that you need to do to obtain evidence of the lease you agree to. Horrible experience.