I am a masters student at Indiana Univeristy of PA. I leased a one bedroom, tiny apartment off of Northwood reality in November. The security deposit was $175.00 since I was only there for one semester.
I viewed the apartment prior to moving in and the landlord had told me they kicked the last tenant out because he was not paying rent or utilities. The electricity had been turned off and he had been living by candle light. She claims that the apartment was "Professionally cleaned". When I moved in there was red wax allover the bathroom and kitchen table. A full set of dishes in the cabinet and an easter basket under the sink. This place had not been professionally cleaned. I let it go and cleaned the apartment myself to my satsfaction.
Fast forward to May, the semester is over and I am cleaning to move out. My best friend and her 3 roomates lived next door in a 4 bedroom house, also rented out by northwood reality, and my other friend lives in the same house that I do, which is divided up into apartments. Every tenant recieves a notices with 7 manditory items that have to be cleaned in order to recieve your full security deposit back. My best friend was even required to steam clean the carpets. I had hard floors so I was not required to. I spent 2 full days cleaning this apartment beyond the standards of this form. I called my landlord to drop off my keys (standard for college rentals there is no walk through) I told her that I had went ahead and washed all the walls (which was not required) because they were starting to mold and I did not want it to get worse over the summer for her.
About 2 weeks later I get a letter that says they are withholding $120.00 for general cleaning. I check with my friends and they too had $120.00 for the house taken and $145.00 for my other friend in the 1 bedroom apartment. I called my landlord and was told that its not her responsibility to explain the cleaning list, they automatically send a cleaning person into each apartment and charge the tenant. I got the cleaning companies name and called and he told me they would look up my file and get back to me. 6 weeks later still no response. I was told by the head of Indiana Northwood reality that if I wanted my list and pictures I would have to purchase them off of him. The comments and language this man and his landlord used towards me and my mother are extremely unprofessional. I am not your average college student, I am 25 and in my second masters program, so I highly doubt I would leave this place in such "filth" as he stated. The cleaning company called me friend with the house back about 3 weeks later and told her it was a general cleaning fee. That they clean whatever needs done for $120.00 flat rate. SO how did my other friend with the apartment get charged $145.00 then??? Also, why even distribute a cleaning list prior to vacating if $120.00 will get anything cleaned??? They never mentioned anywhere in the lease or on this paper that they were sending a cleaning company in at the tenants expense. This company is a fraud and a rip off to college rentals. To top it all off the man who runs the Indiana location. Thomas e. MOREAU should be ashamed of the way he talks to the customers that keep his business running. He is the most arrogant and foul mouthed individual that I have ever met. Steer clear of this company they are nothing but frauds in my opinion and experience!
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