Open House Property Management

Those are just a few of the adjectives I'd use to describe this pitiful company. Based in Dallas, this foreign-owned company owns/manages property all over the USA and rents them out under the name of 'Open House Co, LLC'. If you want to throw your deposit money down the toilet, live in a constant disarray and pay more out of pocket when you move out, go ahead and rent from this unscrupulous firm.

Please RESEARCH the web and read their reviews on BBB, Yelp, RevDex and make an informed choice before you rent from them. They will entice you with a decent 'looking' place, until you start to discover all the issues AFTER you move in and then, you're stuck.

Let's Begin...

Soundness of the Properties:
Our rental had insects, a leak in the living room whenever it rained, peeling paint off the newly resurfaced tubs that were shiny when we moved in but quickly deteriorated, plumbing issues, a new dishwasher that was not installed properly and never worked (we called them about it several times), water that came in the house every time it rained (and we all know how much it rains in Houston), cabinets with water damage, poorly painted homes so all the paint quickly started to chip and peel soon after you moved in, used carpets that were barely cleaned, cheap materials-everything starts to fall apart quickly.

Customer Service = non-existent. Everything is done via a portal including work order requests for issues (and you will have many if you rent from them). Getting a person to speak to is impossible. When work orders are sent out, they have several 'handymen' they work with, none of which are skilled craftsman so you will be calling over and over for the same issue because they never fix it right.

You will be assigned a person as your point of contact where all of your emails will be routed to. This person doesn't actually work for the company but is, in essence, a freelancer they hire to represent them who gets an email address from them and strictly communicates this way. Our person was Lakeisha Sims. She will be the nicest, most polite person you will ever encounter...until you announce that you're moving out.

Lakeisha is a Houston realtor who is contracted by Open House and the epitome of dishonesty. We gave notice that we were moving out FAR IN ADVANCE of the 60 days they require. Our notice was given mid-September and the move-out Date was December 4th - the 4th being the date we started the lease. We paid our rent every single month, on time, followed the instructions for move-out and even hired a cleaning company to clean the day before we turned in the keys. We have receipts, email proof, as well as text messages from their own marketing department (aka telemarketers who also do not work for them directly) who were constantly calling and texting us for weeks as to why we were leaving. Obviously, they knew we were not renewing a few months ago.

Fast-forward to an important date - October 30th - Weeks AFTER we informed them (via email, of course) of our move-out plans, we complained about all the relentless text messages and Lakeisha asked that we send screenshots of all them to her so she can 'take care of it.' We did. Her response was, 'OK, I'll put you down for October 30th'. And, since we were talking about the annoying telemarketers, we understandably thought that she was reporting the complaint on October 30th. Soon after, the calls stopped.

Here's where the story gets interesting and where the underhandedness comes in. 2 days ago, we received our Move-Out Summary. Lakeisha put in the paperwork that we announced our move-out plans on October 30th (the day she responded about the marketing calls) NOT the day we actually informed them of our decision to leave in mid-September. Why? Because October 30th would place us outside of the 60 day window to get our deposit back. And Ms. Lakeisha gets compensated based on that deposit, I'm sure.

In addition, we were also being charged for the peeling paint in the tub (a resurfaced tub should last 5-10 years. We lived there for 2 years and it was peeling badly), a scratched mirror (that was that way when we moved in), mulch...MULCH?!?! The property had 0 landscaping when we moved in ... ZERO. We actually planted flowers in the flower bed because it looked so bad and we had the lawn mowed every two weeks - but it is fall and leaves fall from the trees. She sent us photos of leaves, (we moved out two weeks ago) and indicated that we needed to pay for black mulch for the flower beds. Comical!

After we sent Lakeisha an email with proof of the date we announced that we were leaving, her reply was: 'I already made y decision and 'please do not email me anymore.' Basically, screw you, regardless of when you informed us that you were moving, you aren't getting your deposit back and here's some more charges too!' The initial Move-Out Summary email gives us 3 days to dispute charges. We are now on Day 3, provided ALL the receipts and the PROOF and it means nothing. They are, in essence, stealing our deposit. Legal action should be brought against this company from everyone they have cheated AND Lakeisha as well.

Please rent from a reputable company and save yourself the frustration and the headache. Trust us and the other reviewers. You will not be happy in ANY of their properties. These houses are nightmares, not homes and the company who rents them are modern-day slumlords.

As far as we are concerned, IF WE DO NOT get our deposit returned, we will take legal action in addition to reporting them to the media including television media.

Worst company I've ever had to deal with. Everyone there is stuck up and entitled. As you can see with the other reviews. I've been renting my house (which they took over after so I got stuck)

Over 4 years and $80,000 spent on rent. Through covid and everything. Refusing and delaying work orders. 6 times I've had them repair our master bathroom for mold issues. And they never fixed the root of the issue. Just paint over it.

Worst part is. My company changed it pay policy, which I notified them immediately. I get paid once a month. Around the 7th. Had near perfect pay history (covid was hard) now we pay our rent when I'm finally paid. Refused to move out due date. Sends threating emails and letters to our house. And charges in over $700 in late fees in 2023.

Since 2019 we've been in this house. 3 kids, and they don't care. Just stealing money from our family. Because changing a date is too much trouble.

Wish someone with some integrity would start running this company. The days of good people and good service are long gone.

Applied to rent 2232 Cottonwood Ln in Benford. Sent in ALL documentation pay stubs, rent payment history, etc... Then called them twice a day for three days. they would say I was to be called back later that day. No call ever received. My realtor rep also tried to contact them with the same result. The application states that the $95 fee will be withdrawn after the application is complete. On the 4th day I received an email that they cancelled the application because it was not complete and that I did not respond to their emails. I received no emails from them not in spam - junk- or anywhere. They did however withdraw my $95. I sent them the time stamped proof that they did receive everything required and asked to speak to a manager whom said she would call the landlords directly after a 10 minute discussion over the situation. With in minutes I received an email that the landlords accepted someone else. So was I bum rushed off the phone? Either way by their own policy they stole $95 from me. Their incompetence cost me the rental home. There is Zero communication with this company through any means of contact. So keep that in mind if you rent from this company and the furnace goes out in January. You will freeze to death before you get a response from them. Ineptitude, poor communication and thievery does not make a good business practice or promote customer confidence.

We just moved in, and already this company is horrible. We fought through the application process with a group of incapable people. A group of 6-year-olds with no experience could be released in their offices and still do a better job. Now we are in the house, one day and the locks are not working, the A/C is broken, the garbage disposal is broken, and the service people they sent out clearly have no idea what the problem is. It is Friday and I'm afraid they are just going to vanish at the end of the day and leave us stuck in an 85-degree house for the weekend. I would seriously suggest you stay away from this company.

House flooded 6x in 10 months due to bad drainage. I repeatedly asked for repairs to be done and every time they did the smallest amount of work and stated it was “fixed”. I even visited their office and was assured that the problems would be resolved, which didn’t happen until we gave our notice to vacate. After we moved out, they tried charging us for things that didn’t exist in the house. Awful company, glad to be gone, just wish others could learn to stay away

Below is the absurd response, and lack of responsibility, you might expect from Open House when it comes to allowing illegal squatters to take up residence in your neighborhood. They allowed this to happen to their investor's property, and amazingly it reads like they're defending them.

"What exactly is the threat to the safety of your home and the neighborhood as a whole? Have the squatters committed crimes against other homeowners, damaged anyone's home, or personal property? Are they throwing wild parties all night keeping the neighbors up, drawing unsavory party guests, and taking over the street parking making it difficult to navigate through the neighborhood? Are you seeing activity that looks like drug sales, gambling, sex trafficking, or domestic violence that is spilling out into the yard and the street, and I am just unaware of it? If so, can you please provide me with the police reports or the dates and reasons the police were called? If the heightened concern is not based on actual events, is there something else in particular about these squatters that is raising alarms that would lead to further legal action? The only negative report of recent is that the grass needs to be cut." --- Asha Bluett.

Zero communication, no follow through, and misleading information regarding actual property availability. This company has highly questionable practices and should not be trusted by any responsible person with reasonable expectations.

I reached out to this company for weeks trying to determine if they were going to install and AC unit before I applied. Couldn't get a response via email, phone call, text, nothing. Because we loved the home so much, we decided to apply anyway. After telling us we'd need a cosigner/guarantor to qualify, we were declined with all documents showing approval with 2 approved cosigners. All documentation says approved but Open House Management says decline due to this documentation. They are lying to keep the application fees, including the 2nd guarantor we were supposedly not allowed to use, but they charged us anyway. Why did we even include any guarantor at all if it does not qualify you for the home? They just wanted more personal and financial information from people for their identity theft or whatever scams they are committing at Open House Property Management.

I don't ask for much when renting a property but infestations, walking into a living room filled with roaches and "mudd" more like dark smelly matter, no warm water, broken lights, flooding of the backyard, and no way to get the keys isn't acceptable especially when you are paying some decently high prices to live there. I would just like our leasing coordinator or property manager to return a phone call. We have a health issues and this is something that needs to be handled immediately. I had to call our application coordinator to help us fix the water because she was the only one that answered the phone calls and it took a week to fix it to even get hot water. I truly wish the best for next group of individuals who rent using open house. A little customer service goes a long way and they will take your money but won't respond to an email or help when the house has problems just tell you to go to a portal and they might take care of it in... eventually.

I usually have a bad taste in my mouth due to prior experiences with bad property management groups, but Open House exceeded my expectations. They were easy to get ahold of, made paying bills easy, and their customer service was on point. If I had questions or concerns, they never made me feel as though I was bothering them and welcomed and questions I might have. They are fair when it comes to charges and took great care of us while renting from one of their properties. I can't thank them enough and hope to use them again.

I couldn't give 0 stars, hands down the WORST customer service I have ever received while renting. Everyone is beyond sassy and unprofessional, no one can answer any questions, and their own internal mistakes have cost us so much additional money. Cannot wait to leave, if you have the ability to DO NOT rent from this company and do not use them as a third party to rent. Absolutely horrible

Me and other housemates have each tried calling 8-10 times to talk to an agent regarding a few questions about available properties over the span of a few days but end up having to leave a voicemail. It always goes to voicemail and there is never a returned call. I can't even imagine what renting from them is like if its impossible to speak to a human before signing a lease.

KJ the property manager is amazing!!!!! Anytime I had a problem she fixed it immediately. I can't say enough good things about her and the job she is doing. The property is located in a good area that is close to Deep Ellum and Lower Greenville. I have lived here for four years and plan on staying for many more.

They are very professional and any time we need anything they answer us back that very day. Great customer service. Would definitely recommend to anyone.

I've owned 4 homes and this is my first rental. I have rented with them for 3 years now. I've also been a property manager so I have much experience. I am very impressed with Open House. As far as maintenance goes, they couldn't be more prompt. In fact, they have been prompter than prompt. If it's a day wait, they end up coming the same day. Always a pleasure when that happens. We repair what we can but do sometimes need them. I would recommend them to anyone looking to rent. My ONLY problem is, I understand economics and that everything goes up but I wish my rent wouldn't go up every year. We have never been late or close to it. I wish there was a way to keep the rent the same for at least a couple of years.

Open House Property Management took over my lease. The experience has been positive and the transition was easy. Thank you for your professionalism.

Multiple (two) fireplaces to our rental home are rotten and need to be repaired properly. Open House is only willing to make minor repairs.
To whom it may concern,

Recently, it has been brought to our attention that the home we rent from Open House Property Management has repairs needing to be done to both existing fireplaces. However, Open House Property Management and the contractors they have hired out have informed us they will only be repairing one of the existing fireplaces (even though both have substantial issues). Unfortunately, the second fireplace has severe damage to the structure and is rotting out (see attached photos).

I have tried to contact *** (Lead Maintenance Coordinator of Open House Properly Management) on three separate occasions by phone to discuss these issues. However, she will only email me and has refused my attempts to discuss the issues in detail, as well as how we go about repairing the issue properly. All I can say is that we are confused and very flustered.

At this point, we are worried about the structural nature of this fireplace and our safety. This is not the first time someone has had to be called out to repair this particular fireplace. This was an add-on unit and not original to the home. This is the fireplace we use predominately in our home and it continues to rot, and as of right now no measures are going to be taken to fix it. We are worried about using this fireplace. There is a hole in the structure at the very top where small animals and insects can get in. We have already had WASPS come in from nesting in the fireplace where the very visible hole is.

Charged me a $50 application fee and ran my credit after the home was already secured by another party.
Applied for a home on 2/10/20 and was charged a $50 application fee. Tried multiple times to speak with someone in regards to the application status and no one would return my calls or emails. Home was no longer showing as active on Zillow, Realtor, or Trulia and when I checked Rently.com as of 2/16/20 at 6:00am, the home showed off the market. I called customer service on 2/16/20 and they told me someone from the main office would reach out to me the following day. On 2/17/20, the application was processed and denied despite the fact that the home was already reserved for someone else. I tried to communicate this to the company and they insist that I must be charged the fee despite the fact that it was already unavailable when they ran my application. They have asked if I want to put it towards another home but as I stated to them, there are no other homes that they have for rent that are compatible to my family's needs.

Ln, Carrollton, we were renters for 2 yrs. They are not refunding our full deposit they made up charges on their deposit deposition.
2/28/18 - Black Mold (took 2 months to remove after repeated delayed responses)
10/07/19 - Leaking Water Compressor in attic caused water damage. Have emails of delayed miscommunication after notifying of emergency repair.
2/15/20 - Received an email with our deposit deposition stating we are only receiving back $1,100 of our initial deposit of $1,600. We vacated the property on 1/30/20. They provided us a check list for move out. They charged us for items that were not on their check list. They charged us for mowing when my husband had mowers on 1/30/20 at the property while the movers were there. Their check list stated to not paint walls or trim unless instructed to. They did not tell us to paint. They charged us for painting walls.

They do not let you speak with Management. They claim the owners are in another country and are Asian.
Poor customer service. Delayed or no show on repairs. Have emails & pictures to prove house condition upon move-in including mold along with pictures of move out. They have other residents moving in therefore they are passing off those charges from a third party on us.

This company acquired my previous property management company then proceeded to raise my rent in for form of fees.
1/21/2020 was notified wri property management was moving to open house Texas/Atlanta.... Days later I was notified that in order to pay my rent I had to pay either 55 credit card fee or ACH fee. For the last 13 month I have paid the same way with my cc and this is the reason I agreed to re-sign my lease.....then I get a "utility" charge from the company....after days of calling I was able to reach someone at the leasing/renewal extension not property management....talk to the lady at 3:26 pm on 1/25/2020....talked to her regarding these new charges that have been attached to my account... has no clue what the utility charge was....and said I was more than happy to leave and not renew if I didnt want to pay 55 dollar credit cars fee. But even though she works in the department she has no clue if I am able to cancel the renewal (it has not taken effect yet)

This house was on the market for months so if the property management company or the owners would like to lose out on multiple month of rent then we would be happy to move down the street to a different property management company.