Red Tail Luxury Apartments

RE: Complaint ID #[redacted] To Whom It May Concern:
We are writing in response to the complaint received via mail on September 8, 2016. The Resident move out on June 21, 2016 has been forwarded to a collections agency for non-payment of balances owed. Typically collections agencies will add fees for...

processing and collection which may be added to the unpaid balances from Resident move outs.
 
This move out resulted in excessive damages beyond normal wear and tear. Due to the unusual nature and extent of the damages, our staff met with the Resident for two separate move out inspections to make sure the Resident was aware of the items that would need to be repaired/replaced as applicable. The initial walk through was completed with our Leasing Agent. Since this is not normally something she would be responsible for, the second walk through was accompanied by the Community Manager, Assistant Community Manager, Maintenance Manager and Assistant Maintenance Manager.
 
Due to the fact that we have limited time to process final move out paperwork, we initially sent out  final paperwork reflecting a full carpet and pad replacement which we believed would be necessary. We
scheduled a carpet inspection by a third party carpet restoration company and they were able to restore the carpet but needed to remove/replace damaged pad and re-seal the subflooring to prevent further damages. During this process, we kept the Resident informed and let her know that we would be working with a third party to make sure that our initial determination was correct. When we found out that the carpet was able to be restored, we adjusted the final billing and sent her the revised final account statement.
 
The condition of the apartment was fully documented with photos as well as an extensive secondary walk through with the resident. Unfortunately the cost of restoring the apartment to the condition at the commencement of the lease exceeded the amounts of deposit that the Resident had paid at the time of move in.
 
We are very cautious when charging Residents for damages. The refrigerator door was not just badly scratched but also had broken shelf guards which the Resident had taped together. The cost of replacing just the damaged areas would have been more expensive than replacing the full door and so we chose to go with the less expensive option for the Resident's benefit. The landscaping in the grass outside of the apartment had pet urine damage. Our lease clearly states that Residents agree to cover the cost of replaCing the damage that their pets cause inside and outside the apartments. The cost of the sod replacement far exceeded the modest $20 we charged.
 
As the first Resident to ever occupy the premises, there was no question that the Resident was responsible for the damages that were charged. At the commencement of the lease, the Resident was notified of her responsibilities to maintain and clean the apartment. During the secondary move out inspection that I attended, the Resident said on numerous occasions that the reason she was renting is so she didn't have to do any maintenance or pay for repairs. Our lease clearly outlines the Resident's responsibilities for maintenance and restoration costs if damages exceed normal wear and tear.
 
At the time of notice, we routinely inform Residents that they are responsible for cleaning their apartment including a professional carpet clean. As a service, we offer to take care of these things and quote the following pricing for a two bedroom, two bathroom apartment:
 
                  Basic Apartment Clean: $125
                  Basic Carpet Shampoo: $79
We also remind them that they will have final utility catch up billing as well as be responsible for any damages/cleaning in excess. For our pet owners, we remind them that the carpet and in the apartment will be thoroughly inspected·for damages and they may be responsible for a carpet replacement. Typically the main reason for a carpet replacement is urine damage but we also outline in our lease agreement that additional reasons could be related to chewing, odor, dander, etc that cannot be removed/repaired or remediated.
 
I hope that this lends some insight into why we charged the amounts that were outlined on the Resident final account statement. We truly appreciate having our Residents at our community and try to provide an exceptional housing experience. Unfortunately, we also need to keep our Residents accountable to their responsibilities when the apartments are not cared for and are misused.
 
 
                 Thank you,
 
                 Megan H[redacted]
                   Community Manager
Red Tail Luxury Apartments