Valdez & Associates

In response to tenants rejection, wherein she claims she was unaware she needed to clean the property, including professionally cleaning the carpet and fireplace Attached please find the move out letter and cleaning checklist mailed July 1, During her lease signing, she was told what was required to obtain her deposit back at the end of her tenancy.Also attached is the third page of her lease paragraph Obligations of Tenant clearly states:A Tenant must keep the Property clean and safe and deliver the Property in the same condition as when the Term began, ordinary wear and tear accepted "Ordinary wear and tear" does not include uncleanliness.Paragraph Repairs & Maintenance by Tenant states:Tenant shall be responsible for professional steam cleaning of carpets and professional sweeping of chimney, upon termination of the rental agreement and as needed during the term of the rental agreement.Photos of the condition of the property upon her move out taken the day she turned in her keys are attached They show she made no effort to clean when she moved out and was in non-compliance of her lease agreement.Cleaning necessary upon her move out included: dirty walls, webs and dead bugs on walls, dirty cabinets inside and out, drawers dirty and not wiped out, dirty heat vents, dirty blinds, dirty sinks in Kitchen and bathrooms, dirty tub and shower, dirty toilets and sinks, dirty stove, dirty fridge, dirty fireplace and fireplace hearth, dirty carpets among other things.Our procedure dictates all properties are cleaned prior to tenants move in and according to our lease they are expected to be cleaned when tenants move out If tenants opt not to clean, we must proceed with cleaning as necessary This property was clean and move in ready and she made no claim otherwise at that time All tenants are provided with a move in condition report to note problems with the property at the time they move in This tenant completed and signed a condition report, it did not list anything dirty except the windows I did note this and already agreed to reimburse three hours for window cleaning.This tenant sent a few photos that depict discoloration of the vinyl floor and some scratches on wood window ledges All imperfections were present when she viewed the home prior to signing her lease and moving in and are not items she was charged for.Valdez & Associates, Incagreed to reimburse the tenant for three hours of cleaning and will make no further concessions.All appropriate procedures were followed in accordance with the law and all necessary proof is in place.Thank you for your consideration.Sincerely,Samantha LM***

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because: I would like to start off with acknowledging that yes, I do believe I was given the exact same opportunities and treatment as all other tenants can expect to receiveI also don’t think my own ignorance is any reason for me to receive my money backI do think that your methods lend themselves to poor business practice, and that’s why I’ve chosen the Revdex.com as the platform to make my complaint knownMy complaint is extremely simpleIn the move out letter, as you say, it clearly states that additional cleaning will be billed at $per hourAccording to your own admission and to what BWest told me on the phone, it took a little over hours for the cleaning crew to clean my apartmentThis makes it extremely obvious in my eyes, that I have every reason to expect to pay for just over hours of work @ $per hourYou insist the right to bill me for hours because there were people on the cleaning crew, however, the move out letter made no mention of an additional charge for each member of the cleaning crewTherefore, I have every right to expect that you return to me half of what I was charged for cleaning, because I was billed beyond what was stated in the move out letterFurthermore, expecting gratitude for not being charged for the damages you mentioned is ridiculous and insultingYou chose not to charge me for those damages, and that was your decisionI have no reason to think I should have to pay for damages I didn’t cause and I have no intention of being grateful that I’m not being billed for themIt’s like me expecting you to be grateful I didn’t demand that you refund the entirety of my deposit because I did some cleaningI’m not going to insult you by implying that you shouldn’t be entitled to at least some portion of it to cover the cost of sending your cleaning crewYou felt it was necessary to send a cleaning crew to polish up the apartment and have every reason to expect me to pay for thatI am humble enough to acknowledge that I might not have professional grade cleaning skills, and therefore am willing to accept that some cleaning may have been necessaryI don’t believe it should have taken people hours to clean an square foot apartmentI don’t believe that the cleaning crew is paid $per hour, or that they use enough cleaning supplies to justify the difference between their hourly pay and the rate I was chargedI do believe Valdez & Associates retains a portion of the $per hour rate as profit, which is a blatant misuse of a security deposit, which is retained for the sole purpose of paying for damages and/or necessary cleaning, and specifically not intended to be kept in any amount as profitDespite all of that, I am exercising restraint, accepting that this is how you’ve chosen to conduct your business, and only asking for what is rightfully mine, based on the wording in your own documents Regards, [redacted] ***[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, the consumer must give a reason why they are rejecting the responseIf the consumer does not provide a reason the complaint will be closed Answered]

I reviewed Mr*** complaint and understand his frustration. Becky spoke with him on the phone regarding the same concerns about his cleaning and sent several photos to show what was found during the move out inspection. It was clear Mr*** did make an effort to clean, however,
there were items not cleaned properly. The cleaning check list provided is very clear and detailed regarding what we will look for and what's expected to be cleaned. This includes pulling appliances out, cleaning behind, cleaning and de-greasing cabinets etc...The photos show the drawers and cabinets were not wiped out, the windows were not cleaned nor were the blinds. As explained on the telephone, these are time consuming tasks. Although Mr*** made an effort to clean sinks, toilet and tub, they were not cleaned well enough and our cleaning crew had to clean them again. The photos depict urine stains and other spots proving they were not cleaned properly. We did not charge Mr*** double, he was charged $per hour for hours as stated, two people at hours each is hours at $30.00. He clearly knew after reading the move out letter provided, this would be the chargeHe acknowledged receiving the letter and check list. What Mr*** did not acknowledge were other damages he was not charged for, including a broken window and door damage to one of the bedroom doors. However, after further consideration and in good faith given the effort Mr*** made to clean, we have decided to reimburse hours cleaning and will provide a check to Mr*** once he agrees and closes the complaint with the Revdex.com.Valdez & Associates, wishes you well and thanks you for your tenancy.Regards,Samantha M***

The response received from Mr*** regarding our offer to reimburse hours of cleaning is disappointing. Mr*** was given the same opportunity all tenants are given during move in and move out. He was provided a condition report upon move in and had every opportunity to note any damage seen that he felt he could be blamed for and asked to note that on the reportEven the smallest of items should have been noted as very clearly explained during his lease signingThe same goes for his move out. Mr*** was provided a move out letter detailing how the process would unfold and what to expect as well as a cleaning checklist showing what and how everything should be cleaned. Trying to claim he was "naive" when all that was necessary was reading documents and and following step by step instructions is not a reason to ask for money back.Mr***s condition report did not note damage to the bedroom door, wall damage in closet or a broken window. He should be grateful he was not charged for those items.He appears to have an issue with the number of cleaners and the charge of $per hour. The cleaning charge was clearly stated in the cleaning checklist wherein it states he will be charge $per hour for cleaning. Again, it took hours to clean the apartment, regardless of the number of cleaners it would have been hours for one person or hours each for two people the bottom line is the same at hours times $30.00.As stated in our first response to his claim, we were offering a reimbursement to show good faith given the effort we saw with him "attempting" to clean. The fact still remains, it was not cleaned properly and we were forced to send and pay our cleaning crew. If Mr*** does not want the hour reimbursement, that is his choice. We will not offer more than that. Thank you for your consideration, Samantha M***

To whom it may concern:In response to this complaint regarding the tenant's deposit, all information necessary to bring the property back to move in ready prior to her move out was provided She was sent a move out letter and a move out check list to follow The lease she signed clearly
states tenant responsibilities, wherein tenant agrees to professionally clean carpets and fireplace upon move out Valdez & Associates, Incresponded to her dispute via e-mail and provided receipts from the previous tenants showing they hired professionals to clean the carpet and fireplace in accordance with the lease V & A hired different companies to complete this work, therefore, those charges are different The receipts were provided to show proof it was done prior to her move in.Upon review of her condition report, it does show she noted the windows were not clean and she will be reimbursed that cost All other cost for cleaning, removing items, carpet cleaning and fireplace cleaning will stand.Photographic evidence, receipts and move out letters are in place and will be provided if necessary to show she did not clean when she moved out B*** regards, Samantha LM***

Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because:As stated in my original complaint, I have chosen not to take issue with what needed cleaning or didn'tI have no pictures to back up my claims, a lesson I've learned the hard wayI will state though, of the pictures I received, most showed signs of age rather than uncleanlinessIn the picture which I'm told depicts urine stains on the toilet, all I see are rust stains clearly surrounding the screws in the toilet seatOther pictures display similar signs of age rather than dirtYet I don't want to argue over this point because it quickly devolves in to my word against the company'sIf you would like to spend the time and effort to take pictures of the apartment now, after it's been cleaned to give a basis for reference I would be happy to review themThey won't change the true nature of my complaint howeverIf I was informed that I would be charged $per hour, and the job took hours, then I should be charged for hours, regardless of how many people it took to complete the workif the intention is to charge $per hour per person, or $per man hour, then it should be stated as such.Additionally, pointing out that there were damages to the apartment which I wasn't billed for doesn't change my feelings on the subjectI was not responsible for the damage and I believe that I wasn't charged for it because you know I wasn't responsible for itUpon signing the lease I was given an inspection form and told to look the unit over, document any existing damage, and return the formI was also warned that anything not documented by me in this inspection would be considered new damage and I would be held liable for itThis was the first time I had rented an apartment and I am by no means an experienced property inspectorI did my best to be thorough but I'm sure my untrained eye did miss things someone who does this for a living wouldn'tI didn't document the patched hole in the wall because I assumed, since it was patched, it didn't count as damageI figured the fact that not all the doors closed right was due to the age of the building, rather than damageI'm almost positive that I mentioned the cracked window in the kitchen, the missing trim in the closet and the various rips in the carpetRegardless of what I did or didn't document, I feel that placing the burden of inspection on my shoulders is inclined towards the shadier side of the businessEach unit is inspected following the move out of each tenant and theoretically a detailed record of the unit's condition is made at that timeSince it is left unoccupied until the next tenant signs their lease and moves in, there should be no significant change in the condition of the unit except when repairs are made, in which case I presume a second inspection is made to ensure the quality and completion of the workI fail to understand why my inspection form, filled out by an untrained eye, is used as the basis for establishing new damage versus oldTo me it seems that the inspection conducted following the move out of the previous tenant should be more than sufficient for establishing any damage that may have been caused during my tenancy.The fact is that I was naive, and that allowed me to be taken advantage ofI was a first time renter, and I didn't really know what I should expectI didn't question why I was performing the move in inspection, I didn't take pictures, I didn't insist on completing the move out inspection with the property manager before I handed over the keys, I didn't do a lot of things I should have, and will do in the futureYet, in my eyes, I shouldn't have to be looking out for my backside constantly, just in case the company decides they want a slightly bigger portion of my deposit than they're fairly entitled toIf the unit was unfit for immediate move in, and a cleaning crew needed to polish it up; fine, I'll payI agreed to as much when I signed the lease and I see it as perfectly justifiableI disagree with the length of time it took to clean, but I wasn't there and I can't speak to the efficiency of the cleaning crewI argue over the way in which the time I'm financially responsible for is being representedI'm also drawing attention to the rate at which it is billed, which seems excessive, particularly when I'm being charged that much, per workerI'm am willing to settle the dispute for $194.97, which is half of the amount I was billed for cleaning, and what I see as the fair price based on information I received in the move out letter and the actual time I was told it took to clean the apartment
Regards,
*** ***[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, the consumer must give a reason why they are rejecting the responseIf the consumer does not provide a reason the complaint will be closed Answered]

Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because:#17
Regards,
*** *** [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, the consumer must give a reason why they are rejecting the responseIf the consumer does not provide a reason if he complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because: It is not truePlease ask Valdez to provide the photos they took, regarding the claims they have madeI am happy to forward all photos and emails I have sent to Becky W***Those photos, along with my photos will clearly prove the apt was not clean at my move in Also, no mention was ever made that the fireplace or the carpets would need to be cleaned at move out.
Regards,
*** *** [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, the consumer must give a reason why they are rejecting the responseIf the consumer does not provide a reason if he complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

In response to tenants rejection, wherein she claims she was unaware she needed to clean the property, including professionally cleaning the carpet and fireplace.  Attached please find the move out letter and cleaning checklist mailed July 1, 2015.  During her lease signing, she was told what was required to obtain her deposit back at the end of her tenancy.Also attached is the third page of her lease paragraph 14 Obligations of Tenant clearly states:A.  Tenant must keep the Property clean and safe and deliver the Property in the same condition as when the Term began, ordinary wear and tear accepted.  "Ordinary wear and tear" does not include uncleanliness.Paragraph 15 Repairs & Maintenance by Tenant states:Tenant shall be responsible for professional steam cleaning of carpets and professional sweeping of chimney, upon termination of the rental agreement and as needed during the term of the rental agreement.Photos of the condition of the property upon her move out taken the day she turned in her keys are attached.  They show she made no effort to clean when she moved out and was in non-compliance of her lease agreement.Cleaning necessary upon her move out included:  dirty walls, webs and dead bugs on walls, dirty cabinets inside and out, drawers dirty and not wiped out, dirty heat vents, dirty blinds, dirty sinks in Kitchen and bathrooms, dirty tub and shower, dirty toilets and sinks, dirty stove, dirty fridge, dirty fireplace and fireplace hearth, dirty carpets among other things.Our procedure dictates all properties are cleaned prior to tenants move in and according to our lease they are expected to be cleaned when tenants move out.  If tenants opt not to clean, we must proceed with cleaning as necessary.  This property was clean and move in ready and she made no claim otherwise at that time.  All tenants are provided with a move in condition report to note problems with the property at the time they move in.  This tenant completed and signed a condition report, it did not list anything dirty except the windows.  I did note this and already agreed to reimburse three hours for window cleaning.This tenant sent a few photos that depict discoloration of the vinyl floor and some scratches on wood window ledges.  All imperfections were present when she viewed the home prior to signing her lease and moving in and are not items she was charged for.Valdez & Associates, Inc. agreed to reimburse the tenant for three hours of cleaning and will make no further concessions.All appropriate procedures were followed in accordance with the law and all necessary proof is in place.Thank you for your consideration.Sincerely,Samantha L. M[redacted]

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: I would like to start off with acknowledging that yes, I do believe I was given the exact same opportunities and treatment as all other tenants can expect to receive. I also don’t think my own ignorance is any reason for me to receive my money back. I do think that your methods lend themselves to poor business practice, and that’s why I’ve chosen the Revdex.com as the platform to make my complaint known. My complaint is extremely simple. In the move out letter, as you say, it clearly states that additional cleaning will be billed at $30 per hour. According to your own admission and to what B. West told me on the phone, it took a little over 6 hours for the cleaning crew to clean my apartment. This makes it extremely obvious in my eyes, that I have every reason to expect to pay for just over 6 hours of work @ $30 per hour. You insist the right to bill me for 12 hours because there were 2 people on the cleaning crew, however, the move out letter made no mention of an additional charge for each member of the cleaning crew. Therefore, I have every right to expect that you return to me half of what I was charged for cleaning, because I was billed beyond what was stated in the move out letter. Furthermore, expecting gratitude for not being charged for the damages you mentioned is ridiculous and insulting. You chose not to charge me for those damages, and that was your decision. I have no reason to think I should have to pay for damages I didn’t cause and I have no intention of being grateful that I’m not being billed for them. It’s like me expecting you to be grateful I didn’t demand that you refund the entirety of my deposit because I did some cleaning. I’m not going to insult you by implying that you shouldn’t be entitled to at least some portion of it to cover the cost of sending your cleaning crew. You felt it was necessary to send a cleaning crew to polish up the apartment and have every reason to expect me to pay for that. I am humble enough to acknowledge that I might not have professional grade cleaning skills, and therefore am willing to accept that some cleaning may have been necessary. I don’t believe it should have taken 2 people 6 hours to clean an 800 square foot apartment. I don’t believe that the cleaning crew is paid $30 per hour, or that they use enough cleaning supplies to justify the difference between their hourly pay and the rate I was charged. I do believe Valdez & Associates retains a portion of the $30 per hour rate as profit, which is a blatant misuse of a security deposit, which is retained for the sole purpose of paying for damages and/or necessary cleaning, and specifically not intended to be kept in any amount as profit. Despite all of that, I am exercising restraint, accepting that this is how you’ve chosen to conduct your business, and only asking for what is rightfully mine, based on the wording in your own documents.
Regards,
[redacted][To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, the consumer must give a reason why they are rejecting the response. If the consumer does not provide a reason the complaint will be closed Answered]