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Apartment Inequity!

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So, as many of you know, I recently moved in to an apartment closer to my workplace and the beach. YAY! I love the location, and the place itself isn't bad at all for the minimal rent that I pay. However, in the past month since I have been here I have met a few neighbors... all of whom I have found pay the same monthly rent that I do.

BUT, they have amenities in their apartments that I don't and it's ticking me off. For example, a dishwasher, ceiling fan in the bedroom, screen door at the front door, pergo-like flooring in the kitchen/foyer... and well, I feel cheated!

So I called the main office today about it, and asked why the inconsistency and could they make some concession in rent or amenities and here is what I was told in a nutshell.

Due to the age of the complex (built in the 70's) over the years the apartments have individually changed or been modified to include or disclude certain features. Whereas at one point those modifications may have been considered an 'upgrade', and are no longer charged for as such, that is why there is a discrepancy.

BUT, I also told the leasing agent when I moved in I was shown a model that featured those amenities and the only reason I didn't fuss about it upon move in was because I was told I was getting a special, discounted rate. Which turns out to be untrue.

So anyway, I am just venting about it... but it does piss me off because I feel like I was cheated. I told the girl it would make me extremely happy if they could just put a freaking screen door on my apartment so I can take advantage of the cool night air without the creepy crawlies coming in. She said she would look in to it, but most people have to buy their own door, pay to have it installed, and then leave it when their lease term is up.

Do you think I am overreacting and should just suck it up? Or should I continue to raise a stink and get my screen door? What type of rental issues or nightmares have you faced in the past? Do you think renter's insurance is a necessity when you live in an apartment? My location doesn't require it, but I am thinking about it, though I really don't have anything irreplaceable or of huge value. My computer, and my TV... that would be it.
 
I know Florida has some weird things about renting, but this is one tip I recommend for anyone anywhere. GET IT IN WRITING. SIGNED AND DATED. Notarized too if you know one off hand. If you are being told that you are getting a cheaper than usual rate, have it stated in paper as such. Thus when it is proven to not be by comparing to others, you are being cheated and legally in the right. There are a lot of things like this that get "thrown to the wayside" legally because if all you have is a verbal agreement, you're shit out of luck.
 
Gyoin said:
I know Florida has some weird things about renting, but this is one tip I recommend for anyone anywhere. GET IT IN WRITING. SIGNED AND DATED. Notarized too if you know one off hand. If you are being told that you are getting a cheaper than usual rate, have it stated in paper as such. Thus when it is proven to not be by comparing to others, you are being cheated and legally in the right. There are a lot of things like this that get "thrown to the wayside" legally because if all you have is a verbal agreement, you're shit out of luck.
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Great suggestion Gyoin. I think where I may have erred was in signing the leasing agreement at the walkthrough without raising a fuss at that time about the 'missing amenities'. So they have a legal document showing that I agreed to those terms.

I figured it couldn't hurt to call and at least appeal to their sensibilities of fairness. But if nothing comes of it, I can live without those features. Honestly I probably wouldn't use a dishwasher anyway, but the screen door and ceiling fan, most definitely. I like my neighbors a lot, so that's a plus of being in the building that I am in, and I guess when it comes to renew the lease (in 14 months, lol) I can try to renegotiate if they don't do anything to fix the situation now.

Thanks for reading, and for the sage advice.
 
Kismet said:
Great suggestion Gyoin. I think where I may have erred was in signing the leasing agreement at the walkthrough without raising a fuss at that time about the 'missing amenities'. So they have a legal document showing that I agreed to those terms.
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Yup, that's the finisher right there. Nothing you can do but abide by the agreement at hand. The second you sign anything, all talks of any negotiations or adjustments are out the window. They are legally in the right and, more or less, you got swindled by sweet talk and general smoke blowing.
 
Completely agree with Gyoin. Get it in writing. I am renting as well(looking at houses now), the main office here pretty much said the same thing to me. Luckily the ceiling fans were already in my apartment so i wouldn't have to sweat my ass off at night.

Keep pestering them. That's what i would do. Pester until they say "Fine, we will get the damn thing for you". If they don't it should make you feel better to take some anger out on them
 
i thought verbal agreements were still binding? Lieing is lieing and its worse that the contract they then got you to sign prevents you from having a leg to stand on in that regard. surely there is something you can do since it seems they have pulled a fast one on you and clearly know it. Seems to me they are operating on a "don't tell them they get it unless they ask" sort of sales principle. I mean if the price is still decent its fine but yeah understandable that you feel miffed at being given different to what everyone else has.
 
Valikar said:
i thought verbal agreements were still binding? Lieing is lieing and its worse that the contract they then got you to sign prevents you from having a leg to stand on in that regard. surely there is something you can do since it seems they have pulled a fast one on you and clearly know it. Seems to me they are operating on a "don't tell them they get it unless they ask" sort of sales principle. I mean if the price is still decent its fine but yeah understandable that you feel miffed at being given different to what everyone else has.
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The issue with verbal agreements is that they hold little to no validity in the court of law and are overwritten by written agreements... That sounded kinda funny actually.

But yeah, sadly all it comes down to is a "he said /she said" argument where neither side can be proven correct or incorrect, unless it's just outlandish beyond a doubt that no normal person would agree to it kinda thing. It has to be extreme. In this case, it's not a necessity, but a luxury item. Seeing as how she is still in the same complex, charging the same rate is adequate. There may be small differences, but the actual living space should be of similar size and same location. Extras are just that, extras. As long as your floor plan is within a relative similar size (open to interpretation), not much you can do about it.
 
ah well, its good to know for the future though i suppose. hopefully i remember this when i come round to looking at places so i know to ask.
It's a shame that places feel the need to do this though. Makes me a bit annoyed cause in my area of proffession i'm hoping to go into i would never get away with it even if i had the inclination. As the saying goes, you can spend a life time building up a reputation, only to have it ruined in a matter of moments.
 
I don't think there's much to add here, but I will anyway. *ponysmile:

Anything you want in an agreement needs to be hashed out before you sign for it and everything has to be in writing. A verbal agreement and handshake used to be enough, and technically those things are still binding. But gone are the days that lying and swindling are stigmatized in business. If people think they can get away with something, they will try and then brag about it to their friends.

One thing you might check on- some apartment complexes have a deal where if you make a significant, permanent improvement to the property (screen door, new windows or tile) they will lower your rent for a specified amount of time to help offset some of the cost. Many complexes do this because it encourages residents to improve the property, which benefits the apartment owners in the long run.
 
Thanks for all the feedback guys! I know I probably should have required those features up front before signing, but again, at the time, I thought I was getting a special rate because of those reduced features. I am still waiting for the main office to get back to me about the screen door and maybe they will be kind and install one. If not, then I definitely know next time before signing the lease to make sure everything is exactly what I expect. :)
 
I totally thought this was going to be a more macro-like discussion, but just the same...

That's shitty that the office wasn't straight with you, but that's the way of sales, in general. Hopefully they can get you the screen door. I would definitely make a stink about that one, for sure!
 
I do think you should be given a discount but growing up in apartments most my life, I know it is a difficult battle. I grew up in one apartment complex for the majority of my life, moved around to another apartment in the same complex in the span of almost ten years. All the apartments were rated the same but knowing plenty of friends and neighbors I found that most of the apartments were customized in some way or another. Done so by the tenants, whether it was a ceiling fan added, flooring changed, cabinets re-done, or anything else I saw, it was all done by the people living there. My best friend who had lived across from me, his dad even built a wall to separate the living room from the kitchen where all other apartments had just one large space opened up for both and re-did most the electric wiring, and added new flooring (amongst other stuff). The apartment looked so modern compared to most apartments. When they moved away, the apartment kept all that and is still given the same rates as everyone else.

Yeah, its true most apartments have it so that if you tamper with the original design of the apartment you must pay a fee and can even be kicked out. It's there way to protect against things as said above but low cost apartments or really old apartments tend to be a little more lenient if you ask the apartment manager in advance.

Again I don't think it's fair that the next tenant that moves in has a upgraded apartment than everyone else at the same cost but I guess you pay for what you agree to at the end. Sadly most apartments are as is, which is important to check everything when viewing an apartment. If there is anything you don't like, that the time for price negotiations. once signed it's hard to get them to bend the contract after, unless its something with utilities or property damage of that sort. it's good to see more than one apartment in the same complex and ask if there is a price difference.

Sorry it happened to you, I hope they can maybe resolve your issue.
 
Kismet said:
What type of rental issues or nightmares have you faced in the past?
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Many. I had an apartment with laundry in the basement and didn't have access to the switch to turn on the light (it was in the first floor apartment). Same apartment had improperly installed storm windows--our gas (heat) bill was something like 400 or 500 for three months in a row. I had an apartment with little orangey brown beetles that were everywhere, stopped playing in the middle of a GvG (looong time ago) to get one off my keyboard and kill it--couldn't get the owner to do anything about it.

I think the craziest living situation I've ever been in was when I rented a room at a house that was named Shambles. It was built in 1891 or something like that and had fallen into disrepair. The guy on the lease (John) had moved in when the house was missing part of a wall. He slept in a bathroom with his dog and an electric heater through a Pittsburgh winter while fixing up the house and that wall (he didn't pay rent during this time). There were three pitbulls in the house (very sweet dogs, but their owners didn't let them outside often enough). Nobody did dishes or cleaned anything (except me and the bf, really). There were nine people living in this house at one point. My room was huge, couldn't really hear what everyone else was doing, except when--not joking--John shot his pistol at something living in the wall. The basement was covered in spray paint and graffiti and had a bar--we threw parties down there. Best parties I've ever been to. We made over $800 profit once. My current female roommate visited me at that house once and asked me "Is this an abandoned house?". Craziest place I've ever lived. It was awesome and terrible and I would never do it again.

Kismet said:
Do you think renter's insurance is a necessity when you live in an apartment? My location doesn't require it, but I am thinking about it, though I really don't have anything irreplaceable or of huge value. My computer, and my TV... that would be it.
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I would get renter's insurance. If you don't have renter's insurance and something catastrophic happens (building burns down, for instance), the apartment complex most likely isn't liable for your stuff. Renter's insurance can often be bundled with car insurance and isn't very expensive, but if you lose everything they should cover a certain dollar amount to replace your stuff. Think about how much replacing your computer, TV, jewelry, clothing, furniture, etc would cost. If that cost wouldn't bother you or you think the odds of that are low enough that renter's insurance would cost you more in the long run, then don't get it. But figure out how long you'd have to have renter's insurance for it to cost more before making that decision.
 
And by renter's insurance not being very expensive, it can be as cheap as like 80 bucks for the year. Last time I checked for mine, that covered something like 25,000$ worth of property damage. That's a decent chunk.
 
Rhia Aryx said:
Shambles... It was awesome and terrible and I would never do it again.
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Wow Rhia, you are so adventurous, I love it! Not sure I could ever handle living communal style, but it seems pretty brave with missing walls, pit bulls, crazy parties... you should write a book about it, I would read it! LOL
Thanks for the input on renter's insurance from you and Gyoin. I'll call my insurance agent and see what they charge.
 
Insurance companies can be douchebags when it comes to claims (I know, I work for one), so it's a good idea to have an inventory list of all your stuff (at least the more expensive stuff) with some dated pictures, if possible. Updating once a year is fine, and having it will give insurance less squirmy room when settling a claim. They may try to pretend that the pile of ash on the floor was once a $90 TV/VCR combo and not a $1500 LCD.

The other reason you want renter's insurance is because the idiot that lives next door who leaves candles burning all day and night DOESN'T have insurance. So when they burn the place down, the owner is OK because the facility is insured, but you are screwed because all your stuff is gone and you have no one to sue that could actually pay you.

Note to my boss that monitors my internet use: I did not mean that OUR company is a douchebag. Only our competitors.
 
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