Complaint Review: AIMCO - Alexandria Virginia

After reading several negative reviews about Key Towers and other AIMCO property move-out procedures, especially concerning the refund of security deposits, I pursued action a bit further. 

Management at Key Towers tried several times to deny us a refund of our pet fee after our cat was no longer living with us and we provided the proper notification.  We were charged for a full month, when the cat was with us for 15 days of the month.  This was the least of the problems.

The more important AIMCO practice that I would like to highlight is its use of "fine print," where policies are not communicated in the initial lease/contract, but then forced upon its clients at the end of the deal.  This is extortion.  I would propose that everyone that has ever dealt with AIMCO consider coming together to form a class action lawsuit against the company to get these practices changed and to receive reimbursement for funds that were illegally withheld from them.  I have read numerous reviews of peoples' security deposit being withheld without clear reasons as to why, such as itemized deductions.  I am currently experiencing a situation, where the property manager at Key Towers attempted to mandate that my roommate and I pay for an outside, professional, carpet cleaning service and then provide receipt of this as a necessary step to receive our full security deposit.

The contract that we signed upon moving in, stated that we had to abide by move out procedures, which were not detailed, and also stated that the apartment should be returned in the same condition as it was rented to us aside from normal wear and tear.  In my past experience, normal wear and tear would cover any natural carpet wear, and as long as regular vacuuming of the carpets and maintenance to care for any spills or possible stains, then a professional cleaning would not be necessary.   I pointed out that this practice was an act of extortion, and after contacting the company's lawyer, management finally backed off this point to a degree.  Although, they have still stated that as long as they don't identify a need for further cleaning, we will be okay, so I am expecting deductions for this either way, especially based off of reading other peoples' reviews. 

Furthermore, my roommate and I provided notice on June 17th that we would not be renewing our lease that ended on August 15th.  First off, let me preface this point with the fact that we were never provided a copy of our lease, despite two requests for it around the time of our initial move in date.  Furthermore, we were not notified of the need for 60 days, but we banked on it just in case.  If you take the time to look at a calendar, you will notice that the dates mentioned cover a 60 day notice, if one counts the day of the notice, and the final day of our lease, as well as the assumed 31st day in July.  Again, Key Tower management and AIMCO came back with a twist.  Apparently, AIMCO only considers a month 30 days, despite the reality.  Another nice piece of "fine print" to be made aware of as the client, and something that should be included in the contract.  I am now trying to fight a $106.00 additional charge that is being added onto our August rent. 

Other minor complaints with this company include the practice of charging for parking when parking cannot be guaranteed in the lot.  This began as a nominal fee of $5/month, but we entered this agreement expecting the reserved spaces to stay approximately as they were, which is what we were told by property management upon signing the contract.  Well, after four or five changes in management in less than a year, this policy definitely didn't stick, and pretty soon the majority of the lot was reserved spaces, which costs $30/month.  I'm already paying over $1,000.00 for a one bedroom apartment in a sub-par complex.  Why in the world, should I have to pay an additional $30 to be guaranteed some kind of parking in my complex lot?

Lastly, upon the final walk through for our move-in, I questioned the renovation of the kitchen, as we were supposed to be getting new carpeting, which wasn't anything to brag about when it was done.  One of the property managers agreed that the kitchen renovation would be fine, and she added this  to the contract, and we both signed.  In my experience, this is a legal binding contract.  But, apparently the other manager had the authority to override this agreement, and we were denied our kitchen renovation.

I feel that those with similar complaints and experiences that fringe on or explicitly fall into those areas of illegal practices should gather to form a class action lawsuit against AIMCO to get these practices and policies changed, so that residents of apartment complexes, like Key Towers, can stop being taken advantage- our pockets emptied for the greed of a corporate giant.  I don't know about the rest of you, but I take care of my residence and depend on that security deposit to secure a place to live the following year.  I wonder how many people find themselves on the verge of homelessness because of these unethical practices?