Complaint Review: Autumn Chase Apartments - Vancouver Washington

 I feel like I have been diliberately deceived.  In December 2012 I approached Heather the Autumn Chase Apartment complex manager and informed her that money was very tight and I simply couldn't afford to pay additional rent.  I informed Heather if my rent was going to increase please let me know and would move to another apartment complex and take advantage of the move in special and she could offer someone a move in special to rent the apartment I would be vacating.  I invited Heather to review my rent payment history and I was sure she could see for herself that I always pay my rent early, sometimes several weeks in advance and there were no black marks against me as I had always strived to be a model tennant and kept to myself.  I also pointed out that I travel regualarly for work and therefore have much lower usage of the appliances in the apartment than people who live there 365 days per year. During this conversation Heather agreed to check with her Regional Manager and ask if I could keep my rent at the same $600.00 per month.  I checked back in January 2013 and she still didn't have an answer for me.  I checked back in February and she had received approval to keep my rent at $600.00 per month for the next lease. I had at least 4 conversations face to face conversations with Heather in which I verified that my rent would not increase and continue to be only $600.00 per month. I asked Heather several times for a new lease so that I could go ahead and renew my lease for the $600.00 apartment rent but each time I was told she couldn't do that until it was closer to the time of my lease to expire. I also asked Heather to put a note in my file stating that she agreed to keep my rent at it's current level and she said she would.  I then asked Heather if she would at least email my lease to me and gave her my email address and she agreed to do so...I never received a lease renewal offer via email from her or anyone else at Autumn Chase Apartments.   

On Monday May 13, 2013 I spoke to Carlos an office employee and asked to speak to Heather and asked about the status of my lease and was told that she was on vacation and wouldn't be available until Wednesday.  I asked Carlos what the status of my lease renewal was and he informed me that the rent would go up  over $40.00 per month...ouch!  A forty dollar increase isn't the same as keeping my rent at $600.00 per month. I asked Carlos to check my file and verify that Heather had put a note in my file that my rent would remain the same, he told me he could find no note indicating that I would not have to pay a rent increase.  Heather had previously told me she had placed a note in my file that showed they had agreed to keep my rent the same $600.00 that I was paying. On Wednesday May 15, 2013 I drove over 150 miles each way from where I was working to sign a new lease after talking to Natalie who said Heather told her that my rent would stay the same, $600.00 per month. When I arrived at the apartment complex office and reviewed the new lease I expressed surprise and concern that the new lease had a new monthly rental rate that was higher than my previous rent and noticed that they had inserted a two month rent penalty, $1,230.00 if I break the lease which had previously been a one month penalty. I asked Natalie to contact Heather and told her about my numerous conversations with Heather in which she told me my rent would remain at $600.00 for the next lease. Heather talked to Natalie on the phone and said that I would have to pay more... how can I ever trust them again? Maybe the fact that they don't keep their word has caused them to become desperate and insist on a two month early move out provision because people don't like doing business with people who don't keep their word?  I have lived at the same complex for six years and it has gone down hill since the new company bought the property and replaced the previous management team that was there. The previous management team was always honest and had impecable integrity.  On May 15, 2013 I signed the new lease for only 10 months instead of 12 months and faxed in my Notice Of Intention To Vacate at the end of the lease on the same day my lease was signed because it was impossible for me to find a new place to move and move in one day and it was also impossible to give them a 20 day notice due to their systematically putting me off and refusing to provide me with a new lease early.  I am now convinced that after looking back they never intended to keep my rent at $600.00 per month.

Since the new company has taken over, it appears to me the qualtiy of new tennants has gone down in general and I no longer feel safe outside of the apartment.  The previous property management company always had good tennants and I always felt safe at the complex. Additionally the previous company had lots of little extras like free dvds tennants could check and new movies arrived every month.  I really miss the previous company's management team and I am looking forward to finding a new apartment complex to spend the next several years in.

If you you are looking for an apartment in Vancouver Washington I would suggest you don't even consider Autumn Chase Apartments if you expect people to keep their word. What's up with the 2 month's early move out penalty? Additionlly, it is simply unjust to be forced to subsidize the water bills of other tennants when I travel regularly and simply don't use any water for months at a time. I am sure there are landlords in Vancouver Washington that value model tennants and that will keep their word and I intend to find one before my current lease expires on March 31, 2104. I won't be deceived a second time.