Lease-Signing Pressure Intensifies
Oppenheimer Properties, one of A2’s biggest landlords, has sent out the following letter to at least some of its tenants (excerpts quoted verbatim):
We realize that it may seem early to start thinking of future living arrangements. However, we’ve already been receiving calls from some of you and from other interested parties about leasing for the 2006-2007 school year. It is always our hope that our Tenants are comfortable where they are and would like to continue living in our properties. In order to ensure that you have priority over the prospective Tenants, we need to begin the renewal process now.
…
If you are renewing, please contact our office promptly to sign a renewal lease. Which ever way you decide, please mail this form to us to the address below. IF WE DO NOT HEAR FROM YOU BY 10/21/05 IT WILL BE ASSUMED YOUR APARTMENT/HOUSE WILL BE AVAILABLE TO LEASE FOR THE 2006/2007 SCHOOL YEAR.
If only some of the tenants — sorry, Tenants — in an apartment are renewing, they’re expected to provide the names of their housemates for next year. So much for “needing to decide on housing in October is a myth.”
“So much for “needing to decide on housing in October is a myth.” ”
It *is* a myth. My wife and I are now on our 12th lease in Ann Arbor. We’ve gotten a letter like that every year, and replied with “sorry, we don’t know yet” almost every time (maybe every time, I don’t remember). They bug us about it again in the spring. It’s never caused any problems. Our current landlord often offers “early bird specials” which appear to be available only if you sign early, but in practice they’ve always offered them again in the spring without our even needing to ask.
posted by Bruce Fields on October 4th, 2005 at 7:10 amBruce, maybe you’re lucky, but I woudn’t assume that’s the case for all landlords. I don’t know if it’s legal, but they are definitely implying that AAIO & housemates will have the apartment rented out from under them if they don’t commit.
Last time I encountered this pressure, I told them on the phone that I’d take it, then kept “forgetting” to send back the form. I was able to get out of the lease when I got a job, and they were able to rent the apartment, so it all worked out (but they were pissed. It was Cappo).
posted by Anna on October 4th, 2005 at 7:59 amI live in Ypsilanti, and our lease ends in May, so we generally get a similar letter around January or so, which like Bruce says above, you can usually drag your feet on a bit.
One odd thing our letters always contain, though, is a three-paragraph essay on the horrors of moving- complete with phrases like “Those heavy boxes you have to lift!” , “Coming up with a new security deposit!”, “Looking for a new place is hard!” , “ALL THE HASSLE!”; I usually find that to be much more insulting to my intelligence than being asked a few months early what my plans are.
I should add, though, that some years when we’ve tried to stall the landlords, they have actually showed our apartment as a ‘potentially available unit’ to prospective tenants, which I think is possibly a calculated attempt to harass us into signing more quickly to avoid the loss of privacy.
posted by brett on October 4th, 2005 at 8:31 amThis letter was sent to an Oppenheimer Properties tenant I know, not me, by the way. But apartments really do get rented out from under people.
posted by ann arbor is overrated on October 4th, 2005 at 9:14 am“… they are definitely implying that AAIO & housemates will have the apartment rented out from under them if they don’t commit.”
Yes, they like to imply that, but all they actually say outright is that they want you to respond. So respond and say “I don’t know”. If you’re really worried, you can try asking them to check with you before they rent it out from under you.
Landlords obviously like to have leases signed well ahead of time, but they also don’t like to have to find new tenants if they don’t have to. In the worst case, if they do rent it out from under you in November without telling you, you’ll have no trouble finding a new place later (there’s always stuff coming on the market), hopefully with a more reasonable landlord.
“I should add, though, that some years when we’ve tried to stall the landlords, they have actually showed our apartment as a ‘potentially available unit’ to prospective tenants, which I think is possibly a calculated attempt to harass us into signing more quickly to avoid the loss of privacy.”
I actually had a landlord claim he was considering our apartment for his daughter, and have her come through and look at it. That’s one landlord I’m happy to have nothing to do with any more. So, yes, it sounds like a ploy to me.
posted by Bruce Fields on October 4th, 2005 at 10:04 amThis form also has boxes to check for tenants to indicate their decision, and while a savvy recipient might think to leave it blank and stall for as long as possible, it’s unreasonable to expect undergrads, who are often barred as tenants by certain landlords, to refuse to bow to this kind of pressure tactic and decide that they’re willing to deal with the possibility of being forced to move next year. And finding a more reasonable landlord is great, but those are often the same ones that don’t rent to undergrads — and if Oppenheimer’s actions are typical of big property owners, probably few and far between.
posted by ann arbor is overrated on October 4th, 2005 at 10:10 amAlso, this letter pretty much disproves the idea that early lease pressure is entirely “market-driven”, the result of students assuming that everyone else is already looking for a house and pressuring landlords into letting them sign a lease in the fall.
posted by ann arbor is overrated on October 4th, 2005 at 10:17 amI got a similar letter from Ann Arbor Realty. It stated that I should sign up for housing now to secure my lease for next year. It also stated that if I did not do this now my rent could go from the current rate of $550 up to $695. Awesome scare tactic. I’ve lived in A2 for the past ten years, but this is the first time I’ve ventured into the student ghetto. This is just an added bonus of a townie living in the social experiment that is the student ghetto.:) On another note I was a summer sublet in the same building in Apt. 1. I ended up having to stay here and asked my landlord if the apartment was available still knowing that they had shown it a day or two before. They told me no that it had been rented out the october before. Righhhhhhht, that’s why they were still showing it. The apartment across the hall was open so I ended up moving in there. It good to know they are perpetuating their own hype. Hurry up get your shitty apartments now, god knows there aren’t any more out there!! I still see numerous rentla postings where I live now. Don’t rush to rent.
posted by Uniqueolive on October 4th, 2005 at 10:55 amOh — by the way, I checked “yes” on the little form, I just didn’t sign the lease. The form is not a legally binding document.
posted by Anna on October 4th, 2005 at 11:14 amuniqueolive, would you be willing to talk with a Daily reporter about your experience with AA Realty? if so, e-mail me at fresard@michigandaily.com. that goes for anyone else who has an experience they’d like to share.
posted by donn on October 4th, 2005 at 12:32 pm“it’s unreasonable to expect undergrads, who are often barred as tenants by certain landlords, to refuse to bow to this kind of pressure tactic and decide that they’re willing to deal with the possibility of being forced to move next year.”
Well, we need to educate undergraduates. And new renters in general–I’d rented before when I first arrived here for grad school, but I wasn’t used to the local market, and this sort of advice would have been helpful to me too.
Personally as an undergraduate I usually spent a significant part of the summer at home, and moved someplace different every fall. I may have been at one end of the spectrum–other undergraduates have more stuff. But on average, compared to older tenants, I’d've expected undergraduates to have an easier time walking away from a landlord. I’ve got a lot more crap to move these days….
“And finding a more reasonable landlord is great, but those are often the same ones that don’t rent to undergrads — and if Oppenheimer’s actions are typical of big property owners, probably few and far between.”
My current landlord is CMB, which seems to be one of the larger local student landlords. They send a letter vaguely like the above in October or November, also suggesting that early signers will get special incentives (lower rent or whatever). In practice we’ve had no trouble getting the same deal several months later–no special tricks, we just tell them we don’t know yet but to let us know before they really need to rent it to someone else.
posted by Bruce Fields on October 4th, 2005 at 1:44 pmWe just got one of those letters from Madison Properties - “if you want to renew your lease at the current rate, please respond within 1 month.” I think our response is going to include a review of currently vacant properties around town and a counter-offer of 10% or so below our current rent.
I encourage others to do the same - maybe this is a group action project New West Side can undertake?
posted by Murph. on October 4th, 2005 at 2:31 pmYes, they really do rent houses out from other people. The year after I moved out of a grad student house, friends who still lived there got a similar letter. They didn’t respond by the deadline (the rent was 15% higher than the previous year and they were still discussing it), the management company showed the house the day after that, and leased it out from under them on the 2nd day subsequent. They figured it was because the management company wanted to rent to undergrads, who will generally pay more in rent and demand less upkeep. Last time I went by the house (this happened in 2001), the house had undergrads living in it and looked horrible…
posted by Lisa on October 4th, 2005 at 2:38 pmI am in no way affiliated with any landlord or management company, but I just wanted to say my last landlords were really cool (http://www.michcomrealty.com). They asked me maybe a month beforehand about re-signing a lease and when I got the opportunity to move where I am now, with 10 months left on the lease I had just signed with them, they said no sweat, we’ll re-rent the place. And they did. I got my entire deposit back and no hassle. They were quickly responsive to maintenance issues too.
This is in direct contrast to the jerkoffs at a hydra-headed company known either as All State Management or Alliance, out of East Lansing, who are actually suing me over a petty lease issue dating back over a year. I don’t know if they have any properties around Ann Arbor, but I would strongly advise people to live in a cardboard box before signing any lease with these dishonest bloodsuckers. They are truly the scum of the earth.
posted by Dave on October 4th, 2005 at 2:57 pmCappo had the same deal going, but since my friend let some people look at the apartment, that constituted “agreeing not to renew”, even though they never signed the sheet.
So much for opportunity to resign a lease even before the damn deadline.
Madison, my superfun landlord for last year, just charged me $100 for trash removal. The trash that was in the city-designated recepticle outside the door. Was I supposed to illegally dump it in a UM dumpster? Damn, I’m confused.
posted by Jen on October 4th, 2005 at 4:35 pmHoly shit! Madison did the *exact* same thing to me! $100 for trash removal and $200 for mysterious “bulk items” that I have no idea about.
I suppose, what do you expect when they say their office is “right next to the palm-reading place” on state?
I’m so bitter.
posted by Keith on October 4th, 2005 at 4:39 pm“Yes, they really do rent houses out from other people. The year after I moved out of a grad student house, friends who still lived there got a similar letter.”
Sure, it happens; just not very often. It looks to me like anyone’s whose unsure about their plans for the next year, or who’s willing to risk a small chance of losing their place, should feel free to wait and not worry about it much.
If you absolutely know you want to live in the same place, by all means, sign as early as they’ll let you…. But it’s not true that all the best housing is snapped up 9 months ahead of time and that you have to give in to these silly pressure tactics if you want to get a reasonable deal.
posted by Bruce Fields on October 4th, 2005 at 7:34 pmI can’t tell you enough how careful you have to be of the crooks at Cappo. A favorite trick of theirs is to call and say, “We’d like to show your apartment in a few hours” and if you don’t call back, they take it as a “yes” even when you explain to them that “no answer” is not equal to “yes,” “no answer” could mean, “I am not home from the lab until 1 AM and thus didn’t get your message in time to respond or clean up before your proposed 7 AM visit”. They also bring people in without permission when they think you won’t notice.
posted by Anna on October 4th, 2005 at 8:22 pmKeith - did you bother fighting it? Cause I’m going to try tomorrow, and any tips would be appreciated.
Maybe I’ll just sic Student Legal Services on their ass, but I’m sure they’re busy this time of the rent-deposit-return season.
Anna - what is this you speak of a rental company calling? Issa and Madison never bothered. Actually, Madison’s favorite thing was to make a date to show the house, without calling the tenants and without showing up to meet the to-be renters. Felt sorry enough that I usually showed them around the place, along with a couple of warnings.
Anyone got anything dire to say about Three Oaks? All I have on my hit list so far is that they won’t give us recycle bins for a 9 person house. Oh, and the two mattresses in the yard.
posted by Jen on October 4th, 2005 at 9:26 pmJen - Yeah, well, I wasn’t actually the one that last moved out of my apartment so I couldn’t really do any of the fighting myself. My ex - whom I lived with all last year - was the one who did that, as I wasn’t there after May 1st anyway and she was. I suspect she didn’t really try though, as it was all in my name anyway (grumblegrumble). She did say something about needing to get it done within the week the notice is sent out, though. If you’re successful let me know, and then I’ll have more things to be bitter at her for! I mean Them, Madison Properties, right, that’s what we’re supposed to be bitching about here…
posted by Keith on October 5th, 2005 at 1:17 pmAs a former Tenant of an Oppenheimer shithole — er, property — I can say with certainty that this is the least of any Oppenheimer residents’ problems.
Sometime in the spring or summer, many of them will probably get a phone call from the landlord requesting that they move any some mattresses, clothes, and furniture into closets, into the basement, or entirely out of the house. Oh, and they’ll be asked to sign a second (fake) lease with only four names on it. Why? Because many of the homes are zoned for leasing to four people but the slumlord assholes are shoving 8 college students into these houses like they’re clown cars.
Perhaps that’s changed. But they wait until so late that you don’t really have any chance to fight it or protest or go to the authorities because it’s too much of a hassle.
On the plus side, they did give us the security deposit back in its entirety despite the slovenly lifestyles being lead by my co-habitators.
posted by Evan on October 5th, 2005 at 5:47 pmHa, will do, Keith. I’m gonna try tomorrow, after a final. I don’t plan on sleeping tonight, so hopefully I’ll look frightening enough what with the bags-under-eyes to just scare them into caving.
Evan - Yeah, I do believe that’s the landlord who sent my friend-living-in-a-basement packing for two days before the inspectors came. So nice that they give warnings to the landlords, isn’t it?
posted by Jen on October 5th, 2005 at 6:41 pmI think the problem is that Ann Arbor doesn’t have a tenant’s union anymore. Anyone interested in working to resolve that?
posted by Mark on October 5th, 2005 at 10:05 pmHeh, I’m so glad for graduation. Sucks to get-your-ass-up-and-find-a-housemate-or-two so soon in the year.
posted by __earth on October 6th, 2005 at 1:53 pmJen: Talk to the MPLP and try Michigan Tenants to take a look at your rights. It’s rare that they can enforce things like “trash removal” fees. Depends on your lease (and documentation, etc).
posted by js on October 6th, 2005 at 4:56 pmI thought the AA Tenants Union still existed but didn’t serve students anymore because they were pissed that MSA cut their contribution? Are they totally gone now?
posted by Anna on October 6th, 2005 at 5:21 pmThe Michigan Tenant Counseling Program (funded by the City, the County and Legal Services of South Central Michigan) and Student Legal Services claim to provide all the services once provided by the Tenants Union. They have some helpful information online, and SLS is a decent resource for legal aid for students taking action against non-students (most housing disputes). But I don’t think these services exactly take the place of the Tenants Union, which closed its doors after MSA stopped funding it in 2003.
It’s my understanding that the Tenants Union was by and large a student iniative- founded by, primarily staffed by, and funded by students through their MSA fees. Are there successful tenants organizations in other cities that are not affiliated with a university (for that matter, are there any that are affiliated with a university)? How do they work?
posted by Pam on October 7th, 2005 at 1:29 amwith a fair bit of experience w/ aa tenants, i’m surprised no one has mentioned how shitty nam is.
posted by Anonymous on October 9th, 2005 at 8:43 pmon the other hand, len schnagglesberg was by far the best landlord i’ve ever had. and he also has the best name ever.
otherwise, to avoid the aforementioned bs, move into a co-op. the icc is extremely tenant-friendly.
i was wondering if anyone knew:
i moved into a house and payed a security deposit, and have payed rent each month by checks. but i never signed a lease. i just moved out and the people in the house are looking at me to keep paying rent. but i’m not obligated to because i haven’t signed a lease right? i keep trying to find a person to take over though, which is more than theyre doing. but i don’t want to keep trying to help if i don’t have to.
if someone knows it would be so helpful! thanks!
posted by Anonymous on November 29th, 2005 at 5:05 pmI think they can only go after you for the cost of finding someone to fill your spot, but the laws vary from state to state and you should contact student legal services (if you’re a student).
posted by Anna on November 29th, 2005 at 8:15 pmAnon, I think you are free to bolt (legally), but good luck getting back your deposit. If you are living in a house with other people who DID sign the lease, are they people you consider friends? If so, you may want to work on finding someone so as not to hose them. It’s a bitch to rent or sublet a room this time of year. You don’t want to live with bad karma (or a target on your back
If this is a situation where a kindly landlord (ha-ha) simply forgot to have you sign the lease—a scenario that seems highly unlikely in this town—I don’t think they can do anything if you decide to leave.
posted by OFWinsurgent on November 30th, 2005 at 1:10 amthanks for the advice!
posted by Anonymous on November 30th, 2005 at 12:58 pmno.. these people i do not consider my friends. i actually went in after they had leased the house. i think a month after they’ve been living there.
i just dont know if theyre crazy and will come look for me? what would they do if they do come across me?
Well, in any case it is their fuck-up for trusting you. You have to be the judge of how thoroughly they are likely to exact their revenge, but they won’t be able to do it in court.
posted by OFWinsurgent on November 30th, 2005 at 1:14 pmann arbor rocks
posted by Anonymous on April 7th, 2006 at 2:44 pm