My rental agency is a bunch of idiots

I signed a lease on a new apartment a couple of weeks ago, and am supposed to move in this Friday. I’ve scheduled movers, switched all the utilities and my mail to the new address, am in the throes of packing up all my earthly belongings, etc.

When I signed the lease, the rental agency told me that since the apartment is currently vacant, and all they had to do was repaint and hook up the new stove, it would be no problem for me to move in a few days early, so that I could vacate my current apartment by June 1st. Specifically, they told me I could come pick up the keys on the 23rd (that’s this Friday) and move in anytime after that.

Since the movers cost $90/hour, I thought it would be a good idea to have the new apartment keys already in hand when they arrive sometime after 2 pm. I have a doctor appointment in the morning, but the management office is only a few minutes away and is more or less on the way to the doctor’s office, so I figured I could just swing by either on the way to or from my appointment, grab the keys, run to the new place and make sure they work, and be home in plenty of time to have a nice peaceful lunch, pack up my last few things, and wait for the movers.

So I called the management office just now to set a time to get the keys, and the lady who prepared my lease, etc. (and gleefully cashed my large security deposit check) said, “Oh, I’d been meaning to call you. Actually, the landlady said you can’t move in until the 29th.” “What do you mean? What’s the problem? You told me it was fine to move on the 23rd. I’ve scheduled movers, switched all the utilities, etc.” “Well, the place is vacant, but she thinks that if she lets you move in early, nobody will ever move out on time.”

WTF!!! This makes no fucking sense! Why do they need to keep an already vacant apartment empty for an additional week and piss off a new tenant for no fucking reason? And why didn’t the management company call me the second they found this out, so I could do something about it? I would have been perfectly willing to pay the landlady a few days’ extra rent to get out of my current hell-hole early, but do they not realize that I took action based on their assurances, action (such as hiring movers, which requires an advance deposit, and taking a vacation day) which will potentially cost me a chunk of change? This may be a rhetorical question, but are they complete fucking morons?

Wow! I don’t know what to say. I hope you pull through this somehow. ((Eva Luna))

Next on Judge Judy…

I don’t know where you live, but this is more or less standard operating proceedure in NYC. The agency tells you that you can move in early, but they never ask the landlord. It makes them look good to have arranged this “convient” move for you, and makes you more likely to take their apartment over another. Meanwile, the apartment may not be, in fact, vacant (the tenants were going to move out two weeks ahead of time, but something happened), or it may be in need of repair (which the landlord would have scheduled at the last minute, of course), or whatever other problem. Next time, get it in writing, with a significant monetary penalty for failure to comply.

mischievous

Well, the apartment was vacant when I viewed it originally, and all that needed to be done was some painting (and that wasn’t even desperate; I would have been perfectly happy if they hadn’t bothered, but I wasn’t going to complain if they wanted to).

The whole thing just doesn’t make any sense. I didn’t even ask for the early move-in date, but was perfectly happy to take it when offered. The whole thing sucks. I need to call them back and bitch some more.

On the bright side, the moving company (I’ve never used them before, but they came highly recommended by several reliable sources for their speed and professionalism) is supposedly staffed mostly by hunky Israeli guys, and since I’ve already paid for 2 hours minimum of their time, it could make for a very interesting Friday afternoon… :wink:

Yeah baby, rock the casbah.

Still… $90.00 an hour? Eva, that’s pretty steep. Hope the rest goes more according to plan.

$90 an hour is for three guys and a truck, plus furniture pads, etc. It was also the cheapest rate out of several places I checked. Sounded pretty fair to me.
OTOH, a friend offered to go over to the management company dressed in full motorcycle leather gear and intimidate the poor little middle-aged German lady at the management company. (He’d never hurt a flea, but he is 6’1" and could probably look imposing if he wanted to.) I turned him down, but it was still a sweet thought. I think he was joking, anyway, and just wanted to offer support. (I may take advantage of his offer, but that’s another thread.)

This is exactly what happened to me! Only I had a furniture delivery scheduled for the day after I was supposed to get my keys. What I did was I had a big stinking, screaming fit and told them that if Ikea had to leave my furniture in the street I’d deduct anything stolen or damaged from the next months rent.

The agency let me have their keys.

Yeah, that’s pretty much my plan. Either that, or I’ll take up my biker friend on his offer. Plus the fact that they know I work for a law firm doesn’t hurt, either.

Do you have something in writing that says you can move in on the 23rd?

When you move in prior to the first of the month, they charge you a pro-rated amount, right? For those seven-eight days of the previous month.

That right there should be your proof that they said you could move in on the 23rd. Demand either that you move in when you were supposed to or a refund.

Nothing in writing; I was an idiot, I know, but I had no reason to believe they’d play games with me. What sweat off of anyone’s nose would it be to let me in early, if the place is ready and vacant anyway and has been for at least the past month?

They actually never asked me for pro-rated rent, although I told them I was willing to pay it if they wanted it. They have promised to let me move in tomorrow anyway, and if they don’t, I am liable for paying the movers anyway for the 2-hr. minimum and deposit ($225 total), which I fully plan to tell them I am deducting from next month’s rent.

I’m going to call them now and make sure all my ducks are in a row for tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Not that I have any alternatives at this point, but they’ve assured me I can have the keys tomorrow morning, as long as I’m willing to cough up the extra few days’ rent. Phew!

(All the same, I’m keeping Motorcycle Boy on standby. I kinda like the idea of hanging out with him tomorrow, anyway.)