My Move-Out, but not Move-In Day in Ames

[Phaedrus]

You know, I'm moving out a week from Thursday, and so far I'm batting .000 as far as German landlords are concerned with getting deposit back.

The first two were crooks who saw the deposit as "petty cash" the could spend, and then just refuse to pay, and the third was a crook who died; when they went to settle his estate, he'd "leveraged" 16 houses out of 1 house's collateral, and so we got to "eat" repairs to the house we paid for to stay in it during the winter plus our deposit.

 

[ia8manfan]

I lived in a house on Knapp too! Next to the Frat. It sounds like you kept the tradition alive

Yep, that was the house! Right across the street from Cap Timm.

 

[Angie]

We rented a duplex a couple of years ago from Jon Bryant - small-time guy. He had told us when we first moved in that he'd let us out of our lease with no charge besides that of the ad in the paper if we bought a house. Anyway - we were great tenants for two years. Never complained about anything that was broken, were quiet, etc. We decided to move out a couple of months early when we bought our place - he made us pay for a $750 fence so that the next tenant could have a dog (which he had never allowed us), and then charged us with cleaning after I left that place spotless. His complaint was that I hadn't taken all of the blinds down and soaked them, even though I'd cleaned them. We ended up getting $20 of our deposit back - I sent it back to him, since it was an insult.

 

[DanCyn]

Does anybody know anything about Hunziker Property Management? I just moved my daughter back up there yesterday into a Hunziker property.

On a side note, how do college kids accumulate SO MUCH STUFF?

 

[Angie]

Does anybody know anything about Hunziker Property Management? I just moved my daughter back up there yesterday into a Hunziker property.

On a side note, how do college kids accumulate SO MUCH STUFF?

I had a Hunziker apt on Welch once. They were actually pretty good - they came through for the walk-through, and actually told my girlfriend and I what they wanted us to do in order to get back our full deposit, instead of just screwing us over.

 

[clone2011]

Another company....anyone have experience with Professional Property Mgmt? I ended up staying on campus for this year, but lightly looked into the Cranford Apts (the ones above Jeff's Pizza) on the corner of Stanton and Lincoln Way. Anyone have opinions? Past troubles or good things?

 

[scottie33]

Whatever you do, don't EVER rent from Rainbow Properties!!! Worst experience ever on every thursday friday and saturday night she would come by the house to make sure there weren't any parties.

 

[joefrog]

I had a Hunziker apt on Welch once. They were actually pretty good - they came through for the walk-through, and actually told my girlfriend and I what they wanted us to do in order to get back our full deposit, instead of just screwing us over.

So, um, the question is: do you have a girlfriend, or a girlfriend? :wink:

On a serious note, I think Hunziker is ok. I live in a Furman property from Jan 03 to July 04 in Ames and they were great to deal with. Got full deposit, no hassles ever. Just assume in Ames that your landlord is going to be a creep. We rented from a family one year, Hatfield's maybe? They own several properties around town I guess. Treated us worse then Ev, if you can believe that.

 

[KnappShack]

Yep, that was the house! Right across the street from Cap Timm.

Oh yeah. Lived there for two years 92-94. The doors wouldn't lock, had a bee hive in the attic, someone wrote "Ozzy" all over everything, gutters falling off, chipmunks etc. LOVED that place!

Oh course we called the place the "Knapp Shack"

 

[CrossCyed]

Rented from 1st Property Management... not too many troubles with them (we'll see what I get back for a deposit here but...) They were pretty good about fixing maintence problems that we reported, apartment was clean when we moved in (could still smell the paint from them repainting the walls), etc.

Biggest complaint I had was they did a ****** job of clearing the sidewalks and parking lot after it snowed, otherwise no real problems. I was on Hyland Ave so my rent was a bit higher though

I was in the same boat.

 

[akclone]

I anyone needs a place or knows someone who does I have a 2 BR, 2 Bath for rent at 720 Kellogg. 1st floor with a walkout. Includes 1 indoor parking stall (garage is attached to the building). 1200 sq ft in the apt.

PM me for more details.

 

[CHim]

Hunziker is a good landlord in my opinion. Anybody know about Randall?

 

[ia8manfan]

Oh yeah. Lived there for two years 92-94. The doors wouldn't lock, had a bee hive in the attic, someone wrote "Ozzy" all over everything, gutters falling off, chipmunks etc. LOVED that place!

Oh course we called the place the "Knapp Shack"

The "Ozzy's" are still on the wood trim all over the house....but Martin Prop. Mgmt put a lot of work into that house, new kitchen, new back patio, and new basement windows (which soundproofed our parties!) all while we lived there, 05-07. We did have an episode with a bat in the house, we actually rigged a blanket and two brooms like on Black Sheep. Roommate ended up killing it with a bat (the baseball kind).

I can't talk about that place anymore....its bringing back too many memories...... :cry:

 

[DJK15]

Another company....anyone have experience with Professional Property Mgmt? I ended up staying on campus for this year, but lightly looked into the Cranford Apts (the ones above Jeff's Pizza) on the corner of Stanton and Lincoln Way. Anyone have opinions? Past troubles or good things?

I lived in Cransford Apts my last year in Ames. It was really nice due to the proximity to the bars. They screwed me on my deposit though. The list of things they said they had to clean was ridiculous and according to them it took 8 hours. I never once used my oven and they said it took 45 minutes to get it clean. About the only way you can defend yourself from getting screwed is by taking LOTS of pictures.

 

[cyQlone]

I used to work for Hunziker when I was in college. They run a tight, organized ship. I then lived in a Hunziker place, and had no problems at all.

 

[ISUAlum2002]

I used to work for Hunziker when I was in college. They run a tight, organized ship. I then lived in a Hunziker place, and had no problems at all.

Ah, an inside man.

So tell us....did anyone ever actually get their full deposit back, or do the management companies just basically put those deposit funds on the books as income?

 

[KnappShack]

The "Ozzy's" are still on the wood trim all over the house....but Martin Prop. Mgmt put a lot of work into that house, new kitchen, new back patio, and new basement windows (which soundproofed our parties!) all while we lived there, 05-07. We did have an episode with a bat in the house, we actually rigged a blanket and two brooms like on Black Sheep. Roommate ended up killing it with a bat (the baseball kind).

I can't talk about that place anymore....its bringing back too many memories...... :cry:

We had some bat issues too. One guy's dad was staying with us. He woke up to see a couple of guys standing over him with a tennis racket and a baseball bat trying to kill that sucker.

There's a property manager now? Wow. That basement was so nasty we wouldn't even go down there. It was used mostly as a place to keep stolen stuff. I think the spiders would've killed us for sure. Good times in that old house.

 

[down2cyz]

I was told when you rent from Ev Cochrane that you may as well kiss at least half of the deposit goodbye. When we rented from him at Celtic Manor on Coconino that rumor was true. Besides the place being only 3 years old but already falling apart, they screwed us out of the deposit because supposedly the carpets weren't clean enough... making matters worse was that the carpets were REPLACED when we left anyway.

Next moved into a house on Howard Ave and was a great place to live with good landlords. I will never live in an apartment again.

 

[birdflu]

I've lived in a Hunziker apt for several years now. Overall they are pretty good. Much better than my experiences with Jensen, Ev Cochran, PPM and whoever it was that owns those South Ghetto..err I mean Meadow.. apts over on South 5th.

 

[throwittoblythe]

Saw this story today and thought of some of things discussed in this thread:

Man dying of cancer not allowed out of lease | Latest News | WFAA.com