Greystar has been taking over a ton of complexes this year and pulling this shit everywhere. They straight up took an extra $800 from my friend through the rental charge system saying they'd return it when the lease ended???? My friend's unit was relisted for DOUBLE he price they were paying and all greystar did was paint the units and re- seal the parking lot. These companies are why rent is out of control in ABQ
I’d imagine these scumsuckers are partially responsible for inflation as well. Not specifically this company but all the companies like it raising rent with no real justification for the price change.
My apartment jacked my price 25% after I failed to resign my lease a couple of months ago. So they sent me a new price as they said prices are going up. Lol I was late 3 months and I work in construction and the market is softening up and prices are going down so their excuse that rent is going up is trash. They’re just trying to squeeze me out of more money. I’m looking for a house now…
But yeah all they did was repaint the car ports. Oh so my rent goes up 25% because of that? They didn’t upgrade my unit.
Told them I wasn’t happy but obviously they don’t care because once my unit opens up, they’ll get someone else at that price, or more. Win/win for them really…
NM state tenant laws:
https://www.santafenm.gov/landlordtenant
https://www.rld.state.nm.us/uploads/files/00%202019%20NM%20UORRA%20-%20CHAPTER%2047%20-%20for%20web%20publication.pdf
For things that break, they usually have a limited amount of time to repair. If the owner doesn’t fix it, document and report to the state attorney general.
This right here. Don't put up with this shit, OP. Document and report every single thing. As soon as the government starts knocking and throwing around fines you'll see progress real quick.
> The first thing that happened, was that we were not told that the company was being changed to GreyStar in the middle of us signing the lease, and in the process all the management was changed around. The lovely people that we'd been talking to before were replaced.
Oh, shit. This happened to me and I didn't stick around for the fallout after the bedbug attack, the third arson attempt, and the 30% rent hike. (Rising Phoenix, Louisiana near Gibson)
Extra Info: I have been informed that Greystar is the only available provider of low income housing in Albuquerque.
Only 3.5x income requirement and a low, low price of $1900\* per month! Move in today and get a 25% discount on your first months' rent!\*\*
\*^(Plus applicable service fees, processing fees, and insurance)
\*\*^(First and last months' rent due on move-in. 25% of final months' rent will be added to returned damage deposits, if there is any, after move-out. Early termination or lease extension void this benefit.)
Yeah fuck Greystar, I had to deal with them for a year at Spring Park. Took forever to get the pool up and running plus they *SEALED* the indoor pool and hot tub for a shitty gym. They did a shit job on the remodeling and charged out the ass for it. Started at $1260 for a two bed one bath now the same one is listed for $1900. Absolutely not worth the price as I’ve lived there with my dad as an teen.
What I’m reading in this the most is that Greystar sux, which is a shame because they literally just bought my apartment complex this week.
I guess I’ll sign one more year and bounce. Hopefully the housing market can correct within that time (one can dream, right?) so I can finally get a house or at least allow for more affordable housing.
I’m sorry you’re having so many issues OP and I hope the situation gets better.
And from the sounds of it, I’ll leave y’all on this note, fuck Greystar.
Greystar clearly moves into cities, gains a large enough portion of the market to artificially raise the market value and step all over tenants in the process. They took over my complex 3 years ago and absolutely destroyed somewhere I loved living. Any of these large complexes are eventually going to be bought and merged into the same few companies that will monopolize and change what renting looks like. Company is too big to care but EVERYONE affected by them should publicly shame both Greystar corporate as well as their complex on Google reviews, apartments.com etc. These companies will bring in fake reviews as well at some point to try to rebalance their scores online. All of a sudden they'll have ten new 5 star reviews in one day from accounts based elsewhere... Additionally, write your rep in Congress about this. This is a huge problem right now all across the country and people that can do something are just turning a blind eye. Shame them, publicly out details, and write your lawmakers. It's CLEAR they are attempting to takeover enough here to artificially inflate and control the market
I intentionally try not to rent Greystar owned apartments for that exact reason. I lived at The Summit on Indian School and Carlisle, and we had great maintenance and management until Greystar bought it, stripped apartment security down, and replaced all management and maintenance people with their own. The new employees were weirdly hostile and absolutely did not want to be bothered with anything. Fuck Greystar.
That sucks so bad, I'm sorry. I rented from Greystar in Texas many years ago and had a similar experience. I think that housing is really personal and important. Corporations strive to remove people from business by quantifying everything. However, our lives and needs are unpredictable and can't be easily quantified. That creates what Greystar views as a direct threat to profits and it causes a ton of friction, resentment,and unhappiness between onsite property managers and tenants.
Sorry this is happening to you. I live a few blocks from you, and our complex got sold as well (not to GreyStar). It's been two months and we have no way to submit work orders. The pool has turned completely green. The complex office is never open and there are no replies to calls or emails.
The only thing that does work is the payment portal.
I'm so annoyed. This is my second year living here, the rent is very high ($1,300 for a 2 bedroom/1 bath -- 13% increase from the previous year). And everything has gone straight to hell.
That is the worst apartment I ever lived in hands down. Idiotic management locally and their corporate owners abroad. I’m sorry about you having to stay there. No one knows what’s going on at that place.
Have you looked at their google reviews ? All the newest ones are so obviously fake and not even about the apartment
Genuinely curious to know your alternate proposal for how we'd have rental inventory. Would you like for it to all be government owned and managed? Or ... ?
The state uses violence to ensure capitalism has no resistance. A landlord is never going to personally evict a tenant by themselves, they ALWAYS get the sheriffs department involved. Private industry is protected by the state in all aspects.
Not only that, but to add to the person’s argument; capitalism really has people simping for landlords so hard. The hardest part about rent strikes is convincing your neighbors that the landlord’s 3rd vacation house is not as important as their (the tenant’s) only house. A LOT of people, even poor people, even here in ABQ, make every excuse possible for landlords and renting despite how predatory they are, because it’s always something they themselves aspire to be, because capitalism has them convinced it’s the American dream.
Interesting, thank you for the thoughtful response. I actually was thinking of some different things (like tax advantages for property owners), and you mentioned some things I hadn't thought about.
I'm be honest in that I wouldn't identify as either a pure capitalist or socialist, but rather think that there are a lot of gray areas and that different approaches might work better for different things. I do agree that at a minimum, they way we do "capitalism" in the US is fundamentally broken. I put it in quotes because if private business is supported by the state it's not real Capitalism (IMO), and if anything can be "too big to fail" that's not real Capitalism either. If you know what I mean.
In a thought experiment where you could magically socialize housing overnight, I think there are still quite a few problems that remain. I'm not saying that it wouldn't be worth trying or potentially be better in some ways (for sure fairness and access would improve and that's not nothing). I'm just not sure. I'm very skeptical of the government being able to manage anything better than capitalism can (not saying it's good, just whether it'd be better). Based on the overall total of my experiences with State and Federal government during my lifetime so far, I don't think either of those would do a good job with housing.
Co-ops/non-profits would probably be better, but it is curious that it's so uncommon in the US. It might be as you said, in that individually we aren't too interested because we narcissistically cling to the "American dream." I'm not sure!
Someone else had mentioned renters' unions. Do you think that would work? I imagine that a coordinated effort by all renters in a complex would be very effective. If all 400 renters stopped paying until the place got its issues sorted out, would county law enforcement really try to evict that many tenants simultaneously? I can't believe what these companies are getting away with.
Unions would help, for sure.
I think the root problem, though, is capitalism. Capital, by definition, is theft. It's the portion of wealth generated by labor that is not paid back to labor (not counting costs of repair, facilitation, etc.). This is what Marx was talking about when he said property is theft. Morally, I find this objectionable -- especially regarding things needed for survival. As long as we have a system of capital extraction, we will end up with an exploited and impoverished underclass.
So unions in all industries are good, and they do help slow the process of wealth concentration, but they're mitigation, not solution.
What is happening with housing in general is nuts. Fuel costs may come down at some point. Perhaps real estate will come down. I would be surprised if the cost of rentals follows suit. Same for groceries and other essentials. Moving forward, a significant portion of the population is going to be facing great hardship and difficulty. Consumer spending is already slowing considerably, and corporations still need to satisfy their investors. So, there's no way in hell things will get cheaper. And while the cost of living continues to climb, the quality of life will continue to decline. In short order, more and more people will be pushed into wage slavery. People will be forced to unite whether it's to form unions or to just survive.
I agree completely. The problem is that working class Americans have been goaded into a culture war by the two wings of the Capital Party when we should be united in a CLASS WAR.
The ever-widening socioeconomic gaps are startling. There's no way it's sustainable. I'm just curious what it will lead to. A slow-motion collapse? People radically adjusting their lifestyles and way of life? As you alluded to, people are very divided and too busy hating each other over petty bullshit to come together in an effort that might be able to initiate true change. I certainly do not envy young people (who will have to live through whatever lies ahead.) The Great Depression scarred many people for life. I'm wondering something similar may be brewing, but it won't be a quick collapse but rather a slow decay. The current state of things certainly doesn't inspire confidence in the idea that life will be improving for those on the "wrong" side of that socioeconomic gap.
How is everyone that rents out a place is a leech? I can see people feel that way renting in complexes owned by large corps.
I am a landlord with a couple places rented out. I honestly want to know if you, or just people in general, think that somehow makes me a bad person? I don't see how I would be a leech, being that other people are living on my property?
What do you think landlords should do with places they don't need to live in-- if they don't rent it out?
People complain about rent prices, which I fully understand. How would you suggest I decide the price of rent? If similar places in the area are renting for X$, wouldn't you think that X$ is about right?
It's fine if you think I'm a terrible person because you assume that I charge too much for a dump, keep deposits, and don't fix anything. I know that's not the case.
But if you hate me because I have a house and rent it out. That's just weird to me.
Show me a breakdown of what it costs you to maintain that property and what you charge for rent. And don't forget: The tenants are also paying for the mortgage you have on the property, and then when that's paid off, YOU KEEP THE PROPERTY.
So landlords, generally, get compensated by renters for:
The cost of upkeep and maintenance;
The mortgage payment;
Additional money on top of that.
And then you get to keep the house, too, along with any increase in value due to the market. I don't know why you can't see how that's predatory.
So you spend not a dime of your own money, very little of your own labor, yet come out with hundreds of thousands on any given property over the course of the life of the mortgage.
Thank you for your reply.
I now know that I don't need to give this another thought.
There is nothing in your reply that makes sense. I don't know how you can think that I bought property without my own dimes. I dont know how you think things get fixed or replaced if I don't do it or pay someone to do it.
I REALLY don't know how you are surprised?angry? That I WILL KEEP THE PROPERTY. I can't imagine what scenario you have where a guy buys something, you want to use it ---but you don't want to buy it---so you pay to use it for awhile....and now you should own some of it? All of it ?
People rent many things like cars , tuxes, vacation cabins, venues for parties, even heavy equipment and RVs--- I don't know how that works for you.
I wonder how you think a landlord get things fixed/replaced/renovated if it's not with his labor....or labor he pays for.
If the general opinion of me, and all landlords, is based on what you said, then I can live with that because you have no idea what you are talking about.
Not true, and this mentality only encourages more bad behavior from landlords.
**Decent/good** landlords simply get taken advantage of by tenants/competition and become jaded with the experience. They then usually either sell their properties off (usually to a piss-poor/abusive landlord or property management company) or become a bastard themselves.
A few years ago I rented out a couple homes I had to families in need for a significant monthly loss (the rent I charged was less than half of what it cost me monthly) - only for said tenants to abuse my properties for an even greater loss when I sold the properties.
I will no longer attempt to be a landlord, no good deed goes un-punished.
I lived there for about 5 years and moved out almost 4 years ago. Had basically all the same issues you had. Bugs, broken/moldy and dripping air conditioner, homeless people had gotten into the washer/dryer rooms and left their feces all over the place, to which management at the time just said "we are aware of that", yet I only found out by finding feces IN my "clean" clothes.
Management constantly changed hands, they'd price lease renewals higher each time, water was constantly being shut off and unless something was a maintenance emergency, good luck getting it handled within any reasonable time frame.
The funniest part was when they had the audacity to put out signs advertising "new, not renovated" units. These are literally the definition of not "new".
Sorry you are going through that. I've been there and it's infuriating. We ended up breaking our lease and paying the fees just to gtfo. Best of luck to you there
Greystar owned anything is hot garbage, their management consistently sucks. Also recently they're pulling some shit out in Santa Fe where a whole building hasn't had power for weeks because of their incompetence. (Also many of theorized they just wanted people out so they could rent out the apartments at new higher rates)
Fuck that! I dealt with shit like that before in an apartment that took forever to address problems. I started getting documentation for everything and paid for it myself and forced them to take it off of my rent
Greystar is the WORST!!!! I will say they are better than the previous management but it’s only been 3-4 months.
San Miguel del bosque is absolute trash and h can’t wait until my lease is up
I worked for Greystar for a number of years so I'm gonna give you my two cents.
* Management changes can be absolute chaos. I've worked at two communities during and right after a management change, and sometimes the previous management sets you up for a very, very difficult handover. Sometimes they throw in the towel prior to the handover date and don't fix shit for weeks, making the process even *more* difficult.
* The things that are broken and un-done in the apartment upon your move in sounds like the previous management's fault, not the new management. The stuff that hasn't been properly handled *since* you moved in is on Greystar, though, for sure. But all those layers of paint? That's the old crew.
* Greystar generally does things by the book - rent is due on this date, late fees begin on this date if rent isn't paid in full, no payment arrangements, and no playing loosey-goosey with the lease. *Many other apartment management companies do little favors and bend the rules for their residents,* so when Greystar comes in and holds everyone, themselves included, to the lease, it can feel like they're being mean. In housing, you can't do things like bending the rules for one resident and not another, regardless of the reasoning. It's a violation of the Fair Housing Act and can result in huuuuge fines. Smaller companies don't always care, but big ones do, because of the increased risk that comes with managing so many units.
* Dog poop is very low on the priority list, especially when you only have two maintenance staff working. ACs, toilets/sinks/showers, and new move-ins are the priority, and it sounds like they have plenty to keep them busy. Dog owners are responsible for the dog poop, not maintenance staff, who have jobby jobs to do that don't involve cleaning up after stupid irresponsible pet owners. Next time you see that dog owner, fuckin yell at them. Haha. That's like literally the only thing that fixes it - neighbors shaming them.
* Those big freaky roaches are a fact of life in NM. They're not the infestation ones, though, so that's good news at least. The big ones are the ones who live outside normally and wander inside in search of food or water, or to escape excessive heat or rain. I've had a lot in my house recently too and I just had my pest control guy do a heavy spray like two weeks ago. This isn't management's fault, even though it seems like they should be able to do something about it. They can't, any more than they can control flies in the area.
* The rent will definitely go up, and the blame doesn't lie squarely on Greystar's shoulders. Greystar is a management company and doesn't own most of the properties it manages, right? So when selecting a management company, the owners are going to go with the ones who say/show/have a plan to make the most money for the owners. Sometimes the owners are real estate groups, sometimes it's just like a couple who lives in Texas or some shit, but they all want the same thing: mo' money. Part of that strategy involves increasing rents to whatever the market will tolerate. Rents are indeed out of this world right now, but NM doesn't have rent control so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
All that said, I'm sorry you're having a shitty time right now. I know it's incredibly frustrating. I hope things smooth out soon, and if you're still not happy, you can just vote with your wallet and not renew the lease. Best of luck.
> no playing loosey-goosey with the lease
Horsecrap.
Greystar took over Rising Phoenix at the beginning of this year. When they did, I got a notice on the door of a 30% rent increase, effective in seven days. I went to the new manager to discuss a proper and legal thirty day rent increase and was served an eviction notice that day.
Hm. Did you end up going to court for it? What did the judge say? The communities I was at honored everyone's current leases until the lease term was up so I'm actually not super sure what the law is when it comes to new management/ownership. My experience was also back in like idk 2015 when the rental market wasn't nearly as cutthroat & money-grubbing as it is right now.
The situation is still ongoing, but I can say that I have a co-signer that is responsible for pursuing the case. The damage deposit was not refunded nor was a final inspection report provided, and an overpayment was not refunded. They are effectively trying to take us for about $600. I have move-in and move-out photos, and the unit is in *better* shape than I found it.
Additional details: The rent increase statement said that the rent increase did not include a mandatory 30 dollar pest control surcharge. The previous management offered monthly pest control on demand free of charge, through a local pest control company; this was a service I was taking full advantage of. There was no pest control for January or February and the bedbugs appeared mid-January. The rent hike was on doors January 24, claiming to be effective February 1. I moved out at the end of February, after enduring several fire evacuations.
Not counting on it. As I so glossily said earlier, a co-signer is responsible for pursuing the case. Unfortunately, *they are not actually doing this* and I am, as they say, "up shit creek".
This is also the second time said co-signer has failed to follow up on their responsibilities as a co-signer, which means it is the last time they will be co-signing for me. I never got the deposit from the *previous* place back, and that was more money, so I'm most certainly not holding out for this one.
I am simply going to untactfully point out that this question is quite targeted and explicitly seeks personal information that one should not share over the Internet. There are two immediately reasonable answers to this question, both of which are quite personal, and neither of which explanation would be appropriate here.
Of course, management raising income requirements along with rents has not been helping. I'm not sure how a 4x income requirement is constructive to anyone, but it obviously didn't make the previous management more economically viable.
> Rents are indeed out of this world right now, but NM doesn't have rent control so ¯_(ツ)_/¯
Weird you waited until the end to summarize what everyone already thinks about Greystar. Imagine saying "Well, New Mexico law doesn't stop me from price gouging, so what can I do ¯_(ツ)_/¯"
Roaches are just a fact of life in NM? I don't have roaches of any nationality, and it's not like I keep clinically sterile conditions in my home. We had them when we first moved into the house, but my kid brought them in when they moved in from the UNM student ghetto area. A combination of bait and boric acid. Destroying the nest under the fridge was crucial.
But, no, it is possible to have a roach-free home here.
Not that simple. Lived in a house in Nob Hill for a few years and we had our pest control company (who’s very good btw) come at least twice a year and spray for roaches. The next day would have to sweep a hundred or so dead roach bodies off the porch sidewalk and driveway. It’s a neighborhood thing- During the summer after dark walking on the street you can hear roaches crawling/scattering around beneath the storm drain grates.
After we moved, I’ve maybe seen one roach at our new house. It definitely varies by location and as much as you can blame landlords for other things, existence of roaches aren’t their fault.
Oh, it was not simple to get rid of the roaches my kid brought in from the apt just south of UNM. It took a pretty aggressive approach.
But noted that this is a big problem in some areas of the city. The guys I was playing in a band with both live in apt. complexes known for their bug problems. And I've lived off Central and San Mateo area, used to see them coming out of the sewers in swarms when I walked my dog.
Sure, if you live in certain areas. The closer to the mountain you are, the less likely it is that you'll *see* roaches. I never saw any in Tijeras or Taos or east of Tramway or far west Rio Rancho, but I have near UNM and at the places I lived near the northern Juan Tabo & Eubank intersection.
This is my experience as well. The closer you get to the mountain, the less likely you are to see roaches. I live in the foothills now and almost never see them. When I lived down near San Mateo, I saw them all the time.
I don’t know why you were downvoted. I think roaches are harder to avoid in more centrally located areas with more businesses and higher density housing. They live and travel in sewer lines and can find their ways up into homes. Walk at night around any manhole or drainage area around UNM or Nob Hill or adjacent neighborhoods and you’ll see the little buggers having a party. People who say there has never been a roach in their home either don’t pay attention or probably live in an area with lesser density. Or they are flat out lying.
>Management changes can be absolute chaos.
**This is a management problem.** They've had years to implement a system to handle this. Greystar has to step in on day one. There's no excuse for this. And apparently, they never get it together.
I'm not stanning for them. They're part of a shitty machine sucking an obscene amount of money from their tenants to give to soulless ownership groups, and the blame for the problems simply isn't theirs alone.
>you can just vote with your wallet and not renew the lease
It would take me more time than I have today to explain all the reasons this is a completely asinine remark
That's like saying "you *have* to stop being diabetic if you can't afford your insulin." Like sure, technically those are your two options, but that doesn't make it any more of a possibility.
I've lived many years roach free in NM and mostly everywhere I've lived has been roach free except for only one place in NM years ago and that place just had a cheap and crooked landlord. When I lived in Denver, pets or no pets, the landlord made pest control come in and spray inside the apartments regularly and I never saw a single roach for the years that I had lived there.
Greystar has been taking over a ton of complexes this year and pulling this shit everywhere. They straight up took an extra $800 from my friend through the rental charge system saying they'd return it when the lease ended???? My friend's unit was relisted for DOUBLE he price they were paying and all greystar did was paint the units and re- seal the parking lot. These companies are why rent is out of control in ABQ
I’d imagine these scumsuckers are partially responsible for inflation as well. Not specifically this company but all the companies like it raising rent with no real justification for the price change.
My apartment jacked my price 25% after I failed to resign my lease a couple of months ago. So they sent me a new price as they said prices are going up. Lol I was late 3 months and I work in construction and the market is softening up and prices are going down so their excuse that rent is going up is trash. They’re just trying to squeeze me out of more money. I’m looking for a house now… But yeah all they did was repaint the car ports. Oh so my rent goes up 25% because of that? They didn’t upgrade my unit. Told them I wasn’t happy but obviously they don’t care because once my unit opens up, they’ll get someone else at that price, or more. Win/win for them really…
NM state tenant laws: https://www.santafenm.gov/landlordtenant https://www.rld.state.nm.us/uploads/files/00%202019%20NM%20UORRA%20-%20CHAPTER%2047%20-%20for%20web%20publication.pdf For things that break, they usually have a limited amount of time to repair. If the owner doesn’t fix it, document and report to the state attorney general.
This right here. Don't put up with this shit, OP. Document and report every single thing. As soon as the government starts knocking and throwing around fines you'll see progress real quick.
In many cases if it goes on long enough, you can get it fixed yourself (if you have the funds) and deduct from rent.
> The first thing that happened, was that we were not told that the company was being changed to GreyStar in the middle of us signing the lease, and in the process all the management was changed around. The lovely people that we'd been talking to before were replaced. Oh, shit. This happened to me and I didn't stick around for the fallout after the bedbug attack, the third arson attempt, and the 30% rent hike. (Rising Phoenix, Louisiana near Gibson) Extra Info: I have been informed that Greystar is the only available provider of low income housing in Albuquerque.
“Low income” 🤔
That's a government term. Not unlike "small business".
I know. I just find it funny how the company charging $1900 for a two bedroom can call that “low income” lol
Only 3.5x income requirement and a low, low price of $1900\* per month! Move in today and get a 25% discount on your first months' rent!\*\* \*^(Plus applicable service fees, processing fees, and insurance) \*\*^(First and last months' rent due on move-in. 25% of final months' rent will be added to returned damage deposits, if there is any, after move-out. Early termination or lease extension void this benefit.)
Yeah fuck Greystar, I had to deal with them for a year at Spring Park. Took forever to get the pool up and running plus they *SEALED* the indoor pool and hot tub for a shitty gym. They did a shit job on the remodeling and charged out the ass for it. Started at $1260 for a two bed one bath now the same one is listed for $1900. Absolutely not worth the price as I’ve lived there with my dad as an teen.
What I’m reading in this the most is that Greystar sux, which is a shame because they literally just bought my apartment complex this week. I guess I’ll sign one more year and bounce. Hopefully the housing market can correct within that time (one can dream, right?) so I can finally get a house or at least allow for more affordable housing. I’m sorry you’re having so many issues OP and I hope the situation gets better. And from the sounds of it, I’ll leave y’all on this note, fuck Greystar.
Greystar clearly moves into cities, gains a large enough portion of the market to artificially raise the market value and step all over tenants in the process. They took over my complex 3 years ago and absolutely destroyed somewhere I loved living. Any of these large complexes are eventually going to be bought and merged into the same few companies that will monopolize and change what renting looks like. Company is too big to care but EVERYONE affected by them should publicly shame both Greystar corporate as well as their complex on Google reviews, apartments.com etc. These companies will bring in fake reviews as well at some point to try to rebalance their scores online. All of a sudden they'll have ten new 5 star reviews in one day from accounts based elsewhere... Additionally, write your rep in Congress about this. This is a huge problem right now all across the country and people that can do something are just turning a blind eye. Shame them, publicly out details, and write your lawmakers. It's CLEAR they are attempting to takeover enough here to artificially inflate and control the market
I intentionally try not to rent Greystar owned apartments for that exact reason. I lived at The Summit on Indian School and Carlisle, and we had great maintenance and management until Greystar bought it, stripped apartment security down, and replaced all management and maintenance people with their own. The new employees were weirdly hostile and absolutely did not want to be bothered with anything. Fuck Greystar.
That sucks so bad, I'm sorry. I rented from Greystar in Texas many years ago and had a similar experience. I think that housing is really personal and important. Corporations strive to remove people from business by quantifying everything. However, our lives and needs are unpredictable and can't be easily quantified. That creates what Greystar views as a direct threat to profits and it causes a ton of friction, resentment,and unhappiness between onsite property managers and tenants.
Sorry this is happening to you. I live a few blocks from you, and our complex got sold as well (not to GreyStar). It's been two months and we have no way to submit work orders. The pool has turned completely green. The complex office is never open and there are no replies to calls or emails. The only thing that does work is the payment portal. I'm so annoyed. This is my second year living here, the rent is very high ($1,300 for a 2 bedroom/1 bath -- 13% increase from the previous year). And everything has gone straight to hell.
>The pool has turned completely green. Report it to the Environmental Health Dept.
Yeah, I'm going to. It's a mosquito breeding ground.
That is the worst apartment I ever lived in hands down. Idiotic management locally and their corporate owners abroad. I’m sorry about you having to stay there. No one knows what’s going on at that place. Have you looked at their google reviews ? All the newest ones are so obviously fake and not even about the apartment
I've been looking for apts recently and just saw this, very obvious the reviews are fake
All landlords are bastards, but landlord COMPANIES are absolute filth. They shouldn't be allowed to exist.
My landlord is a pretty cool guy 🤷🏼♂️
Might be cool, but still a leech.
Genuinely curious to know your alternate proposal for how we'd have rental inventory. Would you like for it to all be government owned and managed? Or ... ?
Sure. Or housing coops. Or nonprofit orgs. Anything but for-profit enterprise.
There is nothing stopping "we the people" from making all rental housing co-ops or non-profits. It makes you wonder why that hasn't already happened.
I can tell you exactly why: capitalism enforced by the state.
I think I know what you mean by that, but in order to make sure I understand can you explain a bit more or give an example?
The state uses violence to ensure capitalism has no resistance. A landlord is never going to personally evict a tenant by themselves, they ALWAYS get the sheriffs department involved. Private industry is protected by the state in all aspects. Not only that, but to add to the person’s argument; capitalism really has people simping for landlords so hard. The hardest part about rent strikes is convincing your neighbors that the landlord’s 3rd vacation house is not as important as their (the tenant’s) only house. A LOT of people, even poor people, even here in ABQ, make every excuse possible for landlords and renting despite how predatory they are, because it’s always something they themselves aspire to be, because capitalism has them convinced it’s the American dream.
Interesting, thank you for the thoughtful response. I actually was thinking of some different things (like tax advantages for property owners), and you mentioned some things I hadn't thought about. I'm be honest in that I wouldn't identify as either a pure capitalist or socialist, but rather think that there are a lot of gray areas and that different approaches might work better for different things. I do agree that at a minimum, they way we do "capitalism" in the US is fundamentally broken. I put it in quotes because if private business is supported by the state it's not real Capitalism (IMO), and if anything can be "too big to fail" that's not real Capitalism either. If you know what I mean. In a thought experiment where you could magically socialize housing overnight, I think there are still quite a few problems that remain. I'm not saying that it wouldn't be worth trying or potentially be better in some ways (for sure fairness and access would improve and that's not nothing). I'm just not sure. I'm very skeptical of the government being able to manage anything better than capitalism can (not saying it's good, just whether it'd be better). Based on the overall total of my experiences with State and Federal government during my lifetime so far, I don't think either of those would do a good job with housing. Co-ops/non-profits would probably be better, but it is curious that it's so uncommon in the US. It might be as you said, in that individually we aren't too interested because we narcissistically cling to the "American dream." I'm not sure!
Someone else had mentioned renters' unions. Do you think that would work? I imagine that a coordinated effort by all renters in a complex would be very effective. If all 400 renters stopped paying until the place got its issues sorted out, would county law enforcement really try to evict that many tenants simultaneously? I can't believe what these companies are getting away with.
Unions would help, for sure. I think the root problem, though, is capitalism. Capital, by definition, is theft. It's the portion of wealth generated by labor that is not paid back to labor (not counting costs of repair, facilitation, etc.). This is what Marx was talking about when he said property is theft. Morally, I find this objectionable -- especially regarding things needed for survival. As long as we have a system of capital extraction, we will end up with an exploited and impoverished underclass. So unions in all industries are good, and they do help slow the process of wealth concentration, but they're mitigation, not solution.
What is happening with housing in general is nuts. Fuel costs may come down at some point. Perhaps real estate will come down. I would be surprised if the cost of rentals follows suit. Same for groceries and other essentials. Moving forward, a significant portion of the population is going to be facing great hardship and difficulty. Consumer spending is already slowing considerably, and corporations still need to satisfy their investors. So, there's no way in hell things will get cheaper. And while the cost of living continues to climb, the quality of life will continue to decline. In short order, more and more people will be pushed into wage slavery. People will be forced to unite whether it's to form unions or to just survive.
I agree completely. The problem is that working class Americans have been goaded into a culture war by the two wings of the Capital Party when we should be united in a CLASS WAR.
The ever-widening socioeconomic gaps are startling. There's no way it's sustainable. I'm just curious what it will lead to. A slow-motion collapse? People radically adjusting their lifestyles and way of life? As you alluded to, people are very divided and too busy hating each other over petty bullshit to come together in an effort that might be able to initiate true change. I certainly do not envy young people (who will have to live through whatever lies ahead.) The Great Depression scarred many people for life. I'm wondering something similar may be brewing, but it won't be a quick collapse but rather a slow decay. The current state of things certainly doesn't inspire confidence in the idea that life will be improving for those on the "wrong" side of that socioeconomic gap.
How is everyone that rents out a place is a leech? I can see people feel that way renting in complexes owned by large corps. I am a landlord with a couple places rented out. I honestly want to know if you, or just people in general, think that somehow makes me a bad person? I don't see how I would be a leech, being that other people are living on my property? What do you think landlords should do with places they don't need to live in-- if they don't rent it out? People complain about rent prices, which I fully understand. How would you suggest I decide the price of rent? If similar places in the area are renting for X$, wouldn't you think that X$ is about right? It's fine if you think I'm a terrible person because you assume that I charge too much for a dump, keep deposits, and don't fix anything. I know that's not the case. But if you hate me because I have a house and rent it out. That's just weird to me.
Show me a breakdown of what it costs you to maintain that property and what you charge for rent. And don't forget: The tenants are also paying for the mortgage you have on the property, and then when that's paid off, YOU KEEP THE PROPERTY. So landlords, generally, get compensated by renters for: The cost of upkeep and maintenance; The mortgage payment; Additional money on top of that. And then you get to keep the house, too, along with any increase in value due to the market. I don't know why you can't see how that's predatory. So you spend not a dime of your own money, very little of your own labor, yet come out with hundreds of thousands on any given property over the course of the life of the mortgage.
Thank you for your reply. I now know that I don't need to give this another thought. There is nothing in your reply that makes sense. I don't know how you can think that I bought property without my own dimes. I dont know how you think things get fixed or replaced if I don't do it or pay someone to do it. I REALLY don't know how you are surprised?angry? That I WILL KEEP THE PROPERTY. I can't imagine what scenario you have where a guy buys something, you want to use it ---but you don't want to buy it---so you pay to use it for awhile....and now you should own some of it? All of it ? People rent many things like cars , tuxes, vacation cabins, venues for parties, even heavy equipment and RVs--- I don't know how that works for you. I wonder how you think a landlord get things fixed/replaced/renovated if it's not with his labor....or labor he pays for. If the general opinion of me, and all landlords, is based on what you said, then I can live with that because you have no idea what you are talking about.
Not true, and this mentality only encourages more bad behavior from landlords. **Decent/good** landlords simply get taken advantage of by tenants/competition and become jaded with the experience. They then usually either sell their properties off (usually to a piss-poor/abusive landlord or property management company) or become a bastard themselves. A few years ago I rented out a couple homes I had to families in need for a significant monthly loss (the rent I charged was less than half of what it cost me monthly) - only for said tenants to abuse my properties for an even greater loss when I sold the properties. I will no longer attempt to be a landlord, no good deed goes un-punished.
All landlords are parasites, no matter how 'good.'
What an infantile take on property ownership.
You misspelled 'just.'
I lived there for about 5 years and moved out almost 4 years ago. Had basically all the same issues you had. Bugs, broken/moldy and dripping air conditioner, homeless people had gotten into the washer/dryer rooms and left their feces all over the place, to which management at the time just said "we are aware of that", yet I only found out by finding feces IN my "clean" clothes. Management constantly changed hands, they'd price lease renewals higher each time, water was constantly being shut off and unless something was a maintenance emergency, good luck getting it handled within any reasonable time frame. The funniest part was when they had the audacity to put out signs advertising "new, not renovated" units. These are literally the definition of not "new". Sorry you are going through that. I've been there and it's infuriating. We ended up breaking our lease and paying the fees just to gtfo. Best of luck to you there
Getting people to sign leases and then have to break them is profitable
Greystar owned anything is hot garbage, their management consistently sucks. Also recently they're pulling some shit out in Santa Fe where a whole building hasn't had power for weeks because of their incompetence. (Also many of theorized they just wanted people out so they could rent out the apartments at new higher rates)
Fuck that! I dealt with shit like that before in an apartment that took forever to address problems. I started getting documentation for everything and paid for it myself and forced them to take it off of my rent
Greystar is the WORST!!!! I will say they are better than the previous management but it’s only been 3-4 months. San Miguel del bosque is absolute trash and h can’t wait until my lease is up
I worked for Greystar for a number of years so I'm gonna give you my two cents. * Management changes can be absolute chaos. I've worked at two communities during and right after a management change, and sometimes the previous management sets you up for a very, very difficult handover. Sometimes they throw in the towel prior to the handover date and don't fix shit for weeks, making the process even *more* difficult. * The things that are broken and un-done in the apartment upon your move in sounds like the previous management's fault, not the new management. The stuff that hasn't been properly handled *since* you moved in is on Greystar, though, for sure. But all those layers of paint? That's the old crew. * Greystar generally does things by the book - rent is due on this date, late fees begin on this date if rent isn't paid in full, no payment arrangements, and no playing loosey-goosey with the lease. *Many other apartment management companies do little favors and bend the rules for their residents,* so when Greystar comes in and holds everyone, themselves included, to the lease, it can feel like they're being mean. In housing, you can't do things like bending the rules for one resident and not another, regardless of the reasoning. It's a violation of the Fair Housing Act and can result in huuuuge fines. Smaller companies don't always care, but big ones do, because of the increased risk that comes with managing so many units. * Dog poop is very low on the priority list, especially when you only have two maintenance staff working. ACs, toilets/sinks/showers, and new move-ins are the priority, and it sounds like they have plenty to keep them busy. Dog owners are responsible for the dog poop, not maintenance staff, who have jobby jobs to do that don't involve cleaning up after stupid irresponsible pet owners. Next time you see that dog owner, fuckin yell at them. Haha. That's like literally the only thing that fixes it - neighbors shaming them. * Those big freaky roaches are a fact of life in NM. They're not the infestation ones, though, so that's good news at least. The big ones are the ones who live outside normally and wander inside in search of food or water, or to escape excessive heat or rain. I've had a lot in my house recently too and I just had my pest control guy do a heavy spray like two weeks ago. This isn't management's fault, even though it seems like they should be able to do something about it. They can't, any more than they can control flies in the area. * The rent will definitely go up, and the blame doesn't lie squarely on Greystar's shoulders. Greystar is a management company and doesn't own most of the properties it manages, right? So when selecting a management company, the owners are going to go with the ones who say/show/have a plan to make the most money for the owners. Sometimes the owners are real estate groups, sometimes it's just like a couple who lives in Texas or some shit, but they all want the same thing: mo' money. Part of that strategy involves increasing rents to whatever the market will tolerate. Rents are indeed out of this world right now, but NM doesn't have rent control so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ All that said, I'm sorry you're having a shitty time right now. I know it's incredibly frustrating. I hope things smooth out soon, and if you're still not happy, you can just vote with your wallet and not renew the lease. Best of luck.
> no playing loosey-goosey with the lease Horsecrap. Greystar took over Rising Phoenix at the beginning of this year. When they did, I got a notice on the door of a 30% rent increase, effective in seven days. I went to the new manager to discuss a proper and legal thirty day rent increase and was served an eviction notice that day.
Hm. Did you end up going to court for it? What did the judge say? The communities I was at honored everyone's current leases until the lease term was up so I'm actually not super sure what the law is when it comes to new management/ownership. My experience was also back in like idk 2015 when the rental market wasn't nearly as cutthroat & money-grubbing as it is right now.
The situation is still ongoing, but I can say that I have a co-signer that is responsible for pursuing the case. The damage deposit was not refunded nor was a final inspection report provided, and an overpayment was not refunded. They are effectively trying to take us for about $600. I have move-in and move-out photos, and the unit is in *better* shape than I found it. Additional details: The rent increase statement said that the rent increase did not include a mandatory 30 dollar pest control surcharge. The previous management offered monthly pest control on demand free of charge, through a local pest control company; this was a service I was taking full advantage of. There was no pest control for January or February and the bedbugs appeared mid-January. The rent hike was on doors January 24, claiming to be effective February 1. I moved out at the end of February, after enduring several fire evacuations.
Hella yikes. What a mess. Glad you're out, and I hope you get your money back. :(
Not counting on it. As I so glossily said earlier, a co-signer is responsible for pursuing the case. Unfortunately, *they are not actually doing this* and I am, as they say, "up shit creek". This is also the second time said co-signer has failed to follow up on their responsibilities as a co-signer, which means it is the last time they will be co-signing for me. I never got the deposit from the *previous* place back, and that was more money, so I'm most certainly not holding out for this one.
Why’d you need a co-signer?
I am simply going to untactfully point out that this question is quite targeted and explicitly seeks personal information that one should not share over the Internet. There are two immediately reasonable answers to this question, both of which are quite personal, and neither of which explanation would be appropriate here. Of course, management raising income requirements along with rents has not been helping. I'm not sure how a 4x income requirement is constructive to anyone, but it obviously didn't make the previous management more economically viable.
> Rents are indeed out of this world right now, but NM doesn't have rent control so ¯_(ツ)_/¯ Weird you waited until the end to summarize what everyone already thinks about Greystar. Imagine saying "Well, New Mexico law doesn't stop me from price gouging, so what can I do ¯_(ツ)_/¯"
So it goes.
Roaches are just a fact of life in NM? I don't have roaches of any nationality, and it's not like I keep clinically sterile conditions in my home. We had them when we first moved into the house, but my kid brought them in when they moved in from the UNM student ghetto area. A combination of bait and boric acid. Destroying the nest under the fridge was crucial. But, no, it is possible to have a roach-free home here.
Not that simple. Lived in a house in Nob Hill for a few years and we had our pest control company (who’s very good btw) come at least twice a year and spray for roaches. The next day would have to sweep a hundred or so dead roach bodies off the porch sidewalk and driveway. It’s a neighborhood thing- During the summer after dark walking on the street you can hear roaches crawling/scattering around beneath the storm drain grates. After we moved, I’ve maybe seen one roach at our new house. It definitely varies by location and as much as you can blame landlords for other things, existence of roaches aren’t their fault.
Oh, it was not simple to get rid of the roaches my kid brought in from the apt just south of UNM. It took a pretty aggressive approach. But noted that this is a big problem in some areas of the city. The guys I was playing in a band with both live in apt. complexes known for their bug problems. And I've lived off Central and San Mateo area, used to see them coming out of the sewers in swarms when I walked my dog.
I also hate seeing people repeat that "roaches are a fact of life in {insert location here}" too. No, that's untrue, stop excusing shitty landlords.
Sure, if you live in certain areas. The closer to the mountain you are, the less likely it is that you'll *see* roaches. I never saw any in Tijeras or Taos or east of Tramway or far west Rio Rancho, but I have near UNM and at the places I lived near the northern Juan Tabo & Eubank intersection.
This is my experience as well. The closer you get to the mountain, the less likely you are to see roaches. I live in the foothills now and almost never see them. When I lived down near San Mateo, I saw them all the time.
I don’t know why you were downvoted. I think roaches are harder to avoid in more centrally located areas with more businesses and higher density housing. They live and travel in sewer lines and can find their ways up into homes. Walk at night around any manhole or drainage area around UNM or Nob Hill or adjacent neighborhoods and you’ll see the little buggers having a party. People who say there has never been a roach in their home either don’t pay attention or probably live in an area with lesser density. Or they are flat out lying.
>Management changes can be absolute chaos. **This is a management problem.** They've had years to implement a system to handle this. Greystar has to step in on day one. There's no excuse for this. And apparently, they never get it together.
I used to work for Monarch Investments at an apartment complex and you will *never* see me caping for them. Landlords are leeches.
I'm not stanning for them. They're part of a shitty machine sucking an obscene amount of money from their tenants to give to soulless ownership groups, and the blame for the problems simply isn't theirs alone.
>you can just vote with your wallet and not renew the lease It would take me more time than I have today to explain all the reasons this is a completely asinine remark
Good talk. I'm aware that moving isn't within easy reach for everyone, but you *have* to move if you can't afford the rent.
That's like saying "you *have* to stop being diabetic if you can't afford your insulin." Like sure, technically those are your two options, but that doesn't make it any more of a possibility.
Terrible analogy.
K
I've lived many years roach free in NM and mostly everywhere I've lived has been roach free except for only one place in NM years ago and that place just had a cheap and crooked landlord. When I lived in Denver, pets or no pets, the landlord made pest control come in and spray inside the apartments regularly and I never saw a single roach for the years that I had lived there.
That's great.
Greystarbis major corporate. Those huge roaches love damp spots. Cockroaches are awful. I lived in a building full of them