Romarr Properties: Why I hate them Reason #1 They totally screwed my on my security deposit by charging me an unnecessary cleaning fee when the place was in excellent move-in ready condition. They also charged me to replace the old and dilapidated set of blinds that should have been part of their unit upkeep and covered under “normal wear and tear”. Reason #2 I never felt like I had any privacy. The building at La Romarr located at 10014 5th Ave NE is set up such that everyone can see and hear everyone coming and going. Since there is an on-site building manager who is constantly outside working on something, it felt as if all my comings and going were monitored. In his defense, he is very detail oriented and keeps himself constantly busy. His honesty and work ethic are strangely offset with the calculating cut throat business model of Romarr Properties. So he is not to blame, but none the less I didn’t like being constantly watched. Reason #3 The walls between apartments are thin and poorly sound insulated. This is actually what motivated my move-out decision. After accommodating myself to the fact that I was going to hear my neighbors regularly, I received a couple of noise complaints in the middle of the day because my neighbors could hear my music. I kept the volume on a subjective three and which meant I could not really hear it over the dishwasher, so I don’t feel it was too loud in general, however it was too loud for them. Even though the paperwork I signed listed quite time at after 10PM and before 8AM as quiet time, which I always adhered to, I just decided to move, rather than be right and make enemies. This is not a place to make ANY sound; especially since the shape of the apartments and hallways leading up to them acoustically magnifies sound like a speaker box. The last four months I lived there I had a towel to block the 2” crack between the front door and the floor. This was to muffle sound and keep the cold out. Reason #4 They said I could have a cat when I moved in. It was one of the search criteria I plugged into Craig’s List when searching for a new place to live. After I moved in and was ready to get a furry friend they emailed me the pet addendum. Among other things that were completely unnecessary and I had no intention of doing, like provide documentation twice a year that the animal has been flea dipped (i.e. drenched in poison), they required you to declaw the animal. No way, that’s mean. Reason #5 I gave three months notice of when exactly I would be moving out. As soon as that last month approached they started pushing to show the place to potential renters. When I told them I did not feel comfortable with that while I still lived there, they threaten to force me to comply by giving me a “Notice of Intended Entry”. I explained to them that answering an internet ad and claiming interest in an apartment was not significant criteria for them to invite a stranger into my life and home. Had I not held a firm line, they would have walked all over me. Reason #6 I cleaned that unit until it was in excellent condition and instead of appreciating the virtually “no-touch” turn I provided for them, they leveraged anything they could to find a reason to not return a portion of my security deposit. What did they find? Some crumbs in the cabinets, some dirt in the sliding glass door track, and if you took apart the hood above the stove there was grease behind the screens. Please note that if you assemble the hood properly the surface was spotless after having been cleaned with oven-cleaner. So Romarr Properties charged me for two hours of cleaning at $35/hour for crumbs, dirt in the door track, and hidden grease. Reason #7 I have to take them to small claims court. After sending them a letter requesting my remaining deposit back, they ignored me. I sent it to their official email address and I mailed a hard copy to their office. I gave them two weeks to respond, but they did not. I asked them for receipt to show actual cost incurred, but they did not provide them. I would advise anyone thinking of living at La Romarr or any or the Romarr Properties to protect yourself with picture, witnesses, and documentation. I am glad I did a walkthrough with my current building manager before I did it with an agent for Romarr. Fortunately I had the foresight to get a witness in the industry sign a statement. I rented from winter '08 through summer 10. ...