My partner and I toured this apartment and submitted an application the following day. After two weeks of trying to get a clear answer about our application, we ultimately withdrew because we were extremely uncomfortable with how the process was handled.

After waiting a full week without an update, we called and were told our application “didn’t look bad, but didn’t look great.” We are young, first-time renters, so we don’t have an extensive rental history. My partner has excellent credit,... while my credit is currently lower than usual because I was out of work for several months following a medical emergency. We both have steady income and also had a highly financially qualified co-signer available.

I asked whether we could add the co-signer or provide additional funds. We were eventually told that paying two months of rent in advance would work, which we agreed to, and that we would receive a call to arrange signing the lease and providing the deposit.

That call never came. We had to call again ourselves and were told they were still waiting on paperwork. During this entire two-week process, we never received a proactive update. Every update came because we called, despite repeatedly being told we would receive a call back.

What ultimately made us walk away was discovering that the apartment was still actively being offered to prospective renters. An inquiry from another prospective renter received a prompt response that the unit was still available and offering a tour, while our call about signing the lease went unanswered.

I understand that an application does not guarantee an apartment. My issue is the lack of transparency and communication. If we weren’t approved or other applicants were still being considered, we simply should have been told. Instead, we were told two months of rent in advance would work and that we would be contacted to sign the lease.

We have limited time to find housing and lost two weeks that could have been spent seriously pursuing other apartments. Applicants deserve clear communication about where they stand.

After this experience, I no longer felt comfortable entering into a landlord-tenant relationship here and withdrew our application. I strongly recommend prospective renters continue looking elsewhere until they have a signed lease and get everything regarding their application status in writing. Read More