9/3/26
Charged $1,742.85 for Pet Damage That Did Not Exist
Charged $1,742.85 for Alleged Pet Damage. My daughter rented from Stonehaven Communities/Broadway Apartments for three years. When she moved out, she was charged $1,742.85 to replace the carpet due to alleged pet damage. There was no pet damage to the carpet.
We have multiple photographs showing the carpet throughout the apartment, including the living room, hallway and bedroom. The carpet in those photographs is in good condition with no visible pet damage. Her robot vacuum also ran daily and... the pets did not have accidents on the carpet.
She accepted a $215 cleaning charge and an $85 drywall repair charge, which used her entire $300 security deposit. She did not dispute those charges. She did immediately dispute the additional $1,742.85 carpet replacement charge and repeatedly asked management for the photographs showing the alleged pet damage and the invoice for the carpet replacement.
Their written response was:
“Management has received your request for the carpet replacement invoice and photographs of the damage. We are not providing additional internal documentation at this time.”
Their move-out statement also warned that an unpaid balance would be sent to collections after 14 days. My daughter and her boyfriend ultimately paid the disputed amount rather than incur the expense of fighting the charge or risk having the balance sent to collections. Payment should not be mistaken for agreement that the alleged damage existed.
If a management company is going to charge a tenant nearly $1,750 to replace carpet because of pet damage, I believe the tenant should be able to see the damage being charged for and documentation supporting the amount. Our own photographs show carpet in good condition with no visible pet damage, while management declined to provide the photographs my daughter requested showing otherwise.
This is especially concerning in a college town where many renters are young adults who may not know how to challenge a large move-out charge or have the resources to seek legal help.
If you rent here, photograph and video every square inch of every room, especially the floors, immediately before returning your keys and keep the original files. Based on our experience, I would definitely not recommend Stonehaven Communities or Broadway Apartments.
Review from Apartments.com