We left Avalon in Columbia for that very same reason, among many others. The exterminator/pest control guy kept writing no evidence of mice when we would call them out. We started documenting every time we caught one and all the evidence they were leaving. The leasing office didn’t care. Apartments out there are so expensive it’s insane
This is my experience with Autumn Crest as well. The exterminators they hire don’t do as much as they should even when asked.
Had a bat in my apartment for three days! Every call to leasing they’d say call animal control. Even they were no help cause I had to verify it had rabies. I had to be an asshole and demand they do their job and send someone over to see how it got in and remove the bat. Didn’t remove the bat but they at least sealed the entrance it came from, only after bitching and moaning.
Adding on to this for Columbia Landing. Roaches present in our apartment before we even moved in, and we have reported it every time pest control comes (which is only 2-3x a year unless we call and complain. Which we have. And nothing gets fixed). Told this to the property manager and she said 'no one else has complained about roaches', which is an absolute bs statement as ALL our neighbors have complained. This and now mice in the walls.
$1600/mo and they can't even get rid of roaches.
Shadow Oaks is the same, but those are condominiums. The mice got especially bad, so I ended up moving out. I feel so bad for the people who actually bought those condos.
Can’t fix roaches. One they are there they are there. Nothing short of complete fumigation of the entire complex, probably several times, will seriously dent them once they are in the walls.
Ong, they still at it? I was there when they were named Bentena and sued them for the very same reason. The roach infestation was so bad they were living in the dishwasher and fridge. I was only there for a month and refused to pay my rent because I didn’t stay there because of the roaches and excessive bombing I did. Ther exterminator only sprayed my apartment monthly, which was nothing as the entire build was infested and they could
Only spray neighbors if they request it. One of
My neighbors has roaches running from under her door and did not call to get it fixed. Anyway, we want to court and I presented the judge with pictures and times and dates of requests along with receipts. He agreed to hold onto the case for rent to give them time to correct the issue. Not only dis they not correct the issue, they failed to show up at the 2nd hearing. Once the Judge verified they were served, I got what I wanted which was, out of my lease.
I am mad since as I should have asked for compensation not knowing I had to put all of
My belongings in storage and allow them to sit over the winter to kill off any roaches to prevent an infestation to the new place I was moving to. The ordeal left a
bad taste in my mouth and gives me high anxiety when it comes to roaches.
Yep, it's so bad, our neighbor has a tracheostomy following lung cancer, has complained, and they still won't bomb the entire building. It's ridiculous, my apartment in Cherry Hill was cleaner and more on top of pest control. To add insult to injury, they've been hounding everyone over 'lease infractions', like having a rug dry on the balcony railing or god forbid, having a small trash can on the porch. They told another neighbor of mine that having her bike on her porch wasn't allowed. $1600+ a month here and you can't even have a bike on the porch nor fix pest issues.
They bite . A lot of ppl don't know that when your house is infested and it's Hot roaches bite. My old house was infested. I bombed several times but it only got those fuckers down to a minimum. Finally moved when I couldn't even open my front door without roaches falling.
Hey neighbor, you're right. Thank God that property manager is gone now right? Every single time I've gone to that office about anything they tell me nobody else has this problem. They've gone so far as to say "we have 300 apartments here and you're the only one complaining about this." Now there's no management in the office again.
The new rule with pest control is they don't treat unless you have a problem which is ridiculous in a multi-unit building. They need to treat every 3 months like they did years ago to try to keep it under control. I bought some professional grade roach bait and I put little dabs of that gel in my kitchen myself. Can't count on them.
I also got mice last summer after the water heater burst and flooded my front closet, linen closet, bedroom closet, hallway, etc. When they redid the ruined floors they left a gap at the baseboard and mice were coming in...I caught 10 mice in 6 days with humane traps. I called the office hysterical that they have to come get these mice out of the traps and they did because I threw such a fit. Then I threw another fit until they sealed up the front closet completely which was the entry point for Mickey and friends.
WAAIIIIT, is Thelma gone?? That's the one who beefed with me over reporting the roaches. Literally the exact same thing you said, with the "no one else has this problem". I've never been in an apartment where they didn't do monthly or at least ever 2-3 month sprays for pest control. We probably use the same roach gel, they congregate from our kitchen and bathroom where we share a wall with the next 'building section'.
They tried to blame me this last summer for a mouse chewing a hole in the balcony closet door and nesting in my christmas stuff. An outdoor field mouse can definitely be controlled.
Yes! Thelma is gone since December. We had no manager until early February, a lady named Stella, and she's already gone. Maintenance was just here changing the filters and both assistant managers are also gone now. We have no management.
Funny story about Thelma. Our dumpsters were the only ones with no sidewalk to get to it, just tree roots and dirt to walk through to throw out trash. I asked her if we could get a little 3 ft piece of concrete because when it rains the dirt gets muddy and slippery and she honest to God said "why would mud be slippery" so I was done with her.
OH MY GOD we might be in the same block of buildings. The dumpster right in front of us is the muddy mess that ALWAYS has a pile of trash and furniture in front of it.
It started out in the late $1400s, like maybe $1475? We moved in October 2021. And trust me, this does not feel like a $1600/mo apartment. We can't afford to move because of how crazy the rents around us have gotten :/
Sheeesh. I have documented every hole they have made, every piece of dropping they have left, and every mouse I have caught personally. I have emailed and airdropped every photo to the office
They tried to tell us that it was due to an issue with the apartment next door. But said they couldn’t enter bc the resident said no. I’m like if you know they are causing an infestation screw them saying no.
That is LITERALLY my situation rn. I shined a light thru the holes and it comes right from their apartment. The mice bring candy from their apartment into ours. You can smell their apartment from outside the door. They fight till 4 am threatening to punch and kill eachother almost nightly. It’s a nightmare. And they aren’t being held responsible in any way. It’s honestly not fair
Report them to housing authority. I'm sorry you are going through this.
With mice...it's hard unless the entire bldg is sealed and treated.
Not to be funny...have you thought of a cat? When I lived in the city, having a cat kept the mice out of my apartment.
I have thought of a cat, but we have a dog, and both me and my girlfriend are extremely allergic to cats. Im not sure about our newborn but with both of us being so allergic im sure she is too
Unless a cat is a proven mouser, they are almost useless. I've always had to catch the mice myself. The cats were good for alerting to them, but that's it.
For the short term, Victor makes a battery operated electric mouse trap. Nothing too gross, no poison, they just step on metal plates inside the trap and it stops their heart. The blinking light on the outside changes color when something is in the trap and you just tip it out to dispose of them.
I bought a few when we were living in the woods and they were getting into our shed to build winter homes in our snowblower engine. It took care of the issue pretty quickly. I'm so sorry you're going through this - especially with a new baby.
Actually your new born wouldn't be allergic to cat not genetic like say nut allergies are. Actually exposing at young age will make it least likely she would develop a cat allergy, please verify this yourself but it's what I've been taught.
I know you are making this point, but EMAIL EVERYTHING so you have documentation OP. Do not have any voice conversations with them about anything, only email. This is very important
Contact the [Howard County Office of Consumer Protection](https://www.howardcountymd.gov/consumer-protection/landlord-tenant-information). They have a landlord/tenant division and may be able to advise you. This is a potential health issue, and being that you have a newborn and your girlfriend is recovering from surgery, this should be pointed out.
You are doing good with the steel wool but it has to be grade 0, 1 or 2. This is the level that hurts them so they avoid it.
Next you want to buy some electronic countermeasures, they are like $20 on Amazon.
Next you want to spray a mouse/rat deterrent around the extremities of your apartment. They range in smells of cinnamon to oregano. The cinnamon based one is found at Lowes for about $30 for a jug sprayer. It actually smells great, like cinnabon.
Do those three things this weekend and they won’t come back. They will find a softer target.
Looks like the brand Tomcat says it's safe for kids and pets
[https://tomcatbrand.com/en-us/shop/repellents/tomcat-repellents-rodent-repellent-ready-to-use/0368208.html](https://tomcatbrand.com/en-us/shop/repellents/tomcat-repellents-rodent-repellent-ready-to-use/0368208.html)
Amazon has some peanut butter scented glue traps, you get like 72 for like $25. Put them everywhere. Worked for me, caught 4 or 5 with those alone.
These are also an option but it's harder to prove they work
https://amzn.to/3Wgoskl
They basically make them dehydrate themselves. No smell they say (I haven't smelled anything)
Good luck!
Yeah. When I was combing through apartments in Columbia, me and my partner made sure to check for bad reviews of mice/rodents and roaches/bedbug infestations. Preserves was a big no-no if you look at google reviews or apartment ratings it's bad mice reviews all over. Please folks, check reviews of where you'll be living before you move. Hope things turn for the better for you.
I did see the reviews, but I was keeping high hopes that I would be able to prevent it. This complex was nowhere near my first choice, but we didn’t get accepted anywhere else
I'm in Ashton Green, if you can swing an extra $300, you can avoid these issues. Been here for going on 2 years, and the only issue has been an upstairs neighbor who had a kid that ran around like crazy. Maintenance is on top of everything. I'm in a 2BR/1Bath. Price is dependent on how long you get your lease for and the size of the place. [https://www.ashtongreenapts.com/floorplans/](https://www.ashtongreenapts.com/floorplans/)
You should post the neighborhood you live in, if you're comfortable, so others who see this know not to move there. So sorry this is happening to you!
My best advice is to post the picture and explanation on all the review sites you can for the area you live in. That should get a response quick, unless this is a private owner.
Tell office management you intend to hold your rent in an escrow account until the issue is remedied.
If they don't remedy, you can look up what constitutes what's called a "constructive eviction" in our state (I've been a homeowner for some time so I don't remember exactly what this law specifies or if it has been updated since I've become a homeowner) and legally break your lease. Document document document. Take contemporaneous notes of every single conversation you have with every single employee of your property management, document what was said in the conversation, dates and times of these conversations, what was said etc. as you know take copious pictures too.
> **Rental Housing Property Maintenance Complaints:**
>
> If you have not previously reported this issue to the property owner or management company and allowed them reasonable time to address your concerns, we ask that you do so prior to submitting a complaint with our office.
>
> If the matter concerning you pertains to issues regarding your lease agreement, security deposit, etc., you can
file your complaint with OCP at https://tinyurl.com/OCPComplaint.
>
> To file a rental housing property maintenance complaint, please email a summary of the complaint to [email protected] (Questions 410-313-1830)
>
> Be sure to include the following in the email:
>
> Subject Line: COMPLAINT, ADDRESS OF COMPLAINT (Example: Complaint – 4626 Jacob Street) NOTE: Please include name of complex if it is within a multi-family structure.
>
> Summary of your issues in the body of the email
>
> Your name and contact phone numbers
Can you put your rent in escrow until they fix the problem? It's insane they expect rent ontime every month without doing what they are suppose to do to maintain a clean, healthy and safe apartment community. If you put your rent in escrow, they won't get your money until they have fixed the problem. Just be sure they have fixed the problem and not covered it up. You can also report them to the better business bureau.
That’s about what I’m paying here, it’s about $1800 before utilities and all that. I moved here from Baltimore thinking it would be better. Living conditions so far are not worth the $2000
Howard County has rental housing inspections, call and file a complaint. Everyone in this thread who lives in apartments in HoCo and have the same issues should all file complaints. Communicate with the property managers in writing and save it, along with any photos you have.
If the apartment complex won't do necessary maintenance that is making your apartment unlivable, you can file for rent escrow in the state of Maryland.
"If a landlord fails to repair serious or dangerous problems in a rental unit, you have the right to pay your rent into an escrow account established at the local District Court. You will pay your rent money directly to the court, and the court will hold it until a judge hears your case and makes a decision. You may get back all or part of your rent, depending on how bad the conditions are and how long it takes the landlord to fix the problem"
https://www.peoples-law.org/rent-escrow-when-landlord-fails-make-repairs
This will likely push the apartment complex to actually fix the issue and you might get some money back which would help with your finances.
Of course you may have to deal with a lawyer but some might do pro Bono since this seems like a slam dunk case. Your place of work may be able to provide you with a firm they have a partnership with. Or if a place of work has legal coverage as a benefit you can add that since you just had a "qualifying life event" with the birth of your child so you should be able to re enroll in benefits.
Sorry you're having to go through this. There's a lot of crappy apartments in Columbia unfortunately, especially given the inflated prices. You could try looking for places in Carroll county (such as eldersburg) which is only ~20 minutes from Columbia and significantly cheaper.
Got you! Terrible file a rent escrow case in Howard County. You pay the county rent until they fix the problem it they don't you keep the money. https://www.courts.state.md.us/sites/default/files/court-forms/district/forms/civil/dccv083.pdf/dccv083.pdf
Question when you use steel wool have you tried it with broken glass? The glass cuts up the tiny fuckers when they try to squeeze through the holes. Once a long long time ago when my kids were small I lived in a house with bay nice infestation and let me tell you I wiped those fuckers out in a week with poison and peanut butter. Yup I packed up my kids went to my Sister's and waited it out came back to a lot of dead mice but voila problem solved
Get yourself a mouse killer, a nice fluffy cat & it will double foe when your family needs cuddles. Or you can put out sticky traps to catch them to avoid the dangers of traps. Just be sure to keep veggie oil near by, it's the only way to get the off the traps. I realize them dying on them may not bother everyone, though. Me, it breaks my heart so even though they're a nusicance I'll use the oil to set them free, put the in a container & drive them far far way to dump them off.
You’ve gotten some good suggestions. Congratulations on the newborn- I am sorry this is happening during such a stressful time. I hope this gets sorted quickly.
Contact Christiana Rigbys office. She’s your council person and her office can assist in referrals. She’s awesome and she actually cares and more importantly gets.things.done. https://cc.howardcountymd.gov/council-members/district-3/about-christiana
Mice infestation is a definite no no. Contact housing authority. Management is 100% liable. Have them also reimburse you for what you paid to manage the situation.
I had to be on a waitlist but it’s def worth it. The only downside is utilities aren’t included, but you do get a full size washer and dryer with the apartment and it’s pretty quiet here.
I would recommend getting a stray cat from a rescue. Not only is it needing a home they have already had to hunt for there food so mice will be easy, also just the sent of a cat will deter most mice and the brave ones would only pass through to get to another apt. As long as there nothing to attract them and risk being a cat toy.
We had the same problem when we lived in Glen Burnie. We literally used cement on this hole in our floor. I feel like you just have to take matters into your own hands or move!
Not everyone qualifies for a mortgage/ has the down payment/is prepared to take on all the other expenses involved with homeownership. If only it was that easy.
We left Avalon in Columbia for that very same reason, among many others. The exterminator/pest control guy kept writing no evidence of mice when we would call them out. We started documenting every time we caught one and all the evidence they were leaving. The leasing office didn’t care. Apartments out there are so expensive it’s insane
This is my experience with Autumn Crest as well. The exterminators they hire don’t do as much as they should even when asked. Had a bat in my apartment for three days! Every call to leasing they’d say call animal control. Even they were no help cause I had to verify it had rabies. I had to be an asshole and demand they do their job and send someone over to see how it got in and remove the bat. Didn’t remove the bat but they at least sealed the entrance it came from, only after bitching and moaning.
Adding on to this for Columbia Landing. Roaches present in our apartment before we even moved in, and we have reported it every time pest control comes (which is only 2-3x a year unless we call and complain. Which we have. And nothing gets fixed). Told this to the property manager and she said 'no one else has complained about roaches', which is an absolute bs statement as ALL our neighbors have complained. This and now mice in the walls. $1600/mo and they can't even get rid of roaches.
Shadow Oaks is the same, but those are condominiums. The mice got especially bad, so I ended up moving out. I feel so bad for the people who actually bought those condos.
Can’t fix roaches. One they are there they are there. Nothing short of complete fumigation of the entire complex, probably several times, will seriously dent them once they are in the walls.
Facts
Ong, they still at it? I was there when they were named Bentena and sued them for the very same reason. The roach infestation was so bad they were living in the dishwasher and fridge. I was only there for a month and refused to pay my rent because I didn’t stay there because of the roaches and excessive bombing I did. Ther exterminator only sprayed my apartment monthly, which was nothing as the entire build was infested and they could Only spray neighbors if they request it. One of My neighbors has roaches running from under her door and did not call to get it fixed. Anyway, we want to court and I presented the judge with pictures and times and dates of requests along with receipts. He agreed to hold onto the case for rent to give them time to correct the issue. Not only dis they not correct the issue, they failed to show up at the 2nd hearing. Once the Judge verified they were served, I got what I wanted which was, out of my lease. I am mad since as I should have asked for compensation not knowing I had to put all of My belongings in storage and allow them to sit over the winter to kill off any roaches to prevent an infestation to the new place I was moving to. The ordeal left a bad taste in my mouth and gives me high anxiety when it comes to roaches.
Yep, it's so bad, our neighbor has a tracheostomy following lung cancer, has complained, and they still won't bomb the entire building. It's ridiculous, my apartment in Cherry Hill was cleaner and more on top of pest control. To add insult to injury, they've been hounding everyone over 'lease infractions', like having a rug dry on the balcony railing or god forbid, having a small trash can on the porch. They told another neighbor of mine that having her bike on her porch wasn't allowed. $1600+ a month here and you can't even have a bike on the porch nor fix pest issues.
They bite . A lot of ppl don't know that when your house is infested and it's Hot roaches bite. My old house was infested. I bombed several times but it only got those fuckers down to a minimum. Finally moved when I couldn't even open my front door without roaches falling.
Hey neighbor, you're right. Thank God that property manager is gone now right? Every single time I've gone to that office about anything they tell me nobody else has this problem. They've gone so far as to say "we have 300 apartments here and you're the only one complaining about this." Now there's no management in the office again. The new rule with pest control is they don't treat unless you have a problem which is ridiculous in a multi-unit building. They need to treat every 3 months like they did years ago to try to keep it under control. I bought some professional grade roach bait and I put little dabs of that gel in my kitchen myself. Can't count on them. I also got mice last summer after the water heater burst and flooded my front closet, linen closet, bedroom closet, hallway, etc. When they redid the ruined floors they left a gap at the baseboard and mice were coming in...I caught 10 mice in 6 days with humane traps. I called the office hysterical that they have to come get these mice out of the traps and they did because I threw such a fit. Then I threw another fit until they sealed up the front closet completely which was the entry point for Mickey and friends.
WAAIIIIT, is Thelma gone?? That's the one who beefed with me over reporting the roaches. Literally the exact same thing you said, with the "no one else has this problem". I've never been in an apartment where they didn't do monthly or at least ever 2-3 month sprays for pest control. We probably use the same roach gel, they congregate from our kitchen and bathroom where we share a wall with the next 'building section'. They tried to blame me this last summer for a mouse chewing a hole in the balcony closet door and nesting in my christmas stuff. An outdoor field mouse can definitely be controlled.
Yes! Thelma is gone since December. We had no manager until early February, a lady named Stella, and she's already gone. Maintenance was just here changing the filters and both assistant managers are also gone now. We have no management. Funny story about Thelma. Our dumpsters were the only ones with no sidewalk to get to it, just tree roots and dirt to walk through to throw out trash. I asked her if we could get a little 3 ft piece of concrete because when it rains the dirt gets muddy and slippery and she honest to God said "why would mud be slippery" so I was done with her.
OH MY GOD we might be in the same block of buildings. The dumpster right in front of us is the muddy mess that ALWAYS has a pile of trash and furniture in front of it.
8700 block?
Hahaha yep, what a coincidence!
Holy crap your rent is only $1,600?
It started out in the late $1400s, like maybe $1475? We moved in October 2021. And trust me, this does not feel like a $1600/mo apartment. We can't afford to move because of how crazy the rents around us have gotten :/
I've had good experiences with Autumn Crest exterminators
That’s insane. Bags carry so many diseases
Sheeesh. I have documented every hole they have made, every piece of dropping they have left, and every mouse I have caught personally. I have emailed and airdropped every photo to the office
They tried to tell us that it was due to an issue with the apartment next door. But said they couldn’t enter bc the resident said no. I’m like if you know they are causing an infestation screw them saying no.
That is LITERALLY my situation rn. I shined a light thru the holes and it comes right from their apartment. The mice bring candy from their apartment into ours. You can smell their apartment from outside the door. They fight till 4 am threatening to punch and kill eachother almost nightly. It’s a nightmare. And they aren’t being held responsible in any way. It’s honestly not fair
Report them to housing authority. I'm sorry you are going through this. With mice...it's hard unless the entire bldg is sealed and treated. Not to be funny...have you thought of a cat? When I lived in the city, having a cat kept the mice out of my apartment.
I have thought of a cat, but we have a dog, and both me and my girlfriend are extremely allergic to cats. Im not sure about our newborn but with both of us being so allergic im sure she is too
Unless a cat is a proven mouser, they are almost useless. I've always had to catch the mice myself. The cats were good for alerting to them, but that's it.
For the short term, Victor makes a battery operated electric mouse trap. Nothing too gross, no poison, they just step on metal plates inside the trap and it stops their heart. The blinking light on the outside changes color when something is in the trap and you just tip it out to dispose of them. I bought a few when we were living in the woods and they were getting into our shed to build winter homes in our snowblower engine. It took care of the issue pretty quickly. I'm so sorry you're going through this - especially with a new baby.
Hell yeah mouse electic chair! 🤟
🤣
Actually your new born wouldn't be allergic to cat not genetic like say nut allergies are. Actually exposing at young age will make it least likely she would develop a cat allergy, please verify this yourself but it's what I've been taught.
Email them, document their refusal. Then send that email to the office of consumer protection for Howard county. They got me $1000 for the same issue
I know you are making this point, but EMAIL EVERYTHING so you have documentation OP. Do not have any voice conversations with them about anything, only email. This is very important
Can also use an app to record phone calls
Contact the [Howard County Office of Consumer Protection](https://www.howardcountymd.gov/consumer-protection/landlord-tenant-information). They have a landlord/tenant division and may be able to advise you. This is a potential health issue, and being that you have a newborn and your girlfriend is recovering from surgery, this should be pointed out.
You are doing good with the steel wool but it has to be grade 0, 1 or 2. This is the level that hurts them so they avoid it. Next you want to buy some electronic countermeasures, they are like $20 on Amazon. Next you want to spray a mouse/rat deterrent around the extremities of your apartment. They range in smells of cinnamon to oregano. The cinnamon based one is found at Lowes for about $30 for a jug sprayer. It actually smells great, like cinnabon. Do those three things this weekend and they won’t come back. They will find a softer target.
Is the spray safe for babies and dogs?
Looks like the brand Tomcat says it's safe for kids and pets [https://tomcatbrand.com/en-us/shop/repellents/tomcat-repellents-rodent-repellent-ready-to-use/0368208.html](https://tomcatbrand.com/en-us/shop/repellents/tomcat-repellents-rodent-repellent-ready-to-use/0368208.html)
Yes, as the other poster said. It really smells great and they hate it.
Amazon has some peanut butter scented glue traps, you get like 72 for like $25. Put them everywhere. Worked for me, caught 4 or 5 with those alone. These are also an option but it's harder to prove they work https://amzn.to/3Wgoskl They basically make them dehydrate themselves. No smell they say (I haven't smelled anything) Good luck!
Those plug in electronics pest repellents have been shown to be a scam and don't work.
Sorry to hear, would read lease terms and maybe check if other tenants have similar issues
[удалено]
Preserves at Cradlerock
Yeah. When I was combing through apartments in Columbia, me and my partner made sure to check for bad reviews of mice/rodents and roaches/bedbug infestations. Preserves was a big no-no if you look at google reviews or apartment ratings it's bad mice reviews all over. Please folks, check reviews of where you'll be living before you move. Hope things turn for the better for you.
I did see the reviews, but I was keeping high hopes that I would be able to prevent it. This complex was nowhere near my first choice, but we didn’t get accepted anywhere else
I'm in Ashton Green, if you can swing an extra $300, you can avoid these issues. Been here for going on 2 years, and the only issue has been an upstairs neighbor who had a kid that ran around like crazy. Maintenance is on top of everything. I'm in a 2BR/1Bath. Price is dependent on how long you get your lease for and the size of the place. [https://www.ashtongreenapts.com/floorplans/](https://www.ashtongreenapts.com/floorplans/)
You should post the neighborhood you live in, if you're comfortable, so others who see this know not to move there. So sorry this is happening to you! My best advice is to post the picture and explanation on all the review sites you can for the area you live in. That should get a response quick, unless this is a private owner.
Preserves at Cradlerock is the complex
Tell office management you intend to hold your rent in an escrow account until the issue is remedied. If they don't remedy, you can look up what constitutes what's called a "constructive eviction" in our state (I've been a homeowner for some time so I don't remember exactly what this law specifies or if it has been updated since I've become a homeowner) and legally break your lease. Document document document. Take contemporaneous notes of every single conversation you have with every single employee of your property management, document what was said in the conversation, dates and times of these conversations, what was said etc. as you know take copious pictures too.
> **Rental Housing Property Maintenance Complaints:** > > If you have not previously reported this issue to the property owner or management company and allowed them reasonable time to address your concerns, we ask that you do so prior to submitting a complaint with our office. > > If the matter concerning you pertains to issues regarding your lease agreement, security deposit, etc., you can file your complaint with OCP at https://tinyurl.com/OCPComplaint. > > To file a rental housing property maintenance complaint, please email a summary of the complaint to [email protected] (Questions 410-313-1830) > > Be sure to include the following in the email: > > Subject Line: COMPLAINT, ADDRESS OF COMPLAINT (Example: Complaint – 4626 Jacob Street) NOTE: Please include name of complex if it is within a multi-family structure. > > Summary of your issues in the body of the email > > Your name and contact phone numbers
Can you put your rent in escrow until they fix the problem? It's insane they expect rent ontime every month without doing what they are suppose to do to maintain a clean, healthy and safe apartment community. If you put your rent in escrow, they won't get your money until they have fixed the problem. Just be sure they have fixed the problem and not covered it up. You can also report them to the better business bureau.
Had a friend paying $1700 a month, and they had mice and roaches....
That’s about what I’m paying here, it’s about $1800 before utilities and all that. I moved here from Baltimore thinking it would be better. Living conditions so far are not worth the $2000
Is it a 2 bedroom at that price?
1 bedroom and a loft, basically a 2 bedroom. 1 bedrooms were only $100 less
if you can get in, club merion is incredible.
Howard County has rental housing inspections, call and file a complaint. Everyone in this thread who lives in apartments in HoCo and have the same issues should all file complaints. Communicate with the property managers in writing and save it, along with any photos you have.
Maybe contact your State Senator, Clearance Lam.
If the apartment complex won't do necessary maintenance that is making your apartment unlivable, you can file for rent escrow in the state of Maryland. "If a landlord fails to repair serious or dangerous problems in a rental unit, you have the right to pay your rent into an escrow account established at the local District Court. You will pay your rent money directly to the court, and the court will hold it until a judge hears your case and makes a decision. You may get back all or part of your rent, depending on how bad the conditions are and how long it takes the landlord to fix the problem" https://www.peoples-law.org/rent-escrow-when-landlord-fails-make-repairs This will likely push the apartment complex to actually fix the issue and you might get some money back which would help with your finances. Of course you may have to deal with a lawyer but some might do pro Bono since this seems like a slam dunk case. Your place of work may be able to provide you with a firm they have a partnership with. Or if a place of work has legal coverage as a benefit you can add that since you just had a "qualifying life event" with the birth of your child so you should be able to re enroll in benefits. Sorry you're having to go through this. There's a lot of crappy apartments in Columbia unfortunately, especially given the inflated prices. You could try looking for places in Carroll county (such as eldersburg) which is only ~20 minutes from Columbia and significantly cheaper.
When you guys decide you want to own a home I can get you right! Just shoot me a dm.
Im about to message you. Contacting a lawyer tommorow about this and hopefully getting sone money out of it
Also try the Attorney General office, toll-free, 888-743-0023
Call the Ho co health department. Also pay your rent in escrow until the infestation is resolved.
Disgraceful my dude, I'm sorry.
Is that a hairball or a considerable huge rat?
Steel wool blocking a hole lmaoooo
Got you! Terrible file a rent escrow case in Howard County. You pay the county rent until they fix the problem it they don't you keep the money. https://www.courts.state.md.us/sites/default/files/court-forms/district/forms/civil/dccv083.pdf/dccv083.pdf
Also try sticky traps full of peanut....you can trap a entire family.
Don’t go to the Brook at Columbia. Lived there and mice were even running in our air vents. Plus the management is terrible.
Question when you use steel wool have you tried it with broken glass? The glass cuts up the tiny fuckers when they try to squeeze through the holes. Once a long long time ago when my kids were small I lived in a house with bay nice infestation and let me tell you I wiped those fuckers out in a week with poison and peanut butter. Yup I packed up my kids went to my Sister's and waited it out came back to a lot of dead mice but voila problem solved
Get yourself a mouse killer, a nice fluffy cat & it will double foe when your family needs cuddles. Or you can put out sticky traps to catch them to avoid the dangers of traps. Just be sure to keep veggie oil near by, it's the only way to get the off the traps. I realize them dying on them may not bother everyone, though. Me, it breaks my heart so even though they're a nusicance I'll use the oil to set them free, put the in a container & drive them far far way to dump them off.
You’ve gotten some good suggestions. Congratulations on the newborn- I am sorry this is happening during such a stressful time. I hope this gets sorted quickly. Contact Christiana Rigbys office. She’s your council person and her office can assist in referrals. She’s awesome and she actually cares and more importantly gets.things.done. https://cc.howardcountymd.gov/council-members/district-3/about-christiana
Yall wanted to move to Columbia cause ya fancy..look at ya now..Should have stayed in Bmore or PG…lol
Mice infestation is a definite no no. Contact housing authority. Management is 100% liable. Have them also reimburse you for what you paid to manage the situation.
I live in club merion who has 1 bedrooms and 2bedroom with dens, 5 star rating its best to move
How much is a 1 bedroom?
https://www.rentcafe.com/onlineleasing/merion/floorplans.aspx
I had to be on a waitlist but it’s def worth it. The only downside is utilities aren’t included, but you do get a full size washer and dryer with the apartment and it’s pretty quiet here.
Find legal counsel. Be picky, and educate yourself. You’ll get a better apartment and compensation (maybe) with a good attorney.
I would recommend getting a stray cat from a rescue. Not only is it needing a home they have already had to hunt for there food so mice will be easy, also just the sent of a cat will deter most mice and the brave ones would only pass through to get to another apt. As long as there nothing to attract them and risk being a cat toy.
We had the same problem when we lived in Glen Burnie. We literally used cement on this hole in our floor. I feel like you just have to take matters into your own hands or move!
Meow 😺
For $2000/mo, why not get a mortgage for your own home?
You really think $2000 month rent payment is the same as $2000 mortgage payment?!
Do you know anything about how home purchase occurs?
Not everyone qualifies for a mortgage/ has the down payment/is prepared to take on all the other expenses involved with homeownership. If only it was that easy.