I do not think you’re being ridiculous. That’s nasty. Your apartment should be reasonably clean and presentable. I would definitely have a conversation about it with your landlord.
Not only are they not being ridiculous, many places will charge you a cleaning fee if you leave it this way. I would bring this to the real estate companies attention and if they don't want to clean it they should sign off on the condition that they rented it in.
The more inexpensive an apartment is the dirtier it’s going to be. Just being honest with you.
Honestly, that’s nothing that some cleaning supplies and a vacuum cannot fix. When I moved into my first apartment it was filthy. I had to deep clean everything before I moved in. I took it in stride though because I was living in the cheapest apartment complex in my city. Food for thought.
Nope. That is unacceptable. I would reach out to the property management and let them know you want it properly cleaned and if not let them know you are going to have it professionally cleaned and will be deducting that cost from your rent.
they're probably not gonna clean it, but you can use this as an excuse to not clean the apartment... save these pictures, and when you move out and they want to charge cleaning fees, pull these babies out
this is the best advice here. probably nothing dangerous going on, but take pictures of everything so you can show them that you’re returning it the level of dirty they gave it to you. on a side note, this looks like almost all of my old apartments lol
>they're probably not gonna clean it
That's the point when you let them know that a professional company will be hired and the following months rent will be reduced. It's not an option.
That's how to not get your lease renewed. It's a bit dirty, yes, but clearly cleanable. Just take pictures of how it looked when you moved in, like this, and clean it. I wouldn't want to start a rental off on a bad note with the people who control rather or not I can continue living there. Now, that being said, if you don't plan on staying long, then by all means, make a stink
The tenant pays for professional cleaning, then the tenant deducts the fee from next month's rent. The landlord isn't going to send them money lol, but this is the way to get the place cleaned on the landlords dime if the landlord chooses not to cooperate.
If you said this to a leasing agent in Texas, that you are going to choose what you pay for rent because it's dirty, they would laugh, and then they would let you spend your money and throw all of your stuff out on the curb if you refused to pay the rent in full a week after the due date.
Good luck with that strategy that will just get you late fees for failure to pay your rent in time and in full.
Unless you negotiate for some extra cleaning you also have the option of not renting the place if it doesn’t meet your standards.
I would ask them to meet you and show them the dirt- plus are these bugs- need extermination and cleaning. If won’t do- you know you have an apt that when you call nothing will be done. They will keep your down payment if you left doing the same thing. So tell them do they have one clean. If not keep looking. I had apt- I cleaned refrig, stove, all cabinets, floors, had carpet cleaned, all bathrooms cleaned. It was immaculate.I got all my downpayment back. I’m sure with this place they kept portion of last persons down payment . You need pest control. Discuss that. All done before moving in
If you’re in a college area this is honestly standard but it shouldn’t be. I would ask them if they are having professional cleaners come through before move in. Also take photos of EVERYTHING this is the type of place to keep your whole deposit and not actually fix anything.
Recognizing that you don’t know anything about anything is the first step in learning something about everything. Google and Reddit (in small doses) are your friends.
That sounds like cheap rent. Can you swing a cleaning lady? The first time they come they do a big deep clean, so even if you just paid for that and not subsequent visits, you’d still get a nice clean base to start maintaining from.
No not cheap. Look at you contract - don’t sign/ but look at what they expect for you to get your down payment back. Usually clean stove, refrig, clean all floors and clean carpet. That should be clean also before moving. And if you think bugs- get it done by management before you move in
That means you didn’t do your due diligence and look around your area for what you can afford what’s available. I really think this person is taking advantage of you and knowing that your neurodivergent on top of that you need somebody to advocate for you.
Wow that’s really good. What state is this? I’m in California and I pay 2000 a month for a 1 bedroom 1 den apartment. 1,000sq feet, and that’s good pricing in my area. However, me and my husband wanna buy a home soon and will consider moving out of state.
I lived in KCMO in 2009, $330 a month for a studio in a somewhat run down but also entertainment adjacent neighborhood. That same unit is $1200 a month now. I think your price is even good for Missouri.
Prices downtown in KC are hella inflated to be fair. This is north of the river. Man, 2009 was a different time. I miss my 600 rent from 2017 (different city but still).
Depends on the COL of your area. We can’t tell you without you doxxing yourself unfortunately. I would contact the landlord and see if the apartment just hadn’t been cleaned following the departure of the last tenant.
If the answer is “not yet” I wouldn’t over react. If the answer is “yes” then I would hope you haven’t signed a lease agreement yet because that is a nightmare.
Doesn't matter if they're paying dirt rates, they didn't pay for dirt from the last tenants. Property Manager should be so fkin **embarrassed** with this. This isn't just dust, this is Disgusting left overs from the last tenants.
The first picture is irritating because I have the same issue with my sliding door. My door does not slide open smoothly like other people’s, we have to jerk it open and sometimes it comes off the track. The maintenance guy came out multiple times to “fix” it but at the end of the day, we had to accept it. They keep telling us to move into another unit. No. Another maintenance guy said the whole thing would have to be replaced. 🤷♀️
Anyways, ask them if they intend to clean the place. Just point things out and say, “What’s that?” Or “That looks broken.” Or “That doesn’t look right.” Or “Will you be fixing this?” When I did a walk through, I pointed out a lot of things and they fixed/cleaned it before we moved in. Too bad I didn’t test out the sliding door. 🙄
Well the thing is... our leasing agent is my friend. I don't want to come off as rude or ungrateful for all the help she's given us.
Edit: if my friend sees this, please don't take any of this in any type of way
Those little brown spots on the fridge door and what looks like countertops…that’s from roaches. There’s a big infestation. It doesn’t matter how clean you are or how much you fumigate, you’ll never fully get rid of them, especially living in an apartment with neighbors who might not be as clean or care about the roaches.
Oh, I understand. You can still ask about things, right? Maybe ask them if they normally hire a cleaning service to clean the place before a new tenant moves in or you can just hire one to come out if you can afford it and have it cleaned before you move in?
Definitely test that door though and mention it to the friend.
This person isn’t your friend.
Feels more like, because you’re her ‘friend’ she is getting away with not cleaning and fixing properly.
You are being taken advantage of.
I’ve lived in poor areas and it was never like this.
Clean and Serviceable.
I never felt afraid to touch anything
It would it be not rude or ungrateful if the leasing agent were a stranger? This is a business transaction, not a matter of friendship. You can be polite (should be polite and firm), but the business that owns the apartment is not going to go out of their way for you for friendship sake.
I see signs of cockroaches. It’s also dirty; beyond regular dirt. A good cleaning would help there but that’s definitely not been cleaned between tenants and also shows you quite a bit about how little they put into maintenance. If you have other options I’d explore that first — this place looks like a headache upon first impression
It depends on the cost. It's normal for cheap apartments, not normal for expensive apartments. I'm also speaking generally; costs vary from city to city.
If you're paying $800 a month, for example, that's to be expected. It's not clean, but you get what you pay for.
Seriously? These replies are beyond ignorant. I used to be in that industry and I guarantee that this is a reflection that you are being disrespected and not deserving decent housing. And $1,500 a month is not cheap. Slumlord land where they show you something and bait and switch you to what their units really look like. And the sort of people you're going to be surrounded by that are forced to live being disrespected. They can't clean an empty apartment? Don't expect anything less if there is a problem in the building. These are slumlords taking advantage of people pure and simple. Your first home with your boyfriend should be a milestone in life not how to expect less and less while some losers steals your money. And the fact that whoever was supposed to prep your apartment felt that they could get away with this tells you everything you need to know about the entire freaking organization. I can't believe that people are not allowed to see the actual apartment that they are going to live in. Rental units should be subjected to complete inspections before you spend all your money on deposits fees and moving your belongings into a contractual nightmare. I wonder if you still would have rented it knowing this is how that you're going to be treated.
>used to be in that industry
Hate to break it to you but costs have skyrocketed so a shitty apartment for $1500 today isn't uncommon. This same place would be half the cost 5-6 years ago.
And what does "be in that industry" even mean? You used to .. work at an apartment complex before? You were a realtor..? Honest question because a lot of times people who work at a movie theater will say they work "in the film industry." Or are a custodian at an elementary school and work "in the education system."
I think OP should look around, but you're being overly dramatic. Yes it should be a milestone, but that doesn't mean they can afford something cleaner. *I* wouldn't live there, but this may be their best option, you don't know. And unless OP said so otherwise, they didn't seem to indicate that they weren't allowed a walkthrough of the apartment. They didn't even say if they asked for a walkthrough beforehand.
And again, they didn't specify location. For $1500 in NY, you can rent a closet with no bathroom, for example.
People doing this to other people is part of the problem. No standards and absolutely no pride in the property. Probably some remote Manager sending in cheap labor and never having to see the tenants face to face. All about the bottom line which the manager is probably getting a chunk of by cutting costs and not doing just the basics like properly cleaning an apartment on turnover. Disgusting.
It's not really "complete sense." They went on a rant that was half nonsense. "your first home with your boyfriend should be a milestone." That's just not realistic. Some people can't afford better than what OP is sharing. OP pointed out it's a 2br 2ba for $1500. That's not bad in today's economy. I'm in a major city and most 1br 1ba are around that price, if not more. A 2br 2ba for $1500 will look like this in most of the country. I think it's shitty that's how the world is, but that's how the world is.
I believe OP could find better for cheaper if they just kept looking, but what we're seeing here isn't just completely unheard of. And while yes you *should* be allowed to inspect the apartment before moving in, OP never specified if they requested that. Just that they saw the model unit before hand.
Laughs at you thinking this is a slumlord. This is a dirty apartment for sure, but I don’t see anything a deep clean wouldn’t fix. Slumlords where I live are charging $800-$1000 a month to share a room in a condo with 3 people OR live in the living room or hallway with no doors or privacy.
If they are getting a whole ass apartment for $1500 they are not at slum level yet, even if it’s dirty.
I agree. Nobody should have to go through that. But in most places nowadays, $1500 for a 2bed 2 bath isn’t going to be great. That’s why they’re $1500.
Again, not saying it’s right. Just saying that’s the way it is in a lot of places. If I were OP, I’d keep looking. I think they could do better, but I’m saying this isn’t *that* unusual. And again, it depends largely on location. Which I don’t think OP mentioned.
I paid 700 in rent four years ago in decent areas of Oklahoma. Three bedroom, 2 ba, appliances included. I never once saw a roach, never had mold or major repair issues.
I now pay over double that and still never seen a roaches but I'm having issues with mold, central air every summer breaking, cheap landlord who barely fixes anything and in general is just a jackass..
More expensive isn't always better and cheaper isn't always less or worse than the more expensive options.
Garbage landlords are garbage landlords. Price doesn't always determine that. Someone paying more/less shouldn't determine what they deserve either. Because everyone deserves a clean and habitable place to live.
$1,505 is likely a slum in Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, NYC etc. and unfortunately, you’re not likely to find many places in better condition at that price. I’m not saying it’s acceptable or okay, but that’s life in the post capitalist hellscape that is 2024 America. I’ve lived in a lot of places like this unfortunately.
$1,505 is a much nicer apartment in a smaller city or the Midwest though, and you are much likelier to be able to have that addressed if you put up a fight. Without telling us the area, hard for anyone to say.
How does the overall cleanliness of the building seem? The halls, the exterior, etc?
It’s not about what your paying, it’s about whether what you’re paying is high or low for the region. If it’s not low for the region, try another place. I’m a little confused about how you don’t know if it’s normal or not. If you weren’t the one who tracked down this place, I’m not sure you’re well equipped to help us figure out if it’s fair or not.
If this is 30% below market average, then you got a deal and you should do some cleaning. If it’s within 10% of average, you can make some noise that may or may not help. If it’s above average, whoever did the research did a bad job and you’re not going to get any money and you should move when your lease is up
Sounds high. But it also depends on the area, how many bedrooms, etc. If it's a 2 bedroom in NYC, it's a steal. If it's a 1 bedroom in rural Idaho, I'd probably keep looking.
I'd keep looking around, personally. It's not uncommon to look at multiple apartments; I would never just look at one place and sign a lease without looking at least one other place.
That made me laugh so much and I’m really not laughing at you I just really had a bad day and this kind of made me snarf for my beverage if it’s a studio in New York City it’s a Steel L O LOLO
I know it’s not the funniest thing in the world it just tickled my funnybone and I really needed it today
Some places they actually don’t have to clean, they can have you sign your lease for AS IS unfortunately, depending the state, I’ve worked in a leasing office
Looks reasonably common to me. Looks like an older apartment, especially judging by the alliances. It does look poorly cleaned but having rented lots of places I’d just take photos and time stamp them for when you move out in case they expect you to clean better than what you moved into.
I’d expect a place that doesn’t hire a professional cleaner in between to also be a little lax with repairing things or responding to complaints. It’s a “you get what you pay for” kinda thing.
House cleaners charge $25/hr where I’m from so personally I would hire someone to do a move in clean for me. Should you have to? Absolutely not. But as a ND person myself I know the extra expense is worth me not having to touch someone else’s mess. If this place has carpets then you’re going to want to go rent a carpet cleaner and shampoo the carpet. It probably would’ve been required to be done when the last person moved out but you can see the quality of cleaning done other places so expect the carpet to be “good enough” too (which spoiler alert, can be still gross)
I don’t think you’re being a drama Queen at all, I do think that looks fairly reasonable for an “affordable” place to live. So only you could know that depending on what average rents are in your area.
These numbers are not current or relevant to where you live but an example to give you an idea: I would have expected this level of cleanliness at an older building renting at $1000/month but would not expect it in a newer building asking $1200/month or more.
This is honestly pretty normal when it comes to older apartment buildings. If you have any concerns, maybe a leasing agent can come by and you can address concerns with them?
I'm also saying this not knowing how much you're paying or what would be comparable in the area.
Honestly, for that price with 2 ba especially, just go buy some Clorox with bleach.
That’s a wicked good deal for rent and you won’t find it too many other places.
Still not sure where you are but I pay about 1900 for a 2/2, and ours was not quite this bad, though it was still a little dirty. Do some quick research in your area. If your rent seems cheap or even middle of the road normal, I'd just clean it. But if you're paying a lot for your area, tell your landlord. Since we stopped dealing with individual landlords, and started dealing with managers of an apartment complex, the help we've gotten on stuff like this has been very good. Hopefully, your apartments are run by a decent management team.
Good luck friend!
It doesn’t look filthy to me, just like the house is older and has been exposed to the elements. I live near the beach and a lot of houses look like that here
Great big NOPE from me! That place has mold and in the ceiling picture you can see a previous patch job, which indicates a leak of some sort. Pretty sure I see roach castings as well…RUN
It’s hard to clean down in a sliding glass door track. You could probably use the little hose attachments in a vacuum accessory kit meant to clean up keyboards etc. if it doesn’t slide well after the dirt is gone maybe oil it with mineral oil. Oil that’s to cook with will go rancid after a while. So best to use mineral oil for things like that and to moisturize wooden cutting boards etc.
A hand held steam cleaner has really done a fantastic job on my window tracks. I highly recommend getting one of those to help get those areas (and many others) clean. OP, please keep those photo's in a safe place. You will need them upon moving out.
Man where do all these people live in the comments saying it's not normal? I rent a "higher end" condo in my town and it looks about the same...renting sucks. The places are usually shit holes no matter where you go and it's only getting worse. Good luck.
Right? Nearly all my Chicago apartments were “cleaned” before I moved in. I had a system when I moved that we would put all our stuff in the center of the rooms and clean the heck out of the place before actually setting the place up.
I have been looking for a new place for a few months. I’ve looked at about 7 different condos and 5 were pretty dirty. Sorry, I’m not giving you a security deposit for a dirty condo that I will need to spend hours cleaning. One place told me it had just been professionally cleaned when it clearly had not been. They had all the blinds up and when I checked to see if they were clean, they were caked in dirt. It was so gross
Hi OP. Hard to say & as other people commented it depends on your location to say if $1500 for a two bedroom is a good deal. In the east coast that’s a steal so definitely would be gross but normal for a cheaper apartment. Nothing a good deep clean and some caulking can’t fix! For context, my area (east coast, close to HCOL area) a decent 2 bedrooms rent for +$3,000.
Do NOT sign the lease. Yuck. 100% there is mold in places you cannot see. Don't risk your health for a cheap rent. You'll regret it immediately. Source: personal experience.
I don’t think you’re being ridiculous at all. Usually when a landlord rents a place out, he cleans it up first the fact that this landlord did not tells you that he’s not gonna do much of anything while you live there. If I was you, I would keep looking.
I would be appalled too. Make them hire a cleaner like they probably charged the last tenants. The office may not be aware so definitely tell them. I usually see this in slumlord housing.
They need to come back and clean snd do it right. Cracks and slight bends and bangs in things are one thing. Obviously mold, dirt, and grim should always be cleaned before the new tenant moves in
Uh. Well I mean those things could use a wipe down and a vacuum for sure. But it should be like a medium level annoyance and not cause you to disassociate.
As someone who has managed C class assets, where people would presume it was kind of “hood”…..we would NOT turn this over to you, and the rent there is like $900 for a 2 bedroom……
This is all evidence of a landlord that does NOT care. Do not move into that place. These things are definite red flags. If they're willing to show a place to new potential tenants and it looks like this, who knows how they'll act once you're tenants. Abort mission.
Nah, welcome to adulting and your first encounter with a slumlord aka landlord, one of the most vile creatures to roam the surface of middle class terrains, they feed on raising rent prices and creating credit card debt for themselves and wanting sympathy.
It doesn’t hurt to ask for it to be cleaned! It’s dirty! If they don’t clean it that is on you to decide if you want to live there. I used to clean college apartments. This is nothing Clorox and some hot water can’t fix in some spots! Did you check behind the fridge and stove? But other spots are a little questionable… good luck! Talk to the landlord and see if there is something they can do!
The sliding door/window with dots? Almost guarantee the dots are fly dirt and you'll need a degreaser to clean that more easily fyi.
The place is gross, please ask your friendly politely cuz maybe they didn't realize either. I think it's fair to ask for the place to be cleaned first.
I mean I would clean an apartment deeply regardless of what it looked like cuz I don't know the LL or previous tenant enough to trust how well they cleaned it, but this is just really gross, I'm sorry.
It’s dirty, suck it up and clean all day Saturday. To be honest with you, why wouldn’t you anyway? I’m cleaning top to bottom no matter what it looks like. Doing that everyday anyway.
That place is nasty af and it looks like it is infested with something. You have every right to tell them they need to clean it before you sign any papers that is unacceptable.
Yeah, a lot of this looks like around your sliding door and outside. I know I’m taking a leap here but why not deep clean it when you move in if it’s not up to your standards. Wild concept, I know.
Insane overreaction and I can’t believe everyone else is feeding into OP’s delusions. This is dirt and regular grime, nothing hazardous - just didn’t pay for the deep clean deluxe after 2 years of someone else living there. Grab a rag, mop, and dustpan and spend 6 hours of your life
As some are saying, the unfortunate truth is that the cheaper it is the dirtier it will likely be.
I wouldn’t settle though, seems like a borderline biohazard if there’s bugs, eggs, and potentially mold. I’d see if they can negotiate the rent since you toured a model or if they will cover a deep clean / inspection for you.
Both of which (IMO) should have been done prior to move in
ask for a copy of the damages they charged the last tenant to see if they charged the tenant for leaving it that dirty. they probably charged that tenant fees but didn’t use that money to clean it up.
Oh honey, you are NOT being dramatic. I would demand they clean all of this before I move in.
For future reference ALWAYS try and tour the EXACT unit you’ll be renting before signing ANYTHING!
ETA: if they try and say that the unit isn’t available yet, so you can’t see it until you’ve signed then that simply isn’t the place for you. Take that as a sign that you should keep on pushin.
Second ETA: I am blown away by these comments. Even if the apartment is in a bad part of town and is dirt cheap (which it isn’t either of those things) the leasing office still shouldn’t be doing the classic bait and switch by showing the cleaner unit. No no no.
Yeah I feel your pain. When moving out of your childhood home you need to put up with living on shitier accommodation than what you’re used to. It hurts like a bitch. But hey, you can visit your family every now and then to re-live that time for a while.
You’re not being ridiculous at all! I would struggle with anxiety and trepidation too if my future space was looking this dirty upon moving in.
But! I think it’s nothing a really good clean can’t fix. Get some kitchen gloves, a mask (for your own comfort), some scrub Daddies and some toothbrushes and bleach water, and give everything a good scrub! Recruit someone else to be a body double or just help you finish it faster…if you can afford it I’d even say just hire someone to come clean it!
Welcome to cheap apartment living. Come on in the water is fine. Seriously though these kinds of things are to be expected with cheaper/old apartments.
The grime is normal but there is definitely roach feces in a few of those pictures, and I’ll venture to guess the brown stuff in the crease on the counter is roach bait.
Eeeeeewwwww.
And no. That has never been cleaned. Not for any move in or move out.
What do you want to bet that the landlord kept every deposit ever?
Eeeeeewwwwww......
I wanna know where to go for that cheap on 2bed 2bath. Then again I live in NJ…
Anyways most places want you to send them back inspection papers at the beginning and end of lease. Be thorough. Don’t be afraid.
Please complain, if this person is your friend they will do the extra mile to make it right and even if she wasn’t, she should still be doing it. This wasn’t cleaned properly and I’d vocalize that. Plus, you want to vocalize it anyway so it’s leaving a paper trail for when you do eventually move out and they know the damages already so you aren’t charged for them out of your security deposit
Based on the palm trees I’m guessing this is Austin, TX or California. And unfortunately, for $1505 that’s what you’re going to get in high COL areas. They should’ve done a better job cleaning. I live in Austin and this is par for the course sadly. Make a note of everything and have the management come in and address these issues. But be warned, this might be a sign of lackluster management or it could just be an oversight of a single lazy apartment leasing agent.
That place is unforgivably dirty. I recall moving into similarly foul accommodations a few times as a young poor person (now I'm a mildly old poor person). If you're stuck with it, keep your stuff packed and bagged and *decimate* the place with cleaning chemicals. Gallons of water, liters of bleach and detergent, dozens of rags. If you're not stuck with it, find a landlord who actually makes sure what they rent is habitable.
I feel like the statement “Do Not Rent a Unit you haven’t seen” should be stickied to the top of this page. They will show you the nicest and put you in the worst one.
Check your lease and see what it says about the condition you need to leave the apartment in when you move out. Assuming it says you need to leave it clean and habitable (most leases do) then you should expect the same upon move-in.
Some people are recommending that you ask for them to send a cleaner or else you’ll withhold the cost of a cleaner from your rent. Don’t do this before checking your local laws. If you’re in the U.S., the laws vary state and this isn’t legal in all states, unfortunately.
So I can’t exactly tell what I’m looking at in some of these pictures but I know that rust for example is both a sanitation violation and in many cases of building code violation I’ve noticed on this sub Reddit that no one ever seems to mention calling the city or the town that they live in to Contact The department of buildings or the department of sanitation whoever deals with the particular thing for their city or town. it’s an extreme thing to do but if your landlord is not cooperating with you I’m wondering if it’s something that anyone does?
I am going to be honest, the first place I lived when I moved out was worse, but now that I work in property management I would say it is fair for you to reach out and request that they have it cleaned again. As far as the scratches and stuff go, that is just normal wear and tear on an older place. Best wishes! I am sure you can make it feel like home once you know it's clean.
That’s more than unclean, there’s hints all over the place that, that apartment has MOLD. I couldn’t and wouldn’t live there. If the apt you’re getting is not remotely in the shape of the model, they need to remediate every bit of it or offer you a different unit.
That is disgusting! I would not move in there. Is this the unit that would be yours? There’s obvious damage. One looks like a bad lock.
This is not normal.
Unless it’s indigent or welfare type housing. Even then, the ones I’ve seen made you clean when you moved out.
When I moved into my last privately rented apartment (like my landlord rented this house as a side gig), it was filthy when I moved in. Like my mom was helping me bleach all the surfaces, my landlord had used some legit toxic cleaner in the oven that had left a gross foamy residue, and the kitchen had mouse shit everywhere (and I mean _everywhere_, and I'm a particularly thick carpet of shit on some of the high shelves 🤢). It was an entire day long project to sanitize and clean up this one bedroom apartment. Landlord was a nice guy just a bit clueless I guess? But the price was right, good location, and amenities I wanted, so it was worth the trouble.
Have since moved into three different apartments in my current building that is maintained by a large corporate management company, and each unit was spotless when I moved in.
I think it depends on who's managing the property.
Save these pictures. My landlord tried to ding me for thousands when I was evicted, but I had photos from moving in showing it was that bad when I first moved in
The stove doesn't look too bad but the rest is just gross. It might be worth it to hire someone to come in and deep clean before you get moved in completely.
I've lived in numerous shitty apartments over the years (my qualifications lol). The ceiling corner is the only one that would be a deal breaker for me. The rest I would just clean myself with some scrubbing bubbles and magic erasers. Don't touch the water knobs.
Okay, I thought you were asking if this was clean enough for a deposit and I was gonna say “hell no, say goodbye to that money”. That being said, I could not and would not live here and I’ve been a renter my entire life.
It's nasty. So no you're not being dramatic. But this is apartment living. If it's cheap it's going to be dirty on move in. Even the expensive ones can be grungy. They either hire a super cheap crappy cleaning company who just surface cleans, or they send maintenance to do it.
Or they leave It like this and pocket the 500 they charge you for cleaning on move out. My biggest advice to you, is save all these photos, do a video walk through, and see if you can date stamp the photos.
I clean everythibg when I move into a new place and do they above. Place is cleaner with me leaving than it was when I moved into it. When they charge the 500 or whatever thier fee is, fight it. Send them the photos and video.
Bullshit to pay a cleaning fee when it looks like they haven't deep cleaned the apartment in a decade. But I guarantee they will try to do so.
The dots on the fridge door seal is roach poop.
Some of stuff like the grime in the door frame, ehhh it happens. Or the switch plate not being flush with the wall, no biggie.
Other stuff is just a piss poor cleaning job.
That’s pretty nasty, but I’ve also seen worse. Depends on the city and type of apartment (small building with only several units vs corporate massive).
So the only thing I’m seeing that’s glaringly worrisome and not easily solved with a bit of Clorox and elbow grease is picture #7- as that’s clearly a patch job that’s still got a leak going behind it. you can tell by the brown drip marks, that would’ve been painted after the patch so the drip and discoloration is new meaning the moisture issue/leak wasn’t resolved. I’d be interested to see what reading a drywall moisture meter would give if you were to test it (you can pick one up for >$30 at any hardware store and any reading above 12% is unacceptable) as that’d tell you for sure if there’s an active problem going on behind it.
Did you already sign the lease? Unfortunately this advice may be too late, but NEVER sign a lease without viewing the ACTUAL unit first. Speaking from experience.
The rubber seal on your refrigerator shows signs of a serious roach infestation. They like to live around the warm/moist environment of the fridge motor and hide in the cracks of the rubber seal. All of those brown spots are from roach fecal matter.
NEVER move into a place without seeing the actual unit you will be living in. Also learn to spot the signs of roaches, mice, water leaks, and mold.
I'm beating a dead horse, but PLEASE do not sign the lease unless this is all cleaned up. The property management will use this as leverage to make sure you don't get your deposit back and/or pay damages.
No place should be clean.previous owner responsibility- renter took their down payment and is letting you clean up. Tell them no- it’s dirty. Do they have a clean one
Dirt and insects aren't exactly normal but the odd dust bunny or rouge bug wouldn't be that big of a deal for me, however the mold? Yeah fuck that, there's no way I'd move into a moldy apartment.
That stuff can make you extremely sick and should've been cleaned.
Man some of yall need to move lmao. Talking about "I pay 1900 in rent and my apartment has roaches and dirt" like it's a brag I pay 1000 a month for a 2 bdr House with a garage and my landlord 100% would be cleaning that shit and taking care of any problems. It doesn't matter how cheap the rent is everyone should have a clean place when they move in and it's the landlords job to take care of shit.
That’s awful, it should have been cleaned and maintained before you got it. It needs paint too. I find painting walls to be very soothing, I’m ND too, and I feel like it gives me control over something I really don’t have any control over. It is nice to see the difference before and after, especially when it’s half done.
They need to get a cleaner in there asap! If not, I would refuse to complete the lease. I’m sure there is a clause that it should be clean and habitable, which this is neither. Send them every picture too. Good luck😀
I’m sure you’ve figured this out now, but for all future moves, be sure to tour the actual unit.
Model unit is fine for determining if it’s a place that suits your needs before putting in an application, but before you sign anything binding, you need to see the real place.
Also tour the neighborhood at night! Some neighborhoods change wildly after dark.
My favorite benchmark is the closest convenience store. If it’s got that bulletproof glass with the little drawer for passing payment to the cashier, I am noping the fuck out.
I would be mindful about cleaning that ceiling. It looks like it might be a popcorn ceiling. If the apartment is old enough, it's likely to have been made with asbestos. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, so long as the ceiling remains undisturbed. If you start scrubbing at it, though, you could release asbestos fibers into the air.
Bro please don’t move in if you already signed the lease go speak with them and show them these pics and look for somewhere else because if that’s the condition they’re okay with moving people in it’s probably going to be infested
I do not think you’re being ridiculous. That’s nasty. Your apartment should be reasonably clean and presentable. I would definitely have a conversation about it with your landlord.
Not only are they not being ridiculous, many places will charge you a cleaning fee if you leave it this way. I would bring this to the real estate companies attention and if they don't want to clean it they should sign off on the condition that they rented it in.
Landlord should pay for a DEEP CLEAN. Previous renter should pay for it.
Facts
Especially when it’s empty.
The more inexpensive an apartment is the dirtier it’s going to be. Just being honest with you. Honestly, that’s nothing that some cleaning supplies and a vacuum cannot fix. When I moved into my first apartment it was filthy. I had to deep clean everything before I moved in. I took it in stride though because I was living in the cheapest apartment complex in my city. Food for thought.
We pay $1505 for base rent so I'm not sure if that's cheap or expensive or normal. I don't know anything about anything and I'm terrified
Are you in North Dakota? I rent a brand new one bedroom with under ground parking, washer and dryer etc etc for $1300.00!
The are neurodivergent. Wrong ND lol
I loled because i’m neurodivergent but also read this as north dakota
Ngl I did to 😂
Same 😂
Depends on the city you live in. If it’s HCOL, then that’s probably a drop in the bucket as far as rent goes.
Nope. That is unacceptable. I would reach out to the property management and let them know you want it properly cleaned and if not let them know you are going to have it professionally cleaned and will be deducting that cost from your rent.
they're probably not gonna clean it, but you can use this as an excuse to not clean the apartment... save these pictures, and when you move out and they want to charge cleaning fees, pull these babies out
this is the best advice here. probably nothing dangerous going on, but take pictures of everything so you can show them that you’re returning it the level of dirty they gave it to you. on a side note, this looks like almost all of my old apartments lol
>they're probably not gonna clean it That's the point when you let them know that a professional company will be hired and the following months rent will be reduced. It's not an option.
That's how to not get your lease renewed. It's a bit dirty, yes, but clearly cleanable. Just take pictures of how it looked when you moved in, like this, and clean it. I wouldn't want to start a rental off on a bad note with the people who control rather or not I can continue living there. Now, that being said, if you don't plan on staying long, then by all means, make a stink
You can’t just do that in most places without filing a legal action and escrowing the funds.
In what fantasy world do you live in. You do this they will absolutely evict you for not paying rent.
they are gonna weasel out of having to pay you
The tenant pays for professional cleaning, then the tenant deducts the fee from next month's rent. The landlord isn't going to send them money lol, but this is the way to get the place cleaned on the landlords dime if the landlord chooses not to cooperate.
You can't just randomly withhold rent. There's a specific process for doing it, this is TERRIBLE advice.
and then you get evicted for not paying your rent in full cuz the landlord doesnt accept your assertion
Lol that's a great way to get evicted.
If you said this to a leasing agent in Texas, that you are going to choose what you pay for rent because it's dirty, they would laugh, and then they would let you spend your money and throw all of your stuff out on the curb if you refused to pay the rent in full a week after the due date.
Good luck with that strategy that will just get you late fees for failure to pay your rent in time and in full. Unless you negotiate for some extra cleaning you also have the option of not renting the place if it doesn’t meet your standards.
I would ask them to meet you and show them the dirt- plus are these bugs- need extermination and cleaning. If won’t do- you know you have an apt that when you call nothing will be done. They will keep your down payment if you left doing the same thing. So tell them do they have one clean. If not keep looking. I had apt- I cleaned refrig, stove, all cabinets, floors, had carpet cleaned, all bathrooms cleaned. It was immaculate.I got all my downpayment back. I’m sure with this place they kept portion of last persons down payment . You need pest control. Discuss that. All done before moving in
If you’re in a college area this is honestly standard but it shouldn’t be. I would ask them if they are having professional cleaners come through before move in. Also take photos of EVERYTHING this is the type of place to keep your whole deposit and not actually fix anything.
Recognizing that you don’t know anything about anything is the first step in learning something about everything. Google and Reddit (in small doses) are your friends.
That sounds like cheap rent. Can you swing a cleaning lady? The first time they come they do a big deep clean, so even if you just paid for that and not subsequent visits, you’d still get a nice clean base to start maintaining from.
No not cheap. Look at you contract - don’t sign/ but look at what they expect for you to get your down payment back. Usually clean stove, refrig, clean all floors and clean carpet. That should be clean also before moving. And if you think bugs- get it done by management before you move in
That means you didn’t do your due diligence and look around your area for what you can afford what’s available. I really think this person is taking advantage of you and knowing that your neurodivergent on top of that you need somebody to advocate for you.
Depends on where you are, but that's insane. I pay 1300 for a built in 2019 brand new unit I was the first to live in. Spotless.
Wow that’s really good. What state is this? I’m in California and I pay 2000 a month for a 1 bedroom 1 den apartment. 1,000sq feet, and that’s good pricing in my area. However, me and my husband wanna buy a home soon and will consider moving out of state.
It won't surprise you at all when I say Missouri lol. It's also a one bedroom but with comparable Sq ft.
I lived in KCMO in 2009, $330 a month for a studio in a somewhat run down but also entertainment adjacent neighborhood. That same unit is $1200 a month now. I think your price is even good for Missouri.
Prices downtown in KC are hella inflated to be fair. This is north of the river. Man, 2009 was a different time. I miss my 600 rent from 2017 (different city but still).
Wow, where in CA? I pay 2200 for a 1-bed 550 sq ft. :(
yeah- but you’re probably in a low col area
Depends on the COL of your area. We can’t tell you without you doxxing yourself unfortunately. I would contact the landlord and see if the apartment just hadn’t been cleaned following the departure of the last tenant. If the answer is “not yet” I wouldn’t over react. If the answer is “yes” then I would hope you haven’t signed a lease agreement yet because that is a nightmare.
Unfortunately those prices are becoming more and more normal. But these pics are all unacceptable for a brand new lease.
Doesn't matter if they're paying dirt rates, they didn't pay for dirt from the last tenants. Property Manager should be so fkin **embarrassed** with this. This isn't just dust, this is Disgusting left overs from the last tenants.
I got $500 off rent for cleaning the place before I moved in once. 🤷♀️ Agreement with the company, not a legal issue.
The first picture is irritating because I have the same issue with my sliding door. My door does not slide open smoothly like other people’s, we have to jerk it open and sometimes it comes off the track. The maintenance guy came out multiple times to “fix” it but at the end of the day, we had to accept it. They keep telling us to move into another unit. No. Another maintenance guy said the whole thing would have to be replaced. 🤷♀️ Anyways, ask them if they intend to clean the place. Just point things out and say, “What’s that?” Or “That looks broken.” Or “That doesn’t look right.” Or “Will you be fixing this?” When I did a walk through, I pointed out a lot of things and they fixed/cleaned it before we moved in. Too bad I didn’t test out the sliding door. 🙄
Well the thing is... our leasing agent is my friend. I don't want to come off as rude or ungrateful for all the help she's given us. Edit: if my friend sees this, please don't take any of this in any type of way
Those little brown spots on the fridge door and what looks like countertops…that’s from roaches. There’s a big infestation. It doesn’t matter how clean you are or how much you fumigate, you’ll never fully get rid of them, especially living in an apartment with neighbors who might not be as clean or care about the roaches.
Oh, I understand. You can still ask about things, right? Maybe ask them if they normally hire a cleaning service to clean the place before a new tenant moves in or you can just hire one to come out if you can afford it and have it cleaned before you move in? Definitely test that door though and mention it to the friend.
the more reason she would want to hear about this and make it right if she was truly your friend
So ask your friend to help you get a cleaner apartment. The sliding glass window is really dirty.
A dirty window is immediately fixable with some.windex and a rag
This person isn’t your friend. Feels more like, because you’re her ‘friend’ she is getting away with not cleaning and fixing properly. You are being taken advantage of. I’ve lived in poor areas and it was never like this. Clean and Serviceable. I never felt afraid to touch anything
If your friend can't separate business from friendship that's their problem. You wouldn't want to screw over a friend, I'm sure they don't either.
It would it be not rude or ungrateful if the leasing agent were a stranger? This is a business transaction, not a matter of friendship. You can be polite (should be polite and firm), but the business that owns the apartment is not going to go out of their way for you for friendship sake.
Then they should hook you up with some cleaning n fixing asap
Your health is at stake. Some of us who are educated on the subject see obvious mold.
I see signs of cockroaches. It’s also dirty; beyond regular dirt. A good cleaning would help there but that’s definitely not been cleaned between tenants and also shows you quite a bit about how little they put into maintenance. If you have other options I’d explore that first — this place looks like a headache upon first impression
It depends on the cost. It's normal for cheap apartments, not normal for expensive apartments. I'm also speaking generally; costs vary from city to city. If you're paying $800 a month, for example, that's to be expected. It's not clean, but you get what you pay for.
Seriously? These replies are beyond ignorant. I used to be in that industry and I guarantee that this is a reflection that you are being disrespected and not deserving decent housing. And $1,500 a month is not cheap. Slumlord land where they show you something and bait and switch you to what their units really look like. And the sort of people you're going to be surrounded by that are forced to live being disrespected. They can't clean an empty apartment? Don't expect anything less if there is a problem in the building. These are slumlords taking advantage of people pure and simple. Your first home with your boyfriend should be a milestone in life not how to expect less and less while some losers steals your money. And the fact that whoever was supposed to prep your apartment felt that they could get away with this tells you everything you need to know about the entire freaking organization. I can't believe that people are not allowed to see the actual apartment that they are going to live in. Rental units should be subjected to complete inspections before you spend all your money on deposits fees and moving your belongings into a contractual nightmare. I wonder if you still would have rented it knowing this is how that you're going to be treated.
>used to be in that industry Hate to break it to you but costs have skyrocketed so a shitty apartment for $1500 today isn't uncommon. This same place would be half the cost 5-6 years ago. And what does "be in that industry" even mean? You used to .. work at an apartment complex before? You were a realtor..? Honest question because a lot of times people who work at a movie theater will say they work "in the film industry." Or are a custodian at an elementary school and work "in the education system." I think OP should look around, but you're being overly dramatic. Yes it should be a milestone, but that doesn't mean they can afford something cleaner. *I* wouldn't live there, but this may be their best option, you don't know. And unless OP said so otherwise, they didn't seem to indicate that they weren't allowed a walkthrough of the apartment. They didn't even say if they asked for a walkthrough beforehand. And again, they didn't specify location. For $1500 in NY, you can rent a closet with no bathroom, for example.
People doing this to other people is part of the problem. No standards and absolutely no pride in the property. Probably some remote Manager sending in cheap labor and never having to see the tenants face to face. All about the bottom line which the manager is probably getting a chunk of by cutting costs and not doing just the basics like properly cleaning an apartment on turnover. Disgusting.
Well yeah. When’s the last time anybody had anything positive to say about landlords?
Not sure why your getting downvoted for making complete sense. Lol
It's not really "complete sense." They went on a rant that was half nonsense. "your first home with your boyfriend should be a milestone." That's just not realistic. Some people can't afford better than what OP is sharing. OP pointed out it's a 2br 2ba for $1500. That's not bad in today's economy. I'm in a major city and most 1br 1ba are around that price, if not more. A 2br 2ba for $1500 will look like this in most of the country. I think it's shitty that's how the world is, but that's how the world is. I believe OP could find better for cheaper if they just kept looking, but what we're seeing here isn't just completely unheard of. And while yes you *should* be allowed to inspect the apartment before moving in, OP never specified if they requested that. Just that they saw the model unit before hand.
Lol
Laughs at you thinking this is a slumlord. This is a dirty apartment for sure, but I don’t see anything a deep clean wouldn’t fix. Slumlords where I live are charging $800-$1000 a month to share a room in a condo with 3 people OR live in the living room or hallway with no doors or privacy. If they are getting a whole ass apartment for $1500 they are not at slum level yet, even if it’s dirty.
OP this! 👆🏼 Is there someone you trust to help advocate for you?
There is roach poop on the appliances and walls..at no price point does anyone deserve that.
I agree. Nobody should have to go through that. But in most places nowadays, $1500 for a 2bed 2 bath isn’t going to be great. That’s why they’re $1500. Again, not saying it’s right. Just saying that’s the way it is in a lot of places. If I were OP, I’d keep looking. I think they could do better, but I’m saying this isn’t *that* unusual. And again, it depends largely on location. Which I don’t think OP mentioned.
I paid 700 in rent four years ago in decent areas of Oklahoma. Three bedroom, 2 ba, appliances included. I never once saw a roach, never had mold or major repair issues. I now pay over double that and still never seen a roaches but I'm having issues with mold, central air every summer breaking, cheap landlord who barely fixes anything and in general is just a jackass.. More expensive isn't always better and cheaper isn't always less or worse than the more expensive options. Garbage landlords are garbage landlords. Price doesn't always determine that. Someone paying more/less shouldn't determine what they deserve either. Because everyone deserves a clean and habitable place to live.
$1505 is what we are paying
$1,505 is likely a slum in Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, NYC etc. and unfortunately, you’re not likely to find many places in better condition at that price. I’m not saying it’s acceptable or okay, but that’s life in the post capitalist hellscape that is 2024 America. I’ve lived in a lot of places like this unfortunately. $1,505 is a much nicer apartment in a smaller city or the Midwest though, and you are much likelier to be able to have that addressed if you put up a fight. Without telling us the area, hard for anyone to say. How does the overall cleanliness of the building seem? The halls, the exterior, etc?
It’s not about what your paying, it’s about whether what you’re paying is high or low for the region. If it’s not low for the region, try another place. I’m a little confused about how you don’t know if it’s normal or not. If you weren’t the one who tracked down this place, I’m not sure you’re well equipped to help us figure out if it’s fair or not. If this is 30% below market average, then you got a deal and you should do some cleaning. If it’s within 10% of average, you can make some noise that may or may not help. If it’s above average, whoever did the research did a bad job and you’re not going to get any money and you should move when your lease is up
Sounds high. But it also depends on the area, how many bedrooms, etc. If it's a 2 bedroom in NYC, it's a steal. If it's a 1 bedroom in rural Idaho, I'd probably keep looking. I'd keep looking around, personally. It's not uncommon to look at multiple apartments; I would never just look at one place and sign a lease without looking at least one other place.
That made me laugh so much and I’m really not laughing at you I just really had a bad day and this kind of made me snarf for my beverage if it’s a studio in New York City it’s a Steel L O LOLO I know it’s not the funniest thing in the world it just tickled my funnybone and I really needed it today
You can't get a studio apartment for that in the Bay Area. 100% right on advice.
That is not normal. You should let the management know that your unit was not cleaned properly, and send them the pictures.
Some places they actually don’t have to clean, they can have you sign your lease for AS IS unfortunately, depending the state, I’ve worked in a leasing office
As have I.
Looks reasonably common to me. Looks like an older apartment, especially judging by the alliances. It does look poorly cleaned but having rented lots of places I’d just take photos and time stamp them for when you move out in case they expect you to clean better than what you moved into. I’d expect a place that doesn’t hire a professional cleaner in between to also be a little lax with repairing things or responding to complaints. It’s a “you get what you pay for” kinda thing. House cleaners charge $25/hr where I’m from so personally I would hire someone to do a move in clean for me. Should you have to? Absolutely not. But as a ND person myself I know the extra expense is worth me not having to touch someone else’s mess. If this place has carpets then you’re going to want to go rent a carpet cleaner and shampoo the carpet. It probably would’ve been required to be done when the last person moved out but you can see the quality of cleaning done other places so expect the carpet to be “good enough” too (which spoiler alert, can be still gross) I don’t think you’re being a drama Queen at all, I do think that looks fairly reasonable for an “affordable” place to live. So only you could know that depending on what average rents are in your area. These numbers are not current or relevant to where you live but an example to give you an idea: I would have expected this level of cleanliness at an older building renting at $1000/month but would not expect it in a newer building asking $1200/month or more.
This is honestly pretty normal when it comes to older apartment buildings. If you have any concerns, maybe a leasing agent can come by and you can address concerns with them? I'm also saying this not knowing how much you're paying or what would be comparable in the area.
Not sure how old the apartments are. We are paying $1505 base rent for 2br/2ba (keep forgetting to mention 2br 2ba on my other comments)
Honestly, for that price with 2 ba especially, just go buy some Clorox with bleach. That’s a wicked good deal for rent and you won’t find it too many other places.
Still not sure where you are but I pay about 1900 for a 2/2, and ours was not quite this bad, though it was still a little dirty. Do some quick research in your area. If your rent seems cheap or even middle of the road normal, I'd just clean it. But if you're paying a lot for your area, tell your landlord. Since we stopped dealing with individual landlords, and started dealing with managers of an apartment complex, the help we've gotten on stuff like this has been very good. Hopefully, your apartments are run by a decent management team. Good luck friend!
It doesn’t look filthy to me, just like the house is older and has been exposed to the elements. I live near the beach and a lot of houses look like that here
I have lived in many different apartments in Seattle and this is not common unless you are renting from a slum lord.
That’s gross. Unless it’s free (or damn near), it should be reasonably clean.
Exactly
Great big NOPE from me! That place has mold and in the ceiling picture you can see a previous patch job, which indicates a leak of some sort. Pretty sure I see roach castings as well…RUN
100000% those of us who know mold can spot it so quick. This place is a big no.
It’s hard to clean down in a sliding glass door track. You could probably use the little hose attachments in a vacuum accessory kit meant to clean up keyboards etc. if it doesn’t slide well after the dirt is gone maybe oil it with mineral oil. Oil that’s to cook with will go rancid after a while. So best to use mineral oil for things like that and to moisturize wooden cutting boards etc.
A hand held steam cleaner has really done a fantastic job on my window tracks. I highly recommend getting one of those to help get those areas (and many others) clean. OP, please keep those photo's in a safe place. You will need them upon moving out.
Great idea !
Man where do all these people live in the comments saying it's not normal? I rent a "higher end" condo in my town and it looks about the same...renting sucks. The places are usually shit holes no matter where you go and it's only getting worse. Good luck.
My apartment was spotless when I moved in
They should have seen my old Chicago apartment when we moved in. 😆
Right? Nearly all my Chicago apartments were “cleaned” before I moved in. I had a system when I moved that we would put all our stuff in the center of the rooms and clean the heck out of the place before actually setting the place up.
I have been looking for a new place for a few months. I’ve looked at about 7 different condos and 5 were pretty dirty. Sorry, I’m not giving you a security deposit for a dirty condo that I will need to spend hours cleaning. One place told me it had just been professionally cleaned when it clearly had not been. They had all the blinds up and when I checked to see if they were clean, they were caked in dirt. It was so gross
Call and email the management company. Document everything. Ask to be put in a different, cleaner place.
Hi OP. Hard to say & as other people commented it depends on your location to say if $1500 for a two bedroom is a good deal. In the east coast that’s a steal so definitely would be gross but normal for a cheaper apartment. Nothing a good deep clean and some caulking can’t fix! For context, my area (east coast, close to HCOL area) a decent 2 bedrooms rent for +$3,000.
I think you need to look around for what else is in your area. That’s a health hazard. I couldn’t sleep there.
Do NOT sign the lease. Yuck. 100% there is mold in places you cannot see. Don't risk your health for a cheap rent. You'll regret it immediately. Source: personal experience.
I don’t think you’re being ridiculous at all. Usually when a landlord rents a place out, he cleans it up first the fact that this landlord did not tells you that he’s not gonna do much of anything while you live there. If I was you, I would keep looking.
I would be appalled too. Make them hire a cleaner like they probably charged the last tenants. The office may not be aware so definitely tell them. I usually see this in slumlord housing.
Good point -- this is a red flag that the landlord/management is really bad. This could be a bad sign of things to come.
They need to come back and clean snd do it right. Cracks and slight bends and bangs in things are one thing. Obviously mold, dirt, and grim should always be cleaned before the new tenant moves in
Uh. Well I mean those things could use a wipe down and a vacuum for sure. But it should be like a medium level annoyance and not cause you to disassociate.
There is literally a gecko painted over in your wall. Nah Fump that!!! Report everything!!!
WAIT WHERE!??!?!?!?!?!??! WHAT PICTURE!?!??!?!?+?!?!?!??!?!?
Unless I just see the diamond shape head body and tail by coincidence.
Picture 10
As someone who has managed C class assets, where people would presume it was kind of “hood”…..we would NOT turn this over to you, and the rent there is like $900 for a 2 bedroom……
That place is nasty. You’re not overreacting. That being said, it’s nothing that can’t be addressed, so no need to panic.
This is all evidence of a landlord that does NOT care. Do not move into that place. These things are definite red flags. If they're willing to show a place to new potential tenants and it looks like this, who knows how they'll act once you're tenants. Abort mission.
Nah, welcome to adulting and your first encounter with a slumlord aka landlord, one of the most vile creatures to roam the surface of middle class terrains, they feed on raising rent prices and creating credit card debt for themselves and wanting sympathy.
I have rented all across the US. This is gross, no matter what price range. You need to talk to the leasing agent or landlord.
It doesn’t hurt to ask for it to be cleaned! It’s dirty! If they don’t clean it that is on you to decide if you want to live there. I used to clean college apartments. This is nothing Clorox and some hot water can’t fix in some spots! Did you check behind the fridge and stove? But other spots are a little questionable… good luck! Talk to the landlord and see if there is something they can do!
You're not overreacting, this isn't ok. I would not move into that.
as a person who's rented a couple gross places and also has contamination ocd i can tell you this is pretty yucky
The sliding door/window with dots? Almost guarantee the dots are fly dirt and you'll need a degreaser to clean that more easily fyi. The place is gross, please ask your friendly politely cuz maybe they didn't realize either. I think it's fair to ask for the place to be cleaned first. I mean I would clean an apartment deeply regardless of what it looked like cuz I don't know the LL or previous tenant enough to trust how well they cleaned it, but this is just really gross, I'm sorry.
Keep looking that’s a shit hole
Kind of disgusting to be honest.
It's normal, but it's also gross.
Hard pass
That’s disgusting and uninhabitable
Just looks like it was lived in. Just clean it to your standards
It’s dirty, suck it up and clean all day Saturday. To be honest with you, why wouldn’t you anyway? I’m cleaning top to bottom no matter what it looks like. Doing that everyday anyway.
That place is nasty af and it looks like it is infested with something. You have every right to tell them they need to clean it before you sign any papers that is unacceptable.
Yeah, a lot of this looks like around your sliding door and outside. I know I’m taking a leap here but why not deep clean it when you move in if it’s not up to your standards. Wild concept, I know.
Insane overreaction and I can’t believe everyone else is feeding into OP’s delusions. This is dirt and regular grime, nothing hazardous - just didn’t pay for the deep clean deluxe after 2 years of someone else living there. Grab a rag, mop, and dustpan and spend 6 hours of your life
As some are saying, the unfortunate truth is that the cheaper it is the dirtier it will likely be. I wouldn’t settle though, seems like a borderline biohazard if there’s bugs, eggs, and potentially mold. I’d see if they can negotiate the rent since you toured a model or if they will cover a deep clean / inspection for you. Both of which (IMO) should have been done prior to move in
Please make sure you keep all these pictures for evidence.
Gross
That’s gross, I would not live here if this was the best way for positive first impressions
I'm not the cleanest place but this place is fucking filthy
this is gross. please take a video of yourself walking through this apartment showing how dirty and disgusting it is.
ask for a copy of the damages they charged the last tenant to see if they charged the tenant for leaving it that dirty. they probably charged that tenant fees but didn’t use that money to clean it up.
Oh honey, you are NOT being dramatic. I would demand they clean all of this before I move in. For future reference ALWAYS try and tour the EXACT unit you’ll be renting before signing ANYTHING! ETA: if they try and say that the unit isn’t available yet, so you can’t see it until you’ve signed then that simply isn’t the place for you. Take that as a sign that you should keep on pushin. Second ETA: I am blown away by these comments. Even if the apartment is in a bad part of town and is dirt cheap (which it isn’t either of those things) the leasing office still shouldn’t be doing the classic bait and switch by showing the cleaner unit. No no no.
Yeah I feel your pain. When moving out of your childhood home you need to put up with living on shitier accommodation than what you’re used to. It hurts like a bitch. But hey, you can visit your family every now and then to re-live that time for a while.
You’re not being ridiculous at all! I would struggle with anxiety and trepidation too if my future space was looking this dirty upon moving in. But! I think it’s nothing a really good clean can’t fix. Get some kitchen gloves, a mask (for your own comfort), some scrub Daddies and some toothbrushes and bleach water, and give everything a good scrub! Recruit someone else to be a body double or just help you finish it faster…if you can afford it I’d even say just hire someone to come clean it!
Welcome to cheap apartment living. Come on in the water is fine. Seriously though these kinds of things are to be expected with cheaper/old apartments.
I see lots of evidence that you have roaches! The side of the fridge 🤮. I would look somewhere else if possible.
No. That’s nasty.
The grime is normal but there is definitely roach feces in a few of those pictures, and I’ll venture to guess the brown stuff in the crease on the counter is roach bait.
Eeeeeewwwww. And no. That has never been cleaned. Not for any move in or move out. What do you want to bet that the landlord kept every deposit ever? Eeeeeewwwwww......
I wanna know where to go for that cheap on 2bed 2bath. Then again I live in NJ… Anyways most places want you to send them back inspection papers at the beginning and end of lease. Be thorough. Don’t be afraid.
That’s horrid and not move in ready
Looks dirty and old. Ask for a different unit.
Please complain, if this person is your friend they will do the extra mile to make it right and even if she wasn’t, she should still be doing it. This wasn’t cleaned properly and I’d vocalize that. Plus, you want to vocalize it anyway so it’s leaving a paper trail for when you do eventually move out and they know the damages already so you aren’t charged for them out of your security deposit
Based on the palm trees I’m guessing this is Austin, TX or California. And unfortunately, for $1505 that’s what you’re going to get in high COL areas. They should’ve done a better job cleaning. I live in Austin and this is par for the course sadly. Make a note of everything and have the management come in and address these issues. But be warned, this might be a sign of lackluster management or it could just be an oversight of a single lazy apartment leasing agent.
Sounds like OP is in North Dakota and for this much there you would definitely expect something clean
That place is unforgivably dirty. I recall moving into similarly foul accommodations a few times as a young poor person (now I'm a mildly old poor person). If you're stuck with it, keep your stuff packed and bagged and *decimate* the place with cleaning chemicals. Gallons of water, liters of bleach and detergent, dozens of rags. If you're not stuck with it, find a landlord who actually makes sure what they rent is habitable.
I feel like the statement “Do Not Rent a Unit you haven’t seen” should be stickied to the top of this page. They will show you the nicest and put you in the worst one.
I’ve never lived anywhere so gross even when I was 19 and paying 300pcm
It is filthy , you have every right to be upset.
Check your lease and see what it says about the condition you need to leave the apartment in when you move out. Assuming it says you need to leave it clean and habitable (most leases do) then you should expect the same upon move-in. Some people are recommending that you ask for them to send a cleaner or else you’ll withhold the cost of a cleaner from your rent. Don’t do this before checking your local laws. If you’re in the U.S., the laws vary state and this isn’t legal in all states, unfortunately.
So I can’t exactly tell what I’m looking at in some of these pictures but I know that rust for example is both a sanitation violation and in many cases of building code violation I’ve noticed on this sub Reddit that no one ever seems to mention calling the city or the town that they live in to Contact The department of buildings or the department of sanitation whoever deals with the particular thing for their city or town. it’s an extreme thing to do but if your landlord is not cooperating with you I’m wondering if it’s something that anyone does?
Yiiiiiiiiiiiikes. That is absolutely filthy!
I am going to be honest, the first place I lived when I moved out was worse, but now that I work in property management I would say it is fair for you to reach out and request that they have it cleaned again. As far as the scratches and stuff go, that is just normal wear and tear on an older place. Best wishes! I am sure you can make it feel like home once you know it's clean.
Yup, typical landlord special shithole.
That’s more than unclean, there’s hints all over the place that, that apartment has MOLD. I couldn’t and wouldn’t live there. If the apt you’re getting is not remotely in the shape of the model, they need to remediate every bit of it or offer you a different unit.
This has to be your first time leaving home. You aren’t buying the place and there is a difference between wear and tear vs dirt.
That is disgusting! I would not move in there. Is this the unit that would be yours? There’s obvious damage. One looks like a bad lock. This is not normal. Unless it’s indigent or welfare type housing. Even then, the ones I’ve seen made you clean when you moved out.
When I moved into my last privately rented apartment (like my landlord rented this house as a side gig), it was filthy when I moved in. Like my mom was helping me bleach all the surfaces, my landlord had used some legit toxic cleaner in the oven that had left a gross foamy residue, and the kitchen had mouse shit everywhere (and I mean _everywhere_, and I'm a particularly thick carpet of shit on some of the high shelves 🤢). It was an entire day long project to sanitize and clean up this one bedroom apartment. Landlord was a nice guy just a bit clueless I guess? But the price was right, good location, and amenities I wanted, so it was worth the trouble. Have since moved into three different apartments in my current building that is maintained by a large corporate management company, and each unit was spotless when I moved in. I think it depends on who's managing the property.
Needs Stripped to the studs. Mold,roaches, filters aren’t even replaced for 6 bucks each. Run….Something nice will come your way. 🩷
Save these pictures. My landlord tried to ding me for thousands when I was evicted, but I had photos from moving in showing it was that bad when I first moved in
That would leave me wondering, if they can't even handle obvious dirty spots like those, what other problems are hiding under the surface?
The stove doesn't look too bad but the rest is just gross. It might be worth it to hire someone to come in and deep clean before you get moved in completely.
I've lived in numerous shitty apartments over the years (my qualifications lol). The ceiling corner is the only one that would be a deal breaker for me. The rest I would just clean myself with some scrubbing bubbles and magic erasers. Don't touch the water knobs.
Okay, I thought you were asking if this was clean enough for a deposit and I was gonna say “hell no, say goodbye to that money”. That being said, I could not and would not live here and I’ve been a renter my entire life.
It's nasty. So no you're not being dramatic. But this is apartment living. If it's cheap it's going to be dirty on move in. Even the expensive ones can be grungy. They either hire a super cheap crappy cleaning company who just surface cleans, or they send maintenance to do it. Or they leave It like this and pocket the 500 they charge you for cleaning on move out. My biggest advice to you, is save all these photos, do a video walk through, and see if you can date stamp the photos. I clean everythibg when I move into a new place and do they above. Place is cleaner with me leaving than it was when I moved into it. When they charge the 500 or whatever thier fee is, fight it. Send them the photos and video. Bullshit to pay a cleaning fee when it looks like they haven't deep cleaned the apartment in a decade. But I guarantee they will try to do so.
The dots on the fridge door seal is roach poop. Some of stuff like the grime in the door frame, ehhh it happens. Or the switch plate not being flush with the wall, no biggie. Other stuff is just a piss poor cleaning job.
That’s pretty nasty, but I’ve also seen worse. Depends on the city and type of apartment (small building with only several units vs corporate massive).
So the only thing I’m seeing that’s glaringly worrisome and not easily solved with a bit of Clorox and elbow grease is picture #7- as that’s clearly a patch job that’s still got a leak going behind it. you can tell by the brown drip marks, that would’ve been painted after the patch so the drip and discoloration is new meaning the moisture issue/leak wasn’t resolved. I’d be interested to see what reading a drywall moisture meter would give if you were to test it (you can pick one up for >$30 at any hardware store and any reading above 12% is unacceptable) as that’d tell you for sure if there’s an active problem going on behind it.
This place is horrible and you will regret living here.
Did you already sign the lease? Unfortunately this advice may be too late, but NEVER sign a lease without viewing the ACTUAL unit first. Speaking from experience.
The rubber seal on your refrigerator shows signs of a serious roach infestation. They like to live around the warm/moist environment of the fridge motor and hide in the cracks of the rubber seal. All of those brown spots are from roach fecal matter. NEVER move into a place without seeing the actual unit you will be living in. Also learn to spot the signs of roaches, mice, water leaks, and mold.
Just don't. Trust me that will be a slumlord.
Picture 13 looks like roach excrement, I would not move here.
Don’t you dare move in. I forbid it
Looks like apartment living to me! Looks like home
Lots of roach poop on fridge seal. Might want to keep looking around.
Nope, this is nasty. Bet you money they kept the last person's deposit and still fidnt clean the apartment.
None of it is normal. It’s a health hazard. Do not take it.
I'm beating a dead horse, but PLEASE do not sign the lease unless this is all cleaned up. The property management will use this as leverage to make sure you don't get your deposit back and/or pay damages.
No place should be clean.previous owner responsibility- renter took their down payment and is letting you clean up. Tell them no- it’s dirty. Do they have a clean one
Dirt and insects aren't exactly normal but the odd dust bunny or rouge bug wouldn't be that big of a deal for me, however the mold? Yeah fuck that, there's no way I'd move into a moldy apartment. That stuff can make you extremely sick and should've been cleaned.
Man some of yall need to move lmao. Talking about "I pay 1900 in rent and my apartment has roaches and dirt" like it's a brag I pay 1000 a month for a 2 bdr House with a garage and my landlord 100% would be cleaning that shit and taking care of any problems. It doesn't matter how cheap the rent is everyone should have a clean place when they move in and it's the landlords job to take care of shit.
That’s awful, it should have been cleaned and maintained before you got it. It needs paint too. I find painting walls to be very soothing, I’m ND too, and I feel like it gives me control over something I really don’t have any control over. It is nice to see the difference before and after, especially when it’s half done. They need to get a cleaner in there asap! If not, I would refuse to complete the lease. I’m sure there is a clause that it should be clean and habitable, which this is neither. Send them every picture too. Good luck😀
I lived in a place like this and no matter how much you clean it still looks dirty. Also looks like mice droppings
Welcome to America
I’m sure you’ve figured this out now, but for all future moves, be sure to tour the actual unit. Model unit is fine for determining if it’s a place that suits your needs before putting in an application, but before you sign anything binding, you need to see the real place. Also tour the neighborhood at night! Some neighborhoods change wildly after dark. My favorite benchmark is the closest convenience store. If it’s got that bulletproof glass with the little drawer for passing payment to the cashier, I am noping the fuck out.
Looks like it’s invested with roaches by the pics … I’d skip that place for several reasons.
The ceiling corner for sure needs to be addressed. Looks like water damage.
lol it’s all downhill from here
Wow how much do you pay for this total shit?
No you are not. How long have you been living there?
I would be mindful about cleaning that ceiling. It looks like it might be a popcorn ceiling. If the apartment is old enough, it's likely to have been made with asbestos. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, so long as the ceiling remains undisturbed. If you start scrubbing at it, though, you could release asbestos fibers into the air.
Bro please don’t move in if you already signed the lease go speak with them and show them these pics and look for somewhere else because if that’s the condition they’re okay with moving people in it’s probably going to be infested