By: A.A.
The right to housing has been for many, an inconsistent privilege. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have stable housing in my life thus far. However, my journey into the heart of housing inequity in Connecticut opened my eyes to the systemic issues that disproportionately affect Black youth. The following blog post will examine a multitude of personal experiences that led to my growth as an informed renter. Through these experiences, I tackled my novice comprehension of financial literacy; became more knowledgeable about what rights I am entitled to as a renter; and addressed the power imbalance between property management companies and their tenants. In retrospect, I wish I knew that it is always appropriate to speak up for myself and to ask as many clarifying questions as needed to fully understand any binding contract I partake in.
My journey begins here in Connecticut. Moving here was a difficult transition for me. Almost 70% of my monthly income was factored towards rent and housing related expenses. It was frustrating to realize living on my own was becoming more of an ideal than a reality. As an individual navigating the housing landscape, my journey has been a testament to the harsh realities renters of color face in their quest for stable housing. Settling into Hartford, I embarked on a journey riddled with uncertainty and unforeseen challenges. I entered adulthood with a decent bit of optimism and naivety. I didn’t know what I didn’t know. Each property has assistant property managers that provide assistance with housing matters within the property. I encountered skepticism and resistance from these property managers who viewed my identity as a liability. The process of securing housing was rife with discrimination, from arbitrary demands for excessive documentation to coercive tactics during the lease signing process. My optimism waned as I navigated my rental application and lease agreements. The property manager’s reluctance to streamline the process foreshadowed an uphill battle still to come. The euphoric feeling brought by finally finding a place to call my own was short-lived. As I navigated the rental application and lease agreements, I encountered resistance at every turn. Unbeknownst to me, the fine print of my lease would be a tangled web of deceit. As a preventative measure, knowing what the signs and actions of an unreliable property management company were would have been helpful. With each passing month, I was drowning in fees and charges resulting from financial mismanagement. As mentioned previously, I was not as financially literate as I am now. Additionally, having a limited understanding of tenant rights often exposed me to situations where I could be taken advantage of by bad actors. Their tactics, designed to trap renters in a cycle of debt and dependency, exposed the prevalence of these issues for young renters. One property manager in particular, made the application process impossibly difficult, demanding unnecessary documentation and rushing me through the lease signing process. I found myself dealing with a stream of coercive ultimatums from them, stating that any hesitation on my part to comply, would result in rejection of my application.
Upon being accepted and settling into my new home, problems began to arise, and I decided to meet with my property managers to figure out what was going on. It was at that meeting that I was informed the property manager had decided to end my lease agreement two months prior to our meeting- with zero notice. Prior to the final move-out day, I saw to it that I did my best to thoroughly prepare, organize, and return the apartment to its original state. I had previously learned that former tenants frequently reported not receiving their security deposits or even incurring “move-out fees.” Therefore, restored the apartment in the cleanest of conditions though I did not extensively alter the apartment during my stay. As I was in the process of moving out, I received a letter from my property management company. It vaguely outlined fees I was being charged, without rationale or explanation of how or why these fees were incurred. Some of the charges included: stains in the kitchen, living room, and hallway floor; dirty water left in the bathroom toilet; and food stains in the kitchen sink. I notified the property management teams that these charges were unfounded and inaccurate. Even if an apartment were returned in these conditions, it is not justifiable to charge hundreds of dollars in fees. This left me with an impending moral dilemma. I had no idea how I was going to finally confront the property manager and pay the overcharged fees before my move-out date. Even with the advance warnings, documentation, and clearer understanding of their tactics, I was not confident in my capabilities to challenge the property manager. Despite this, I disputed the charges and provided a multitude of videos and pictures in vain. Later on, I was informed that the property manager had their own records regarding evidence for their claims. Upon requesting their records, I received a few highly pixelated, low-quality photos of the apartment- none of which showcased the validity of their claims. All of their photos were taken after many staff members had entered my apartment for a final walk-through “move-out inspection”. I explained that I knew other tenants had incurred similar charges with little notice or explanation in the past. I detailed each step of my move out process and pleaded my case.
The abrupt termination of my lease left me in a state of uncertainty and despair. Threatened with legal action, I emptied my savings in a desperate bid to ensure I could find housing again. Prior to visiting the property management office, I had received lease renewal information in the mail, so I was under the impression that my lease would be renewed by the end of my agreed term. Especially since the lease’s end was approximately a month away. Though I did not know much about the process or the industry, one thought kept racing through my mind. “How could I be so in the dark about what was going on?What were they waiting for?” The answer is, I really wasn’t sure but I understood their implicit intentions were malicious. I knew instantly that complying and quietly moving out would be the most viable course of action.
An additional issue I encountered upon entering my lease was when the property managers informed me that they required me to buy security deposit insurance to process my lease agreement. They explained that our entire building utilized this service and that I was required to use it. I was not given the option to submit a security deposit. What I did not know is that this “insurance” was not insuring renters at all. It was a program, requiring renters to pay a hefty monthly fee. To add insult to injury, there really is no way to terminate this agreement without losing your money invested in the process. If you terminated the agreement, you would not receive whatever amount you invested back. Unfortunately, I was unaware that ending the “security deposit insurance” agreement meant the property manager was more likely to not renew my lease. The property manager was not inclined to renew my lease since the insurance agreement was the reason they agreed to lease to me in the first place. This can lead to many tenants being responsible for so many additional fees, that overtime they surpass the original security deposit amount and are indefinitely indebted to this program. Renters would be left paying this large monthly fee for as long as they remain at the building (which in most cases was a year or more). I realized these companies can purposefully mislead customers to believe that they are purchasing a cheaper alternative to a typical security deposit. They utilize property management companies as an intercessor to find eligible renters to prey upon. However, I realized this much too late in my tenancy.
My journey through housing inequity in Connecticut may have left long-lasting scars, but it also ignited a curiosity in me about what could be. A curiosity fueled by the commitment to dismantle the barriers that deny countless individuals the basic human right of stable housing. My experiences have taught me to no longer cast guilt and blame solely on myself, rather I accredit this outcome to the problematic mismanagement within my previous apartment building, as well as the systemic mistreatment and abuse of renter’s rights and knowledge. Through confronting unfair practices and learning more about my situation, I have found that many of these tactics are utilized to present a false product, narrative, and quality of living to young renters. In conclusion, my journey in securing housing in Connecticut opened my eyes to the stark realities faced by lower-income communities. For a long time after this I grappled with the idea of my culpability. I know that my limited understanding of my situation poorly positioned me as a renter. Since finding stable housing now, I have learned the value of a communicative and caring property management team. If there is one thing I hope readers add to their renters toolkit from this post it is to learn the importance of fully comprehending all binding agreements and establishing initial/final walk through documents. This is one way renters can protect themselves and keep property management companies from seeking out miscellaneous or unfounded damages and charges. I am proud to say I have come a long way and finally feel at home in Connecticut, and want to help ensure others living here can feel the same way.
Helpful Links:
https://ctlawhelp.org/en/evictions-process-laws-connecticut
https://ctlawhelp.org/en/tenants-rights-security-deposits
https://getflex.com/blog/landlord-vs-property-manager-whats-the-difference
(Specifically the Rent, Fees, and Security Deposits section)- https://ctlawhelp.org/en/tenants-renters-rights-laws