534 RENT review: Bad Experience 3

On Friday Nov. 7th 2014 my husband and I went out shopping for food, and when we returned home we realized we had no hot water. My husband went into the basement to see what was going on and smelt a strong odor of gas. We called Nipsco and they sent someone out right away. Nipsco found 7 gas leaks starting at the water heater and moving thoughout the pipes! He mentioned that there could be many more in the pipes that where in the ceiling, and he had no choice but to shut off our gas! We called 534 Rent's emergency number to let them know Nipsco was shutting off our gas due to many leaks. 534 Rent told us to go stay with a friend or family until they could send someone out MAYBE on Monday. We moved an hour or more away from any friends or family to live closer to my husbands job, and since we had just paid $795. In rent and bought $200. Worth of food we were next to being broke! We have three children ages: 8, 6, and 5 mths. Leaving our home was just not an option we could afford at the time being and we told them so. They rudely said they were not going to send anyone right away, and wouldn't send anyone out to lend us any heaters until maybe Monday! Thank God our stove is electric. That is the only heat source we had to try and help keep warm. No i dont recommend using the stove to anyone as a heat source nor did I like it, but it's all i could do to keep my family from freezing! There was snow on the ground and it was only suppose to get even colder with more snow. We called 534 numerous times before Monday begging for heaters, but never got any response! Monday rolled around and all I got was a lousy phone call in whitch I was asked to leave a message again with there emergency contact. By 3:45 when my husband got home no one had even been to our house to even look at the damage. My husband went to 534's office site and confronted them! He was told to calm down and the problem would be taken care of in due time; they had other properties to maintain as well! He returned home and we waited for another hr or so, and when no one still showed i took matters into my own hands. I called the housing authority, mayors office, the building inspector, and a lawyer! When i contacted the building inspector he said he would call them and enforce an early inspection. Ten minutes later I received a call back from 534 Rent saying that they where going to send someone out right away! My husband informed them that he didn't want them to send there incompetent maintenance man that had been here twice before to fix a broken kitchen sink faucet and a leaky bathtub; that still remained unfixed! They were very rude and upset that they had to hire a contractor to do the job right for once! When the contractor arrived at 5:45 he said there was so much old and bad pipping he wouldn't be able to fix it that night, but he did bring two small heaters. He took it upon himself to call 534 and tell them what he had told us, but he also told them that they really should put us in a hotel for at least that night since the house was deemed unlivable, we had children, and had not showered since friday. He also informed them that had we not stayed they would have had a bigger problem on there hands cause it was cold enough outside to freeze the pipes and them burst! They relentlessly argued with him if it was nessasary that action needed to be taken. With the contrator making very goods points they finally put us in a hotel for the night, but we had to be checked out by 11 am. The following day Tuesday after returning home we still had no heat and we were informed the work was almost finished but wouldn't be finished that night either. So we stayed at home heating with the oven, one heater we went and bought, two from my bro in law, and the two from 534. All these heaters and we could only keep our downstairs heated to 70. Upstairs was an ice box! The next day our heat was finally able to be turned back on at 7:30/8 pm. although we still had no hot water. Due to a gas leak at the controll panel of the water heater! The contrator was already gone for the night so we waited for him to return the next day. He came late in the day on wed. and assessed the water heater he called around for prices on a new water heater and/or just the controll panel. 534 said they didn't want to replace the water heater if it wasn't nessasary since the cost was $1, 000. They were still upset at the cost of a new $250. Controll panel. The contractor ordered the part but said it wouldn't be in until Thursday. On Thursday he came back with the part and fixed it properly! However, the other complaints we have filed numerous times still remain unfixed and are constantly being put off! I would never ever recommend 534 Rent to anyone due to their incompetents, lack of respect for their renters and owners, and poor business skills! It really disgust me that they can treat people like this and get away with it legally due to a bogus contract! Owners and renters beware! We have hired an attorney and are taking legal action against them! I do have pics of property damage that they refuse to have fixed properly, but can't get them to dowload for some reason!

I've also rented from these scam artist. All the homes they get are mostly run down homes with bad water leaks and horrible heat, I also had a bad water leak during the raining season, flooded my whole basement and they want me to pay a 2100 water bill. They ultimately blame the renters and owners. Home had damage before I moved in that I didn't discover until I settled in...just a bunch of small things...don't have screen doors or even dead bolt locks, mice infestation, out dated every thing, carpet is horrible and I had to clean it by professionals before I move, yea right. Also the people are nice and easy to work with UNTIL you sign the lease. They've been through quite a few employees in a year, which none seem to do their jobs. Contacted the state and they are doing a FULL investigation on this matter. Just check out the website they even post those trash homes on the website, if not just drive around the neighborhood of elkhart or goshen and discover the truth for yourselves. P.S.A DON'T RENT FROM THESE PIRATES... have a blessed day ...

I agree with you 100%.I told them for over 1 year that my water heater was messed up and only givin me maybe 10 minutes of hot water. They finally sent someone out a couple months ago to fix it. Not only do they NOT fix things but they dont keep their properties well maintained. They never painted the wall, or put new carpet or anything in my apartment before i moved in and they knew for 2 months. They just kicked me out because i went onto bed rest because i went into labor 3 and a half months early due to my water leaking and could not work. I told Brian what was going on doctors note and all and he said that was fine and to get money to him when i could. He is trying to say that I am $2, 000 behind when I know for sure that i am maybe $800 at most! The only reason they say i owe that much is because they didnt do their job and clean the apartment so now they are saying i am responsible for that! I dont think so! 534 Rent is nothing but scandeless, money hungry a-holes! They also told me back in May of this year that i would have to sign a new lease but i was never given one to sign and here it is almost 7 months later and still havnt signed a new lease. If you ask me any money that they say i owe i don't because my lease was up in May. They can not sign a new lease for me! It is 100% illeagel and I know that for a fact because I have a good friend who is a lawyer and I asked him about that! So guess what Brian Perry, you aint gettin a freaking penny from me because i dont owe you anyting! No new lease NO money!