I choose Altamont Summit as my daughter had lived there w/relatively little issues - she could hear the upstairs neighbors doing every little body function - but her time there and move out went smoothly. Since I was moving back to Oregon on short notice I choose these apartments for convience; the noise issue, well that happens in apartments. The year that i lived there was not too bad. The problem started when I moved out. The apartment was throughly cleaned w/the exception of vacuuming the carpet so I figured I would be "dinged" for that from my deposits. At the end of almost the 30 days that landlords have to refund or deny refunds on deposits I heard from Altamont Summit.
The paperwork noted that the apartment was filthy, it stank from pet orders, the ceilings were filty (on a small ladder I couldn't reach the light fixtures so not sure how I got the ceiling dirty)refrigerator dirty, etc. I was advised that all the deposits were being retained due to the carpet needing to be replaced and the amortization of the carpet being replaced I owed them additional monies. The pet fee that I had paid had not been applied towards this amount owed.
So I read through the lease that Altamont uses and in that lease it specifies that fees, regardless of what they were charged for, were to be used first towards damages, then any deposits, etc. The Landlord Tenant law states the same. I sent Altamont a letter advising that I was deducting the amount of the pet fee and enclosed a check for the difference. I never heard anything back from them.
I find out today that they are advising my perspective new landlord that I owe them money still. When I called Altamont to discuss this I was advised I had read the lease as well as the law incorrectly and their attorney concurred. Currently I am contacting their attorney to discuss this but I fear I will need to pay them the additional money to clear my name in order to rent another place.
After reviewing the other postings I find I am not the only one that has been wrongly accused of leaving a dirty apartment w/damages to be paid to them. The view is fantastic, the parking could be better but do you really want to rent from a Management Staff that is deceitful on the move out due to the fact that the tennant doesn't really have any recourse' If you do decide to move here keep a copy of your move in damage sheet, take pictures when you move in and again after cleaning and be sure to do a walk through w/the staff. Even then that may not help you in getting any deposits back. Bottom line - this is not a complex I would recommend to anyone.

User Responses
From: Anonymous	Date: 04/14/2009
People from every apartment complex complain about these same issues. You'll likely face the same problem next time you leave. Bottom line is clean the place like you were putting it up for sale, if you had pets, you get accustomed to the odor, but other people Notice! I'M not into defending apartment buildings, I've been burned myself, but we all ask for it by renting! Enjoy the environment you choose to want to live and write it off as that!
From: Anonymous	Date: 10/31/2009
Try contacting the Oregon Bar Assn (Lake Oswego) & ask for a referral to an atty. They will give you 1 or 2 names; for $35 (occasionally no charge), those referred attys will listen to your story and explain where you stand. Landlord/tenant laws are very clear, and frankly tenants have far more rights than landlords. (I'm a landlord.) Dirty ceilings (unless it's champagne that sprayed on it or teens who shook beer or cola on it, etc.,) come under "ordinary wear and tear, as does "ordinary" carpet dirt (this does not include axle grease, animal stains, cigarette burns, etc.). For that kind of mistreatment, the carpet does have to be replaced. To prevent pet odors from accumulating, use FEBREZE daily in pet areas, and again before the exit inspection. Above all, TAKE PHOTOS, both at walkthrough before you take possession of the apt AND after you have done the final cleaning (good if these photos are done in sight of mgr). On move-IN, point out every little dent, scratch, carpet stain, bent blinds, tear in vinyl floor, cigarette burn, etc., and write it on the MOVE-IN list. Both of you initial/sign that document--to cover yourself, be sure it is very accurate. Take LOTS of photos, including inside refrig, oven,dishwaher, laundry rm, closets, bth, light fixtures, blinds & all walls (to later compare with the Move-Out photos). When moving out, clean thoroughly. We all have different concepts of what "clean" is, so it may be worth paying a friend to help you do a good cleaning. Do NOT leave until you do a Final Walkthrough w/the apt mgr or staff AND the Exit Walkthrough list is completed, initialed by both of you on each line (particularly areas of disagreement), and BE SURE you get a copy of it (do not accept "we'll mail you a copy") before you leave the premises. On the Final Exit Walkthrough form, you document everything the mgr notices or complains about and be sure they have noted the "condition of property upon exit." That's your chance to say, "I don't dust ceilings." This documentation makes the mgr aware that they cannot mess with you later because you have both in/out photos and the Exit form that gives the conditions, in their perspective, when you left. Be sure to look what they wrote as "condition of property upon exit." If you disagree, write a statement on the exit form, and take MORE pictures. Later you may be showing these to a judge, and a picture says a thousand words. The photos and walk-thru forms really protect you both. Before you surrender your key(s), be sure you have a copy of the Exit Walkthrough form in your hand. Surrender your key, and your responsibility ends. If they leave the door unlocked and the neighbor teens come & party there, it's mgmt's responsibility . . . YOU have your photos showing the condition at time of your departure(be sure dates are printed on photos; digital cameras do this). To get a view from the other side, read on . . . I'm a landlord of one small older pristine rental house, and I've never cheated anyone out of their deposit. By day 30 after move-out, I have made a complete list of any damage done, anything missing from the premises, and the cost of repair/replacement. I deduct the total costs from the amount of the DEPOSIT (fees are not refundable), and mail my renters a check for any deposit balance they are owed. I operate on the premise of Do Unto Others . . . or what goes around comes around. I am usually very fortunate with my renters; I give a very reasonable rental price, and I hope that in turn, they will be good to me. Almost are, leaving the place clean and intact. This Feb. I got Renters from Hell. I just evicted them, the first time in 30 yrs that I've had to evict. When they moved, they stole: the brand new 9'x 11' bedroom carpet, my 6' aluminum ladder (kept there for cleaning gutters, etc.) and all my garden tools; my personal combination lock off the garage, the brand-new shower head, antique doorknobs off both bedroom doors, the doors(!) from one bedroom and the bathroom! I assume those doors were caved in during Crystal and Brian's fights, and they removed them so I wouldn't see. But they were the original doors & knobs on a 1950's house, and had survived quite well until Crystal and Brian moved in. They also left me with 4 FULL trash bins (2 are giant & so heavy that I cannot even roll them to the street), trash in every room, trash (including dirty diapers, clothes, old food, papers, kids' broken toys (all made in China), letters, bills, and much more. They left garbage piled on the floors, in boxes and in black bags both inside and outside, as well as half-filling the shed, and piles of broken wood from a project Brian did (way too much and too heavy wood pieces for me to move). Crystal's cousin ran over the sprinkler head on the front lawn, and broke it off; this will require a professional to flush the line and do repairs--probably $350. This home was professionally cleaned before they moved in, entirely new paint on the inside, new blinds, new vinyl windows, new water heater. I had just spent $6K having the the entire bathroom completely torn out and professionaly redone--new walls, insulation,shower, paint, insulation, fan, cabinet,light fixture, towel bars,mirror, sink, Toto toilet(expensive & best-ever water-saver), and vinyl floor. It was pristine, absolutely pristine. Now the brand-new showerhead is gone(!), the tub & floor are filthy, and cabinet has stains. The kitchen stove is the dirtiest I've ever seen--1/3" thick of burned grease on the oven floor--looks like pizzas were heated on the oven rack, instead of on a cookie sheet, and all the pizza debris fell to the oven floor. The 2 living room walls, newly painted just 9 mos. earlier, had been kicked/caved in and "repaired" then painted over with a paint that did not match! Living room walls now have obviously repaired patches/paint in two huge ~4'x5' areas. They also lit the fireplace before opening the damper, and all living rm walls are smoke covered--need to have specialty cleaning before they can be painted again (~$250). They also did not pay any utilities while there, including the garbage (that's why it's overflowing from 4 bins, they stopped picking it up) and had the unmitigated gall to have PGE send ME their electric bill for payment! And all their utility bills have gone to collections! These two young people were NOT unemployed. They BOTH worked, they simply didn't pay their bills, but spent their earnings on shopping, buying all kinds of made-in-China fast-fooding, drinking, and using God-knows-what-else, as well as lots of cheap Chinese toys for their two small girls. I'm a senior, and income from my rental supplements my social security. I net about $400 a month after mortgage, taxes & insurance. That social security is my ONLY income. Crystal and Brian stole my rent for 9 mos.. . . then when I finally evicted them, they refused to leave until the final 4 hours before the Sheriff came. She goes to church on Sunday and whines about how sick she has been. He says he won't pay the rent if she won't pay her half. She refuses, says "I'm not going to support him." And I was put squarely in the middle and they simply did not pay me. Then, when they moved, they stole everything that wasn't nailed down. They left me with a huge clean-up of garbage, having to replace the brand-new carpet (which they actually rolled up & hauled out of the home!), all my garden tools & ladder, shower head, garage lock, and all the other things they took. They were behind over >$2K in back rent; and I struggled to get them out. Eviction is not fun for either side, and I've been physically ill from all this. I only hope that "what goes around comes around," and these two youngsters will get theirs. In the meantime, I have more work to do, not only cleaning up their damages and hiring someone to do the repairs, but getting an atty to file suit against them for theft, damages, and back rent. (But they will have to pay the atty fees!) I hope this gives you a good perspective of what Deposits and Fees are all about, as well as expectations of leaving the rental clean and intact. The less money the owner has to put into cleaning/repairing the apt for the next renter, the more money you will get back from your Deposits.

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