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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2018
    Posts
    2

    Default Can You Get a Deposit Refund if the Apartment is Different From the Model Unit Shown

    My question involves landlord-tenant law in the State of: Delaware

    Last month I went and looked at an apartment with my boyfriend. I was shown a model apartment that I thought would resemble the actual apartment I would be moving into. The place was perfect and we were very excited about this place.
    My boyfriend and I signed some paperwork and gave a deposit of $300.00. First red flag I should've caught was that we were not given a copy of the paperwork we signed. The person showing us the apartment only explained one difference in the other apartments was that the washer and dryer may be in the kitchen instead of in a closet in the hallway like the model apartment set up. That's the ONLY difference mentioned.

    Today we went to sign the lease and was shown the available apartment that I was to move into this weekend. After seeing the apartment my heart fell. I am dismayed, shocked, feeling deceived and more. The apartment had no similarities to the model apartment we were shown. The shower in the bathroom is smaller, there was a pedestal sink unlike the model apartment which had a sink with a vanity cabinet. The model apartment had a linen closet, this one did not. The spare bedroom was smaller, the layout was completely different, the workmanship of the clean up and preparation of the apartment was very poor. There was dried glue on the counter in one of the bathrooms for example.

    I now feel strongly there was a misrepresentation involved here in the showing of the apartment. Someone else advised me that I may be able to get some satisfaction by writing to the Real Estate Commission.

    We sat down and spoke to the lady after I got my thoughts together. We asked for the deposit back and she stated something about 5 days to make a decision after signing the paperwork in which we gave the deposit to hold the apartment. She told us the property manager would be in tomorrow and that I could speak to him.

    My worst fear is that we won't get this hard earned $300 back and that my inexperience in apartment hunting was taken advantage of.
    I am so devastated!

    Any input or advice would be so appreciated. Thank you in advance.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Posts
    18,340

    Default Re: Deposit on Apartment

    You've just learned a valuable (and possibly expensive) life lesson from the school of hard knocks.

    NEVER pay, NEVER sign, until you see exactly what you are getting.

    If you don't get your $300 back, you'll have to sue in small claims court for it. No way to predict how that goes.

    As for not getting a copy of what you sign, that's on you. You should have asked for it and insisted on it. At the very least photographed it with your camera phone. You have a camera phone, don't you?

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2018
    Posts
    2

    Default Re: Deposit on Apartment

    Thank you for your response. Not what I was hoping to hear. You're right about getting a copy of what I signed. Total dumb oversight on our part.
    Of course I do have a camera phone. Ugh! Lesson learned indeed. I'm already feeling pretty crummy about this. Meanwhile, I am still going to pursue writing to the commission and writing a letter to their management. It's on them that their practices are unethical. Fortunately, I am in a situation where I am not desperate at this point for a place to stay.

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