M.J. Kelly Realty

BEWARE!\r I am writing this review several months (over a year) since I rented from MJ Kelly. My rental from MJ Kelly was my first renting experience in the city of Pittsburgh, and I wasn't sure if it was normal or not. The poor slum-lord type service is not normal!! I have been in another apartment since, and my husband works for another excellent landlord in the city, and the service I received from MJ Kelly would force me to categorize him as a slum-lord. There was a large unsafe crack in my floor, and after 10-15 phone calls (over the course of 1 year) the issue was never repaired. I moved out and received none of my security deposit back, even though the apartment was in pristine condition. Was told that I was charged for....wait for it....the FLOOR damage, which was old peeling up linoleum that I couldn't have caused if I wanted to! Mike was incredibly rude when we spoke, and I tried very hard to be patient through the entire process. After several un-returned phone calls (relating to the security deposit), I decided that you can't reason with someone that runs his business on being dishonest. If you have any choice at all in the matter, do not rent from this company. You will likely regret it! It is also important to note that the rent went up significantly during the time I was in the apartment, and I didn't realize til later how ridiculously priced the apartment was. It was getting close to $800 for a studio in a bad neighborhood. The only benefit with going with a different slumlord is that you might get cheaper rent that makes it worth it. more

I also wish I could give zero stars. MJ kelly expects to do NEXT TO NOTHING between renters. He charges for painting/cleaning...ANY services provided by any workers you are charged for upon leaving - despite the fact that the apartment is awful when you move in. They sent cleaning crews in BEFORE the painters when we moved in, really? He has an awful attitude. PLEASE NOTE: When I rented from him I told myself...ya know, you're a lot more likely to leave a poor review about a landlord than a positive one. DO NOT ASSUME THIS. Don't assume that the people writing these reviews are your typical every day complainers that are never satisfied, wreck an apartment, then expect to get their security deposit back. THIS IS NOT SO!!!! My family is in real estate, I am extremely familiar with the process. I do not know of anyone who handles their customers as poor as MJ kelly does. We moved as he kept raising the rent but never fixed anything. Floors are uneven. There are fire hazards (doors which don't close and need locked from the inside to close), water ran into the apartment when it rained, and light fixtures handing from inside closets. It was difficult to notice these imperfections when you view an apartment which is fixed up nicely. Do yourself a favor and save yourself A LOT of hassle. more

Mike Kelly is a thief. He lies and is beyond inappropriate on the phone when you call nicely to ask him why he has charged you for absurd things. He DID NOT paint the walls when we moved it, it was disgusting and the carpet was so old and nasty and we were paying over $900 a month. We asked to paint walls within the apartment and were told to paint them back to white. We painted them back, have receipts to prove our purchases and he still charged us for painting because we left NAIL HOLES in the walls that we did not pain and were not supposed to paint!!!! He accused us of turning in our keys a day later than we did and cursed and screamed the whole time on the phone when matters were calmly being discussed. DO NOT RENT FROM MJ KELLY....THEY LIE!!!!! more

If I could give ZERO stars I would. DO NOT RENT FROM M.J. Kelly! Michael Kelly is a thief and a terrible landlord. The company is disorganized, neglects tenant requests, and raises your rent by $100 each year! The staff is incompetent and unhelpful when you call the office with questions. Moreover, Michael Kelly had the audacity to withhold more than half of my security deposit for unnecessary fees which he subjectively deducted from my security deposit after I was told I would receive the entire deposit in return. He was also very rude on the phone to me when I calmly called to discuss this with him. He told me the apartment was a mess when I left and that no one had cleaned it- my roommate and I cleaned it for 6+ hours trying to avoid this problem. The apartment was in better condition when I left then when I moved in. Do not rent from here! The apartments are overpriced and their terrible business practices are NOT WORTH the headache! Please heed the numerous negative reviews about this company- M. J. Kelly is the most horrible landlord I more

Lived in one of the apartments for years and nothing ever got fixed even if it was causing damage. They do the least possible (usually nothing despite begging) but want to keep raising your rent. Old, cheap appliances, cheap carpeting, holes in the walls and doors, apartments need painted. Avoid. more

This apt was not only filthy, but unsafe. The door jam was broken and ajar, the steps were a hazard that caused injury, the landlord enters the apt without notice, he never pays deposits back, makes the renter pay 3 months in advance, is constantly filing with the magistrate and then causing the students to pay those charges too. Habitually lies. We have the receipts from cleaning the apt professionally both b4 and after moving in, MJ Kelly lied and said the apt was dirty when it was in better shape than when we moved in. I know of 3 different college students that he has taken advantage of, and we are talking slumlord. This guy is a ripoff. His staff also lies and creates additional problems. Stay away from MJ Kelly Cons: trash apts, doesn't honor lease, harrasses college students more

The house was never cleaned or painted before we moved in. The walls and ceilings were water damaged and crumbling... The ceiling on the top floor actually caved in and it took weeks for them to repair it. As we were moving out, I came to the house one day to pick up the rest of my belongings and take the trash out but to my surprise everything in the house had gone missing. When questioned to the whereabouts of my things I was, I was immedietely berated and cursed at by Michael Kelly. I would expect some kind of respect to due to a customer of 2 years. Never rent from these scumbag slumlords, they do nothing but rip you off. SEE YOU IN COURT MICHAEL KELLY! Pros: nothing Cons: everything more

Its a laugher when companies review themselves as Mike clearly did below. They're horrible to rent from - stay away. Cons: company rips you off more

Kelly, Mike J - M J Kelly Realty\r 2147 Ardmore Blvd \r Pittsburgh, PA 15221\r 4122715550 provided excellent service. Very knowledgable and friendly. Hard working and helpful staff. We are very happy with our real estate agent Mike Kelly and this firm. Made our experience a pleasure not a nightmare like many experience. Very forthright and in the best interest of our needs. Top recommendation! I read the last comment and I guess if you need a place fast and you get a place fast, the renter/client may need prepare and assess the situation with realistic expectations before jumping in. We did not have this experience at all. Pros: Customer service. Knowledge. Experienced. Helpful with our needs. more

I rented from M J Kelly Realty only because I was out of time and had to move fast. The place was not in great shape, but I was assured that it would be cleaned and the bathroom re-worked before I moved in. I also knew that I would have to pay for 12 months worth of rent but only get to live in the apt for 11 and a half months. \r \r When I moved in, the place was filthy. The carpet was gross, the kitchen sink leaked causing mold to grow under the sink, and there was dirt and dust in every imaginable corner. The bathroom had not been remodeled, just some plastic liner loosely glued in. Later, I discovered that the air conditioner was not secured in the window like it should have been, but balanced using a 2 by 4 (I took it out because it was drafty, go figure). After much complaining, I got them to hire somebody to come by and at least shampoo the carpets and clean up a little, but I did most of the clean up myself. \r \r I was supposed to be notified when the company would be coming by to show the place to a possible future tenant, but at least once, they barged in without knocking early on a weekend morning. I couldn't believe how rude they were! \r \r When I left, they kept most of my deposit, even though I cleaned the apt regularly. They charged me for cleaning the carpets and other general cleaning. I got less than half of it back. \r \r I was really shocked at the rude behavior of everyone at M J Kelly Realty and I do not recommend renting from them. Pros: There was parking included where I lived which I did not have to pay a fee for, but I didn't have a designated spot, so it would have been easy for someone else to park there Cons: The people working at MJ Kelly are greedy pigs. more