DO NOT rent from Butzirus. My daughter rented an apartment from Nick Butzirus and had nothing but negative experiences. He would take days to return phone calls (and only after repeated attempts to reach him) and would not show up when scheduled to make repairs.They were never available in the office. Water from an upper apartment damaged the stairs to her second-story apartment, causing the stairs to pull away from the wall. It took WEEKS, multiple phone calls, and eventually threat of legal action to get the stairs repaired. It was also dangerous because the light on the landing was out for months.
The gas stove was ancient (at least 40 years old - no exaggeration) and had to be lit by hand. I was concerned about safety and asked for an updated stove. Nick Butzirus assured me he would replace it when he could, implying that it would be soon because these old stoves were ""highly desirable"" (seriously??), and he would move it out and a newer one into the apartment - never happened. It was next to impossible to light, so my daughter was effectively without an oven for more than a year.
The lock on the egress entrance (directly into the bathroom) was an interior door handle with the kind of lock that you push the handle and turn to lock. Hardly safe, especially for a young woman living alone. I had to insist that a deadbolt be installed. Again, it took multiple phone calls and a certified letter before that was done.
Like another reviewer, my daughter experienced outrageous power bills. Her natural gas bill for an efficiency apartment (maybe 300 - 350 square feet) was more than the gas bill for our 1,700 square foot house.
We are still awaiting the return of the security deposit almost six months after the lease ended. We were told a ludicrous story that the check was mailed to the apartment with forwarding requested; however, my daughter left a forwarding address with the office when she moved out. We completed everything on the checklist so expect the full amount returned to us. If not, we will be taking legal action against Butzirus.
I have rented from numerous landlords in the past and have had positive and less than positive experiences. However, none have been as bad as this experience with Butzirus. I would never recommend them to anyone.
Pros: Nothing
Cons: Everything related to renting from Butzirus
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