I am convinced that the positive reviews for this company are written from friends and family. I lived in Tallahassee for years and just recently moved back to pursue a Master?s degree. I never had a problem with a rental property or property management company until I decided to rent from Darden.
The office only answers about 1 out of every 5 phone calls. Even when you do get someone on the phone and explain the problem they just say that they will pass it along to Patrick Darden who is ?out of office? and will never contact you back with a response. The office acts like their only job is to show houses, sign leases, cash checks and threaten with evictions. They take no responsibility in fixing problems. If you do need something fixed you will have to call and email repeatedly for weeks.
The property I am in should have never been rented out in the condition it is in. The properties are not inspected in any way before they are rented. I moved into a house with a contaminated pool, running toilets, broken dryer, leaking air conditioning ducts, leaking refrigerator and now recently discovered the pool is leaking as well as the patio roof. After speaking to Patrick face to face about the problems I have been dealing with, he simply responded with ?can you just leave us alone??
This experience has been the biggest stress and waste of money I have ever had. I met with a lawyer and was able to have some of the problems taken care of. I am infuriated with the fact that this company is still in business and they continue to steal money from students. My lease is not over but after reading the other real comments I know I will have a hard time getting any of it back.
Don?t bother making appointments to view any properties with this company. No house is worth the stress you will endure throughout the entire duration of your lease.
P.S. If you are in a similar situation to mine, Tallahassee has a program where you can pay rent directly to the court. If you withhold rent from Darden they will only evict you. Talk to a lawyer, some have free consultations, explore your options but most importantly try to inform as many people as you can about your experience with Darden hopefully you will prevent others from getting stuck in the same situation.
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