Transferring apartments is proving to be more difficult than I expected.
After several tries, we finally got the correct lease from my apartment building.
The next step is transferring utilities, such as electricity. (Texas forces you to pick your own power company, which I still think is strange.)
I now have to find a new energy provider, because I just got fired by my current energy company.
This was the phone call earlier today:
Me: “Hi. I’m moving to a new unit in the same building and would like to transfer my energy plan.”
Energy company: “Is this it a new part of the building?”
Me: “…no…”
Energy company: “We can’t find it in the system, so we are canceling your plan since we can’t provide service to your new unit.”
Me: “So you’re telling me that you can provide service to my current unit, but not to an apartment 50 feet away in the same building?”
Energy company: “Yep. That’s right. Nice knowing you. Toodles!“
The company couldn’t find my building when I initially signed up for power last summer, but I was able to provide them with an exact power unit address.
Apparently their computer system no longer accepts exact addresses, so they can’t service anything but a handful of units in my building.
Welp, bye.
Now I have to turn my attention to cleaning
I am highly paranoid about unexpected move-out charges.
I was blindsided with fees from my building in Lowertown last year – they told us, “Don’t worry about the carpet. We are replacing it because its shelf-life has expired.”
They did change the carpet, but then stuck us with a $1,000 bill which conveniently equaled most of the deposit.
Many of my friends have similar horror stories from so-called luxury buildings. I wonder whether those fees are just part of the business model?
Ironically, the slumlord from Minneapolis rarely charged people move-out fees, even when they left jewels like this:
Tenants leaving a filthy stove in an apartment in Whittier, Minneapolis.
Rodent infested apartment in Whittier.
Perhaps the slumlord knew that he’d never be able to collect on charges from these tenants, whereas “luxury” buildings can squeeze better-off tenants who will pay dubious fees instead of going through the hassle of contesting them.
I think that I might be getting too old for renting.
Flexibility is one of the huge perks of renting. Whereas loud and crazy neighbors are a permanent headache if you own, I can simply skip to another unit or building as a renter.
An apartment building can also promptly evict sketchy tenants, whereas you’re screwed if your next door condo or homeowner leases their place to horrible people.
Police and an ambulance at iLume Park.
A promotion or transfer to a new city is also less problematic if you’re renting.
However, renting presents unique risks such as peak-a-boo fees and onerous lease clauses.
For example, there’s a clause in my current lease which allows my building to throw out my dogs based on a single noise complaint. I suspect very few dog owners would sign a lease if they actually expected that this would be enforced.
Perhaps it’s time to save for that down payment?
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