Moving into senior living, or any apartment for that matter, comes with lots of paperwork and sometimes fees. It's so important to fully understand what you're doing as you're shopping around.
Mattie Graham told us she applied for a 625-square-foot apartment and put down $453 in deposits and fees. She says her application was approved but when it was time to sign the lease the 625-square-foot apartment wasn't available and there was another apartment that was smaller but more expensive because it was on a higher floor.
She says she was told her $453 in fees were non-refundable. Mattie said she felt she deserved at least some of the money back
We reached out to the apartment managers. They said Ms. Graham was told from the beginning that the 625-square-foot apartment she had seen on a visit months earlier wasn't available.
She signed a document saying that the $200 deposit was not refundable. They did say the remaining money of $253 was owed to her and a money order was already waiting for her to pick up.
It's easy to get excited about a new place to live but when signing paperwork, going over applications and putting down deposits and fees, but it's important to full understand everything you're signing, and what you're paying. It may even be good advice to bring a second set of eyes along to make sure everyone is understanding everything before you pay up.
Reading the details of your lease is important, but also ask for details about the applications payments, fees, and what happens if the apartment you want isn't available.
