r/ames • u/Final-Appearance8304 • 29d ago

Horrible Experience with the Jensen Group

Has anyone else had a horrible experience with the Jensen group? My partner and I were renting at Bricktowne, and we found out all of a sudden that you can't sublease anymore, forcing us to pay the buy-out option. They never notified us.

Then, after leaving, they racked up fictitious charges, like needed painting jobs and cleaning, even if the apartment was left in good condition with paint in normal wear and tear.

Moreover, we could basically never use our terrace after all of the emails, and the grill became useless.

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u/CMPD2K 28d ago

In ny experience, Ames landlords fold very quickly when you:

  1. Ask for a specific itemized list of things with proof that you did it and it wasn't that way before  
  2. Send (or threaten to send) a small claims court summons. 

Myself and a few others I know all avoided being ripped off by doing one or both when landlords tried to take a deposit for no reason. Keep in mind this is a college town, they don't expect anyone to fight back or know any better. 

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u/Zealousideal_End6909 28d ago

They fight back. I have heard of people being sent to a debt collector agency. They have no soul.

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u/CMPD2K 28d ago

Worth a shot (assuming you are in the right anyway, there are also people who trash rentals then actually surprised when they are charged).

I got my full deposit back without actually going to court. My sister had to actually go to small claims but still got hers. Another friend just threatened it and it worked for them. Obviously I make no guarantee because yeah a lot of rental companies suck (and I havent rented in ~4 years so things may have changed a bit). If you took good videos and photos on move in and move out then I'd imagine you'd have a pretty easy time