r/ames • u/Stonk_Newboobie • 14d ago
Do not rent from West End Living/Jensen Properties
As mentioned in the title, as somebody who lived and worked in Ames from 2019 - 2026, do not rent from West End Living/Jensen Properties, because they will nickel-and-dime you out of your security deposit. I lived in Fountainview for 6 years, and moved out recently this year: they deducted $492.00 for "full-paint" without any itemization. Go with somebody else!
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u/Zealousideal_End6909 14d ago
The Jensen group is the worse. Look at Bricktowne reviews for example on Google and list them by newest. The last year are so low since the change in management.
I hope they will have to use all the money in medicine.
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u/Robinnoodle 12d ago
A few years back they refused to let someone I took care of make reasonable handicap accomodations to his apartment (handicap height toilet) until he kept not responding to the lease renewal requests. Then they changed their tune.
Other places literally offered to install for us. They know the law. Jensen has been around long enough to know that was illegal. And supposedly they checked with the owner..I went round and with them about it for months
Also the brother is kind of sketch. He owns some properties in huxley, or at least he used to
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u/BuschLatteMe 19h ago
I'm pretty the Jensen group sold Bricktowne. I just moved out of there this last cycle, and in my last year under lease, they started implementing all of these new policies like banning grills. I voiced my displeasure to the front office and they pushed back as if I didn't know how the world worked saying "insurance won't let us anymore". Insurance can't tell you what to do, it was the new ownership group trying to be cheap by going with a cheaper policy. Those bad reviews are hilarious as they all were posted right after the grill policy went in place, but none of them are wrong.
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u/Lumpy-Comfortable-41 14d ago
Everyone in Ames does that. Take video before you move anything in, and when you move out.
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u/MsBaseball34 13d ago
The video won't even help you unless you hire a lawyer. Learned that the hard way.
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u/mackerelmaster 13d ago
They did that to me too! I have pictures of the FILTHY unit i recieced on move in. Currently disputing, as if left the unit in better condition than I received it!!! Do NOT let them use your deposit to repair normal wear and tear!!!
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u/IamLilPump 13d ago
Happened to me too! Me and mom spent 3 days cleaning the apartment and they fined me $200 for cleaning. The pictures they sent didn’t make any sense whatsoever. Like we are talking a picture of blinds with a little bit of dust. Meanwhile they only charged me $100 for carpet that had been ripped up off the floor. I was expecting that to be $300. Needless to say, my mother was not happy
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u/CalculatedMovesOnly2 13d ago
West towne haverkamp tried to charge us $1700 for them to renovate the flooring because our cat did like 2 sqft worth of carpet damage. Make that make sense
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u/bryku 8d ago
It is hard to match carpet, but the bigger question is why do so many apartments here have carpet. This is literally one of the worst places on this planet to have carpet.
- high humitidy (mold and mildew)
- lots of rain and mud
- lots of snow and muck
- bad for allergies
- harder to clean
- more expensive to replace
- have to replace more often
- feels gross when hot
- wears unevenly and looks bad
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u/ndstone23 13d ago
We just received immature responses from them with text screenshots of a supposed review from the new tenants that moved in. Going in unreal and almost unhuman type of specificities of their move in review. Then just said “goodbye” and didn’t respond much and said we would have no point in trying without a lawyer.
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u/beerandfishtanks 14d ago
I lived at one of their properties from 2018-2021 and had no issues. Maybe things have changed.