Hi All,
I was a tenant when I rented an apartment through Tower in Budapest for 2 years. Probably this is a new aspect in discussion but my experience might place your question into a new aspect.
Tower handed over the apartment from another agency when I had been living there for 2 years. I paid bills and rent on monthly basis to other agency but home owner was not happy with its service and changed to Tower. I met 6 agents from Tower in 2 years. They did not collect utilities from me and they did not help me in maintenance. I was very anxious to keep things right so started to pay common charges by myself. Electricty and gas bills never come to the apartment. After 2 years I contacted them to terminate the lease in October 2008 They confirmed termination and date of moving out. But they did not come to talk to me contact me either at the date of moving out. I, therefore, left it opened and did not not handover the apartment to Tower when lease expired. 6 weeks after I left the apartment they got back to me.
Home Owner came over from Ireland to have a look at the apartment and Tower had no keys to the apartment.Again a new agent came who did not anything about the apartment, I had to introduce the apartment to the Home Owner but I did not tell anything about this to her. I just asked the agent from Tower to get financial issues resolved with clear statements as soon as possible. Again, nothing happend for 10 months.
Tower took over management of an apartment from my company. (FYI: I have been running a management company in Budapest since 2005. Tower took over management of 2 apartments until today) At date of handover, one of senior manager in Tower also met me and started discussion about the apartment I stop rented a year ago. He showed me what I owed them, etc. I asked him to give me a chance to get me updated in this matter. They did not refund security deposit and maintenance charges to me (1,200 Euro) that was more than enough for covering my due payments that they never ever requested from me when I was a tenant.
I have not heard anything about Tower since I emailed the senior manager with all paperwork. They still owe me but I do not mind it, anyway.
3 weeks now and no any reply from Tower. Hope they will not contact me with this respect again a year later...
Posting as old tenant from Tower. All in all tenant management is as important as apartment management, indeed.
Regards,
DR
BPartner Budapest