DTN Management Co — Local services in Lansing Charter Township

Updated review for Haslett Arms since I got locked out of other Google account — Since my original review, there was a short period where DTN fixed most of our issues and our apartment was decent besides the cheapness of it (cracks everywhere, paint all over carpet and furniture, random tiles missing and holes, etc.) It was quite a hassle to get them to fix the things they needed to fix. We always had to call multiple times, people didn’t show up when the office said they would, then they’d show up a few days later with no warning. DTN will probably say that my experience doesn’t match their records but thankfully I have every phone call, email, and photo to back up everything I say.

Our ceiling recently collapsed. Boiling hot water started shooting out of the many cracks in my roommates ceiling. Her carpet was absolutely flooded and before she knew it, the ceiling started to cave. I’m curious to see how DTN handles this and will update. Update: Found out the insurance we pay them for is a pyramid scheme that insures the LANDLORD but not the tenants. How predatory. Had to fight for compensation for destroyed items, including ones that DTN staff just threw out on our patio after the incident. And they still aren’t compensating all costs the leak gave us. A contractor tried to fill me in on the extent of the damage and DTN didn’t like that. They sent an employee to babysit him and when I asked why they claimed it has always been policy. Crazy that they didn’t care to babysit the other 4 contractors that have been in my unit…

I recently discovered that the vents in the laundry room were not connected to the machines for a unknown amount of time, which means the dryers were filling the room with carbon monoxide and also could cause a fire, mold, etc.

Bad ant problem in our apartment for months now. Pest control has came out once out of the three times I’ve asked for them to come.

There are 4 washers. 2 have been broken since at least August 15th and the office is still failing to replace them. They have called the company out 3x, and the company does a temporary fix. The literal next time someone uses it, it floods the floor and is broken again. I have BEGGED them to replace them. Update: Washers finally replaced after SEVEN months.

We also had a maintenance SUPERVISOR lie on us, which cause the property manager to email me threatening thousands of dollars in damage. We were just told it was a miscommunication after I proved he lied. He had lied TO us in previous incidents but him lying ABOUT us almost caused a court case.

I called multiple times, days apart, and asked for my move in checklist to be emailed to me so I can prove I didn’t do any of the damage that was already at my apartment when I moved in. It took the office staff almost two weeks to send it. They didn’t until I showed up in person and asked the two employees sitting on their phones to email it and didn’t leave until it was sent.

Policy changes depending on who you talk to. I’ve even had the property manager tell me things are policy and when I question what the exact policy is, her story changes. When I tried to explain this, she got extremely frustrated and said “What do you want us to do? We have tried everything to make you happy and nothing seems to work.”

Taking 7months to replace defective washers isn’t trying. Not taking care of the building isn’t trying. Giving tenants a filthy apartment isn’t trying. Location and decent efforts from the leasing office (that quickly ended) made us think at the time that resigning was a good idea. We have had countless other issues that aren’t included in these reviews (someone literally took a sh*t outside our door and DTN refused to check cameras for it.) Don’t be as ignorant as I was and run from this company!

Apartment has had bad water damage THREE times in five months. That is not normal. Recent flood resulted in DTN lying about repairs and leaving our carpet soaked with filthy rainwater for almost TWO WEEKS. Pretty sure that’s a health hazard. Unit has been unusable for basically 1/12...

Buckle up, y'all. If I could give them a zero star review, I would. I lived at one of their properties for over 3 years, paid my monthly rent on time every single month, never caused any issues, was always respectful of their employees, and left the apartment immaculate when I left. I never had any issues while being a tenant.

When I was planning to move out, I spoke with the ladies at the office and they clearly spelled out what was expected of me and how early lease termination would work. I got everything together for them, provided the money to terminate the lease, and they said I was all set and no more was needed from me.

Then I got charged for another full month of rent. I called to inquire because they had told me I wouldn't owe anything further unless they weren't able to find a new tenant (this was just over two weeks after I left). I called and spoke with Debbie and was told they couldn't release the info over the phone and I would have to send an email. So I sent an email asking for clarification and that I will not pay the invoice until I get more details..... 5 days go by and I send another email...... Another few days go by and then I receive a letter from them informing me that they had re-rented my apartment, but I was still on the hook for a full month of rent. No clarification on WHY I was being charged for another full month and nothing showing the date they re-rented the apartment. I thought, "If they re-rented my apartment then I should just be paying for the time in between me leaving and the new tenant taking possession." So I sent them a letter telling them, "I will not pay this until someone can go over these charges with me."

Fast forward a month and a half and I get another letter.... which has no further info other than I still owe money and it's at risk of going to collections (they had adjusted the amount because they had leased out my apartment not even two weeks after I left, but now they're charging me $125 in late fees for not paying my rent on time).

I called Debbie Wren and explained my frustration that no one had reached out to tell me WHY I am being charged this after multiple attempts to get anyone to talk to me. She told me, "That letter is us reaching out to you." This was the rudest interaction I have EVER encountered and I work in customer service. I would have been fired mere moments after this conversation ended if I treated a customer the way Debbie treated me.

Debbie continued to talk over me, just saying, "you didn't pay your rent". I got interrupted at least 10 times during the whole phone call.

I asked if they can take the late fees off because the only reason I hadn't paid yet is because I was waiting for literally anyone in their company to reach out to me to explain the charge. Debbie said, "No, you haven't paid your rent. That isn't how this works."

I explained that the first invoice they sent me (which was well after they had found a tenant for my apartment), was charging me way too much. I told her I was not going to pay what they were asking when I was clearly being overcharged. Now they sent me this second letter with the price adjusted and I asked, "Why would I get charged late fees when YOUR COMPANY sent me an invoice that was incorrect and I was disputing it?" Which she said, "Just because you disputed the charge doesn't mean you're exempt from paying your rent on time." .... My eye twitch was AUDIBLE.

If Debbie had taken an extra 5 minutes out of her busy schedule of pissing off customers to just go over the info the first time I called a month and a half ago, we would've caught the overcharge, been able to fix it, and I would've paid it then and there. This was an extraordinary display of laziness, lack of accountability, and lack of communication skills on the company's part and now I'm paying for it...

Never rent with them if you can help it.

Quick Edit : After reading review after review over the past 6 months... clearly Debbie is a problem. Get her some training. Might I recommend Cockerell Academy for customer...

This is the worst company that I have ever had the misfortune of renting with. Garbage. DTN, if you're going to be terrible, at least be good at it. Seedy, manipulative, exploitative, incompetent, greedy, inept, patronizing. They've only been in Ann Arbor for a few years and people (namely other graduate and professional students I've talked to since we're lured in with their "preferred employee deal") cringe when they find out you're renting with DTN or congratulate folks when they find out someone moved out the Emerson. I can't wait to move out of here, and I'm sure they can't wait, too.

I tried to give this company a chance to right their wrongs, particularly overcharging me for a gross "renovated" unit, a history of ignoring maintenance requests, disregarding theft in the complex, and charging me for services they actually know I don't even use or have the means to use (e.g., valet trash), but it's apparently in their culture, practice, and policy to be absolutely terrible. I've experienced this and seen this pattern after looking into their other properties and employee reviews. "It's not in our records!" and "Your experiences are different from other tenants/employees!" are manipulation tactics that they like to use to deflect and deny accountability, along with fishing for 5-star reviews to drown out negative reviews and maintain a certain review score.

I'm talked to like a child, stupid, or like I'm lying by these people. The area director is an egregious character, but it's clear why they were hired: their objective is to maintain profit, not to actually engage in customer service, and to help tenants who pay to live here. If anyone has to deal with them, I recommend having another party present, and depending on your situation, your lawyer. Record. Ask for whatever they're saying to be sent to you in writing. Ask for permission to record your conversation just for documentation's sake. Ask for copies of whatever documents or links they mention that justify their questionable leasing practices ("something, something, our competitors!"). Make sure they're dated. You never know with these people.

At this point, there's a laundry list of things wrong with this company and the Emerson. All I can say is that there's a reason why they (allegedly) rented out units as short-term AirBnBs (and was subsequently fined). A complex with renovated units and relatively cheaper prices in Ann freaking Arbor & is a short drive to campus, downtown, and the highway that always has openings is a red flag. Now, they're asking tenants to recruit for them through social media challenges...

These people truly don't care. Regardless of whatever sentence they throw at you from their bank of go-to phrases ("I'm happy to!"; "Excellent service!") & probably learned during onboarding, it's not true, at least not for me and other people I've spoken to.

Old update: I just want to follow up and forewarn potential renters that DTN/The Emerson allegedly has a history of housing discrimination. This was brought to my attention from someone familiar with discrimination/legal cases in the area after talking to them about my bait-and-switch situation, the subsequent gaslightling and renter's mistreatment. Other renters who also had maintenance issues & were displaced also allegedly learned that the renter's insurance they pay into monthly via rent only helps to insure DTN, not them. So there's that.

Update 3/5: Shout-out to DTN Management for refusing to negotiate rent in Summer 2024. They are charging me for an old but "still renovated in our view & we don't have plans on renovating that unit" (per my call with Michelle) apartment. I switched units after my first renovated unit was different from what I was told I was getting & not move-in ready. The movers didn't even want to unload my stuff. Now, DTN plans to fully renovate my current unit immediately after my lease ends. They know I have no plans on renewing. Thanks for basically admitting to scamming me after gaslighting me :/

This, friends, is why you...