American Realty Property Management

Fantastic experience: Request was easy to input, they showed up promptly the next day and fixed my problem

Negative experience: BE CAREFUL BEFORE SIGNING LEASE. As stated in the lease, the resident is in charge of pest control so I am aware I have to take care of the problem. Since my roommates and I have moved in, we have had a severe mouse problem. American Realty will do nothing about it and also did nothing about it before we moved in. I moved into a huge hole in my closet from mice that I had to fix as well as mice running around the kitchen, living room, and the basement. BE AWARE, if you are moving into an American Realty owned property, there may be a mouse problem. In my opinion, this is extremely poor service from American Realty, and I hope this review helps renters looking to rent from this company. I personally believe there is no way they didn’t know about the problem beforehand.

Fantastic experience: I have rented from American Realty for 3 years, zero complaints. Maintenance is super fast to respond and fix any issues. Always friendly and professional. Jason is usually the one who comes and he’s great! Thank you American Realty Team!

Fantastic experience: The maintenance team is always quick to respond and resolve any issues. They’re professional, efficient and incredibly helpful. I really appreciate their responsiveness and all the hard work they do!

Negative experience: I cannot recommend this company any less. The service and hospitality were consistently poor, and my experience involved unclear communication and practices that felt unnecessarily costly. For example, they have taken months to even acknowledge maintenance requests, and currently, the app used to give these requests doesn’t work! I tried to explain my situation, and their assistant manager Allyson wouldn’t help us. Given these issues, I am surprised that the company hasn’t gone out of business. Prospective renters should avoid this company at all costs.

Fantastic experience: Over this past week, with extremely low temperatures, our water heater broke and was leaking throughout the basement. Since this happened overnight, my roommates and I had no hot water in the morning. However, after we alerted them of the issue, the maintenance team quickly got to our unit and had a new water heater within a couple hours. With subzero temperatures and snow coming down sideways, I can’t imagine it was a pleasant time to resolve the issue but they quickly took care of it nonetheless. Thank you!

Fantastic experience: Jordan is great! Very nice and always responds to maintenance requests within a day. Thank you!

Negative experience: Will never go through them again. If you don’t re-sign by October, you will be forced to put up with an EXTREME amount of showings. It feels as though they will do anything to snake your entire deposit from you by using very carful wording in the lease. I’ve never left an apartment anything less than spotless and they still took the entire deposit from me because they found damages on seemingly every single wall despite the house already being in poor shape upon moving in. They believe in making money first and creating livable housing last.

Negative experience: i have 6 months left on my lease and they have planned an excessive amount of showings. when i requested that they don’t schedule showings during my scheduled telehealth appointments (1 hour on one day out of the week) they told me to just “put a note on the bedroom door to not be disturbed” and sent me an excerpt of my lease stating that they have right to entry with 24 hour notice. people will still be able to hear my therapy appointments. there’s no soundproofing in this home. to have showings scheduled for times that interfere with my typical routine is insane and there is no flexibility for this scheduling. one business day after i signed that i was “undecided” for EARLY renewal, they began these showings and popped up in my home while i had the flu. how was i supposed to know to check my email for showings that soon after the early renewal notice went out? and who is checking their email when they have the flu? do you understand how uncomfortable it is to have random strangers frequently entering your home? is it going to be 4 times a week for the next 6 months? don’t even get me started on the fact that i requested they repair my window screens so i could install my a/c unit (which i mentioned in the request) and they took nearly 2 months to do so. i spent the first month of the summer sleeping on the floor of my living room and using ice packs to cool down because i couldn’t install my a/c anywhere but one window on the other side of the property from my bedroom. plus, when i moved in, the windows were painted shut and i had to manually remove paint to be able to open them (which is a fire hazard). the “heat” is small electric heaters built into the walls in 4 rooms that don’t even reach the bathroom or laundry room to properly heat those areas when it is cold. if i turn 3 of the 4 on at the same time, the power goes out and i have to ask & wait for my downstairs neighbors to flip the breaker box. one time in the midst of winter last year they were not home and maintenance did not deem the loss of power and heat enough of an emergency to enter the downstairs neighbors property to flip the breaker back. the only good part about this place is the in unit washer/dryer.

Negative experience: Be very careful before renting here! I would highly not recommend signing with this company based on how our lease ended. My roommates and I left the apartment in good condition, yet we were charged extremely inflated amounts for “damages.” For example, they tried billing us $200 per wall for painting, as though routine turnover and normal wear and tear are somehow the tenant’s responsibility. We tried to dispute these charges with photos, but the process was handled in a way that felt dismissive and unfair. In the end, the company offered us a partial credit, which we accepted just to put the matter behind us — but the entire experience left a very bad impression. Future tenants should also know this: they require you to turn in a move-in condition packet within 7 days of your lease starting. That sounds fine in theory, but in our case, none of us moved in within those 7 days — meaning we literally couldn’t complete it on time. Later, this was used against us when we tried to dispute charges. So if you do rent here, make sure you submit that packet immediately, even if you haven’t moved in yet. Also, take very detailed, time-stamped photos of every part of your home at move-in. Without them, it’s very easy for the company to claim “damage” later that you had nothing to do with. They WILL charge you for damage from previous tenants if not. And since some of the homes are well over 100 years old, make sure to take pictures of the chipped paint, nail holes and cracks in the ceilings AND walls! Not sure why the holes are not repaired from previous tenants… maybe to charge the next! Overall, we felt that the way this company handles security deposits is unfair and not in good faith. Even though the home was left in good condition, we were still charged thousands ($2100 with our security deposits) of dollars for things that should have been considered standard maintenance and left from previous tenants. If you’re considering renting here, I’d strongly recommend looking elsewhere — or at the very least, protect yourself with thorough documentation from day one. Best of luck. :)

Fantastic experience: I’m genuinely impressed with American Realty. The move-in process was a breeze thanks to clear steps and an online portal that just works. It feels like the whole system is built to make life easier for tenants. I had small maintenance issue here and there after moving in during two-three years, and it was handled quickly and professionally. Garrett has been outstanding. His prompt support and problem solving turned a potential hassle into a non-issue in minutes. Jordan has also been excellent, consistently professional and fast in resolving maintenance requests. I wholeheartedly recommend American Realty to anyone looking for a top-notch rental experience. The team is responsive, the processes are solid, and they have made my new place feel like home. Kudos to the whole team.

Fantastic experience: I just wanted to share how grateful I am for the maintenance team’s quick and caring help last week. My cat managed to get herself stuck underneath a cupboard, and as soon as I called, they arrived promptly to assist. Everyone was incredibly kind and professional! They safely got her out and even went the extra mile to board up the opening so it would not happen again. A special shoutout to Jordan, who was wonderful over the phone, calm, communicative, and reassuring throughout the whole situation. He even followed up later to make sure my cat was okay, which I really appreciated!

Fantastic experience: Very quick maintenance communication. They have always come very quickly to the property for any requests and are thorough with their work. Thank you for all that you do!

Fantastic experience: Great, quick fix-it services! Jason was efficient and communicative.

Fantastic experience: Jason was so friendly and respectful! He did a great job fixing our washing machine!

Negative experience: Horrible property management. I would not recommend them to anyone. The only thing good about them is the maintenance guy. He is great. They charged us $600 per room for nail holes, when they specifically told us not to fill them. Use a private renter, or even Fulton group. Do not use American Reality

Negative experience: 600 for nail holes when there was a sheet specifically telling you not to worry about covering. 5 star to maintenance guy

Fantastic experience: Evan W. Is amazing, he made the move in process so easy he was always quick to answer any questions we had and was always super kind a friendly. Once we moved in we noticed the A/C wasn’t working so we put in a request to get it fixed and someone arrived at our house within an hour of submitting our request. After a few months of living at our house we realized it wasn’t exactly what we needed so we decided to sublease it and Evan made it very simple and easy to help us get out of our lease. Overall Great guy and a great company, never had an issue.

Negative experience: So I just changed a 5 star review to a 1 star review. I’ve never had a problem with this company until this year. They give out parking passes and don’t actually enforce them. The parking lot I have to park in is quite small and an influx of people without parking passes are parking making the parking situation impossible. People end cap park, park you in, and park wherever due to no spots available. My roommates and I have emailed management 10+ times about this with “we have no solution to this.” Being the only answer. They used to be great but yeah nevermind. I won’t be renewing my lease and will tell others to not sign with them- save yourself the headache

Fantastic experience: I've had the Privilege of working with American Realty for over ten years, servicing their rental properties. Their communication is always excellent, and they go above and beyond to ensure their homes are well-maintained. It's clear they truly care about their tenants and properties, I would highly recommend them.

Fantastic experience: Jordan is the man with the plan. Super on point, nothing gets by him. Made me feel like the biggest deal in my life was as enjoyable as going out for a burger! It is a great thing to be in such good company!

Fantastic experience: We’ve had a great experience with American Realty. The team is responsive, professional, and easy to work with. They take care of maintenance requests quickly and keep communication clear, which makes things stress-free. It’s been such a relief knowing our property is in good hands. Highly recommend them to anyone looking for reliable property management.

Fantastic experience: Great company to work with! Jordan and crew are very nice and courteous. We have been working with them for over five years and have had nothing but great experiences with them.

Fantastic experience: I love American Realty! They are always super friendly and a pleasure to work with. Would recommended anyone and everyone!

Fantastic experience: Emily and Jordan have been great to deal with. Highly responsive and helpful!

Fantastic experience: 10/10! People were very nice and understanding! Everything was efficient and fluent! Quality was beyond superior and overall experience was pleasant! Would recommend!

Negative experience: BRAND NEW CONSTRUCTION First whole month we didn't have wifi, trash service, mail transfer and other utilities because our address apparently didn't exist. First week our oven broke and remained broken for about 3 weeks because we had to contact an outside company to come fix it and they weren’t responding. Windows weren’t sealed properly so mold and mildew started growing on the window sills during the winter, which also took them forever to respond to, and they just gave us a dehumidifier and told us it was our fault it was so “humid” in the apartment. After moving out they took $750 from our $1700 security deposit for 4 small nail holes and 2 paint chips in the kitchen, not an exaggeration btw. Not every single day living there was horrible, just every small issue was a HUGE headache. Do not recommend.

Negative experience: If I could rate them 0 stars I would. There property 1940 Ball Ave NE Grand Rapids was a nightmare. Not only did we have to call the city on them multiple times for the residence being uninhabitable during the winter- but the lies they told us from day one of moving in about the furnace got worse and worse as time went on. They distributed space heaters that not only didn’t resolve our issue of having no heat in the house during the coldest winters. But also made our electric bill skyrocket because of their poor resolution. Only after getting the city involved did they tell us the truth about the furnace being broken and needing to be replaced. They made us suffer in under 50 degree weather INSIDE of the house with my FRESH NEWBORN SON. Leaving this place was the biggest blessing, roommates and I made sure to leave the house clean as a whistle only for us to get $50 of our deposit back out of $2,200??? I’ll be attaching photos with dates timestamped as proof of the house being left in wonderful condition. In ADDITION if the detailed receipt is sent and it’s about paint or holes in the walls, we have written proof of you guys stating for us not to do anything that it will be taken care of by your team. This is disgraceful and unacceptable

Negative experience: Save your money and live somewhere else, because you’re not getting your security deposit back! This company is run by truly the most audacious, slimy, money hungry rats looking to take advantage of young adults. I rented from them a few years ago, and they do not have “customer service” only rude employees who seem untrained to even answer the phone. Upon move in, the home I rented still had nails in the walls and had command hooks painted over, but don’t worry, they will charge you over $100 for nails holes upon move out. What is the money used for? The world will never know. They also raised the rent on the house by hundreds of dollars without updating a single thing. I had friends rent from them recently and the home they moved into had an actual hole in the floor. My friends also put in a maintenance request for a warped ceiling with water damage, and American Realty showed up and just painted over it. Had the ceiling collapsed they definitely would’ve charged my friends for it. There are way better companies to rent from in Grand Rapids, and I suggest you find them. They do not care about you, or their houses, only money. American Realty is the epitome of a slumlord.

Negative experience: DO NOT rent with American realty you will regret it!!! After 2 years in one of their properties they denied us our 1900+ dollar security deposit They claimed nail holes in the walls to exactly add up to the 1900 security deposit — suspicious. Most nail holes were there when we moved in and documented on move in checklist. There’s no way it costs 1900+ to repair a few nail holes especially when they had a can of retouch paint in the closet. I’ve lived in 3 other apartments and never have issues like I had with American realty. If you don’t believe me search them on reddit or read other reviews… there’s a reason they are all 1 stars with their same copy paste response. In addition, we had a mouse problem which they refused to do anything about because “pests are a tenant responsibility” despite the fact that there are large gaps in the flooring that the mice are coming in cause it’s an old building. We caught/killed 7 mice in 4 months. Don’t rent through American realty unless you want the biggest headache and to lose your security deposit. In response to your response. That is completely inaccurate, I was told time in time again that you couldn’t fix structural issues in my building despite my multiple phone calls and maintenance requests and documentation of 7 mice in our apartment despite keeping an incredibly clean apartment. I was told “there was nothing that can be done” and I would be charged if someone came to my apartment to examine the structural issues. Painting 27 walls is inaccurate there aren’t even 27 walls in the apartment. Many of this damage existed when we moved in and was documented by us. Despite the fact that American realty signing off on our move in form you then come back and say our documentation couldn’t be verified. I will gladly be calling your office to discuss this further as I’ve already brought these concerns up to you and my concerns were ignored. Once again will never recommend American Realty. This is supported by the numerous reviews with similar complaints and problems.

Fantastic experience: FOR MAINTENANCE REQUEST: Jason came out promptly after putting in a meld and took a look at a variety of different issues including ones that were not on the initial meld - very informative and insightful, great at what he does. Able to diagnose issues and take actionable steps to solving them as he could and get the ball rolling on issues that were not immediately solvable.

Negative experience: Never rent a property from them it’s a total nightmare. $3700 to fix nail holes in the wall from posters. Absolute joke.

Negative experience: It’s no surprise that there’s 41 1-star reviews regarding security deposits. Just got fleeced for $5,000 for nail holes and paint chips, which we were notified about the Monday after the dispute period has ended. No information was provided to us prior to moving out about listing a forwarding address, and they won’t disclose the itemized damage list if one isn’t provided. Don’t rent from American realty unless you want slumlords managing your house that thinks it’s costs $5k to paint 4 walls.

Fantastic experience: I have been living in an American Realty managed home for 2 years. Great staff, great service and I love my home. Their office is located very close to my property and they are also quick to answer and of my questions. The home was also very clean when we moved in.

Negative experience: This company is a joke. Tries to do maintenance that should have done before we moved in while we were still living here. They charged us for $1,150 for nail holes and we received a couple hundred dollars back from our security deposit. Just after your money

Negative experience: The amounts that they charge for normal repair is out of this world. In a room where no paint was removed or nail holes made (like they claimed) they must have used magic paint for the cost they charged. I would highly recommend finding a different place to rent from. I can promise you that you will not get much of that security deposit back.

Negative experience: Plumbing codes require that sink drains be able to hold some amounts of water and my sink was not adequately fixed. It was “fixed” for “looks” as quoted by maintenance. Just because I’m young doesn’t mean that I don’t know what the codes are!

Fantastic experience: We had just moved into our new house and realized our hot water heater was not working. I submitted a maintenance request on July 14th around 7pm. The maintenance team arrived around 8:15am July 15th and fixed the problem. The maintenance guy was very nice and explained what he was doing so if a similar problem came up again, I’d know what to look for. Good experience!

Negative experience: One star is being generous here. When we moved in there were signs of wear and tear but nothing crazy to report or get fixed. American Realty will respond with a generic response saying it’s part of the contract and they follow legal procedures very closely with returning security deposits but at the same time it comes down to morality and good ethics. This company is the exact opposite of that. The fact that they have 3.4 stars is shocking. We left the house exactly how we received it and we’re given less than half of our security deposit back. An absolute disgrace. I can guarantee nothing was even replaced or painted either. Do not waste your time showing up to the office and arguing your bill as they will not talk f2f with you. Taking over half of the security deposit and not being able to discuss what was “wrong” is a scam. Again they will say it’s part of the contract but where do the ethics of a properly run business come into play? They don’t. I will never rent from this company again as they do not care about the tenants. The one positive was the maintenance team showing up the day of to fix problems. Stear clear or lose out on your hard earned cash that you were expecting returned back to you. American Realty is taking from us vulnerable college kids.

Fantastic experience: Jordan did an amazing job with installing our washer and provided excellent customer service! Definitely recommend going through him for repairs!

Negative experience: Update: the photos American Realty has shown below (of our worst damages) continue to prove that they are charging us absurd amounts for normal wear and tear. We paid fees for our animals and they were fully aware they lived there. We have emailed photos from movein of damages to the house to which they have ignored. Please do not be fooled by this company. I’ve rented for almost 10 years with multiple companies, and American Realty is by far the worst. We rented from them for 3 years and were excellent tenants. We paid on time, kept the property in good shape, and submitted maintenance requests when needed. Despite all that, they kept our entire ~$3,000 security deposit and then charged us nearly another ~$3,000 after we moved out for regular wear and tear (as well as for things that were there upon move in, despite us sending photos from move in). They were clearly having trouble finding new tenants, and the total “charges” just happened to match about one month’s rent. It felt like a calculated move to squeeze every last dollar out of us. They are cold, impersonal, and show zero appreciation for good renters. Communication is frustrating, and they offer no understanding or flexibility. It’s clear they prioritize profit over people and take advantage of renters. Do yourself a favor and avoid American Realty at all costs. There are much better property management companies out there that won’t prey on you!!!

Negative experience: Rented from American Realty for three years — always paid on time, took care of the place, and barely asked for anything. They raised our rent every single year without making any improvements. When we moved out, they hit us with over $3,500 in extra charges on top of our security deposit. We had 7 days to dispute them, but we didn’t even get the breakdown until 5 days after they sent it in the mail — so we basically had no chance to respond. And they wouldn’t accept anything more or less than what was on that sheet. One of the wildest charges was $600 just to paint one bedroom. We were also told we couldn’t fix small things ourselves — even nail holes — because “it would cost more to paint over our repairs.” I’ve patched walls before with other companies and never been charged a dime. After three years in the place, they treated us like we trashed it. If I could leave zero stars, I would. I always warn my friends to avoid renting from them — they’re inconsistent, barely communicate, and seem way more focused on squeezing every dollar they can than actually being decent landlords. EDIT: Reply to companies reply: Those damages you’ve shared are ones we were explicitly told not to repair by your company, under the claim that any attempt to fix them ourselves would result in more being taken out of our security deposit. We had already made plans to fix things like the blinds and minor nail holes in the wall using professionals we know, who would have done it for free — or we would have taken care of them ourselves. I’ve rented many places before, and I’ve always patched small nail holes myself without being charged. This is the first time I’ve ever been told not to make minor repairs. Regarding the paint: not once during our three-year lease did we repaint any walls, so this idea of “mismatched paint” is completely inaccurate and not a valid charge. The door to the furnace room — which you pictured to justify carpet damage — has never fully closed, even after multiple maintenance requests. We paid over $80/month in pet fees to ensure any pet-related issues were accounted for, and we kept the home in very decent shape given that pets lived there for three years. What’s most unprofessional, though, is that this is the first time we’re seeing these pictures — online, in a public forum — before any of them were shared with us. That alone says a lot about how your company handles tenant relationships. If there are truly 132 photos, selectively sharing 5 (some of which clearly show normal wear and tear) only reflects poorly on your side. Thank you for sharing 3% of your evidence publicly. I’m sure that’s exactly what potential renters want to see, alongside the many one-star reviews we unfortunately didn’t listen to when we signed three years ago. Your reputation in Grand Rapids speaks volumes — and we’ll continue to make sure it does.

Negative experience: I rented a home from them for three years. During that time, we were responsible tenants — never missed a payment, kept up with the yard, and submitted maintenance requests only when necessary. In return? They raised our rent every single year despite making no improvements to the property. When we moved out, they hit us with over $3,500 in additional charges on top of our original security deposit. One of the most absurd charges? $600 to paint one bedroom. What kind of paint costs that much? On top of that, they told us we'd be charged more if we patched any nail holes in the walls — claiming it would cost more to repaint over our work. After three years in the home, they refused to acknowledge basic wear and tear and treated us like we trashed the place. American Realty does not care about its residents — they care about squeezing every dollar they can out of you. If you're looking to rent, do yourself a favor and find a private landlord who actually respects their tenants.

Negative experience: If I can say one thing it's to NEVER rent from here. I've rented through many management companies and never been treated the way American Realty has treated me. They are super nice while touring, but once you sign a contract with them they do a full 180. You cannot call or email to ask a simple question or they extremely defensive and rude, and end up blaming everything on the tenants and refuse to help in any way. They even ignore emails asking for something to be put into writing so they don't get screwed and we do! I've worked in customer service, so I understand certain frustrations and I am not one to yell or argue on the phone with anyone, especially AR, but not one time was I met with the same. The rudeness and dismissiveness of the employees was uncalled for, and quite frankly immature. Don't work in customer service if you can't be mature, understanding, or even just mildly helpful? The only good part of renting through AR was their maintenance team. They respond quickly and go the extra mile to make sure your request is met. I waited until I got my security deposit back to leave this review just to make sure they didn't try to take any more of my money while they could.

Negative experience: Only putting one star because I have to. I would caution anyone against renting from this company. I had an absolute nightmare experience. The house was dirty and damaged when we got there. We then faced serious issues with rodents, flooding, and serious mold. They refused to fix these issues. Whenever we contacted them EVERYONE was extremely rude. The only nice people were the maintenance people. To make these unsafe and unhealthy conditions worse they kept my security deposit. They charged like $300 for a paint chip that was already there and documented on my move in walk thru. I don’t need any lame excuse responses from you guys about this either please. These people are straight slumlords!

Negative experience: After being notified that our property was move in ready, we went to the house only to find it had not been cleaned. They were dead bugs, leftover rice on the counters from the previous owner, All the walls were scratched up, Broken tiles, the counter top was peeling off. I found things like Advil, and earrings all from the previous owner, along with piles of lint in the basement by the dryer. when we called to complain Both Staff members that were spoken to were extremely rude and condescending. I asked if they would consider repainting parts of the house. They told me that I had to pay for it myself even though I hadn’t moved it yet. I would highly recommend any other rental agency.

Negative experience: I would give 0 stars if I could. Allison was very rude and not helpful. They are unable to send our son’s security deposit in the mail to our house and instead sent it to the apartment he just moved out of? Then they will not remail check once it’s returned to them. Then they tell me my son’s friend who graduated and no longer lives in Grand Rapids is the only one who can pick it up. Very frustrating after paying one $6,000 in rent for the year. They also kept his $300 security for his dog that we paid and then we decided a week later that the dog wouldn’t be staying, the dog never stayed there and they wouldn’t reimburse it. Very frustrating.

Fantastic experience: Jordan was quick to help and respond to a non-emergent maintenance request after hours through the tenant portal! He was able to direct us to the right resources to fix our problem remotely which was a huge help!

Negative experience: Don’t rent with this company. The house was dirty and falling apart when we moved in and they still somehow took our deposit when we left it nicer than we found it. The house was also infested with mice and rodents. Listen to the other hundreds of reviews and don’t rent through them.

Fantastic experience: Well, they had someone cancel when we were doing our showing and they quickly had someone there to keep our appointment. The application process was simple and we got a prompt response. They have been so helpful and transparent, which is very much appreciated.

Fantastic experience: Everyone at American Realty, techs included, did such a great job at replacing our old refrigerator within a timely manner. We are very appreciate of the good service and new product. Thank you so much to everyone involved, would recommend!

Negative experience: I currently feel like they see future clients as more valuable than current clients. I have never felt like more undervalued as a tenant than here with American Realty. We are being told we have to allow in person showings - along with this, they have scheduled 4 showings in the last 3 weeks. This is incredibly stressful on our household, and majorly disrupting our lives. Mainly because we still have 6 months remaining on our lease! This behaviour would be more understandable if we were in the final couple months of the lease. They follow a cadence with "showing season" for getting new tenants for the next season but the blatant disregard for leases that don't follow that cadence is ridiculous. It feels like they are prioritizing future customers over current clients. So if you plan to lease with them, be prepared for that possibility. I have reached out to them this past weekend to discuss this grievance and await their response.

Fantastic experience: Always have had good experiences with the leasing office and the maintenance team. Whenever something breaks we get timely support, even on weekends and holidays for major issues like when our hot water went out.

Negative experience: It was all great until we moved out! They charged us for some ridiculous items that were never there in the first place (butter cover in the fridge that was ALWAYS missing). Everyone I know that has rented from ARPM has had a horrible experience with their security deposit. They charge THRU the roof and and offer NO justification for it. No hope in getting your security deposit back. We also had a lot of trouble with AC in the house. And they did not fix it for months, so we were stuck with a house at 82 degrees in the summer and got no refund or fix.

Negative experience: UPDATE: They said I paid my rent late two other times this past year! NOPE! It was the water bill. Since I specified a specific rent amount on my auto pay the water bill did not get paid the same day as the rent. When I got the notice about it, I paid it. Good grief...these people. I really hope the owner of this house switches property management companies. We've been through 4 and American Realty is the WORST one yet. I wonder if Garrett gets bonused on collecting late fees...hmmmm. I pay my rent early every month. I have auto payments set up to pay my rent early on the 28th of the month before it is due. When I was notified via a nastygram email that my payment had not gone through I IMMEDIATLY called them to find out what the issue was. We discovered what caused the payment not to go through and fixed it. I had been charged a $50 late fee so I asked for the fee to be waived and they refused. My rent was due on the 1st and today is the 4th. I am being charged a fee because I was trying to pay my rent EARLY!!! I've been a tenant for 5 years...and a great one. This is how they treat people who try to pay their rent early? Unbelievable.

Negative experience: Please check Reddit reviews and Yelp as well before using this company. When American realty has 3.4 out of 5 stars on google review while competitors like Fulton Group has 4.3 and United Properties has 4.4, there must be a reason. Update to American Realty’s response: the response by American Realty just shows how they handle a situation. My concern was about how I, as a customer was treated and how Garrett did not even attempt to help problem solve. This was not even addressed in their response. My concern had nothing to do with a $50 late fee. I was completely fine with not having my late fee waived and expressed this to Garrett. In case any one is curious as to what I was attempting to problem solve, here is the story. I asked Garrett if there was a way they could mail the water bill OR post the charge on tenant portal before the actual day it is due since they have the bill two months before they are posting it to tenant portal. I understand it is emailed 2 months before it is due, but was trying to find another way they might help me and other people who get thousands of emails a week not miss this quarterly bill. They have the bill two months before they post it to tenant portal. Would make sense for them to post it sooner then the actual day it is due. In response to this, Garett interrupted me, yelled and said some very nasty remarks. He never even attempted to answer my question if there was another way to be notified of the bill besides an email. This is quite a simple problem. I can’t imagine if a more complex problem were to arise how this company would be able to help. Original post: My reason for a poor review has to do with a horrible employee interaction with no resolution to a simple problem. Garrett, the property manager, does not have the skill set to perform his job. I had a few simple questions and was trying to problem solve. Unfortunately, Garrett was demeaning and rude, yelling and talking over me and saying very unprofessional things I do not care to repeat. He escalated a situation that could have been easily resolved had he used a few basic communication skills. I asked to have his supervisor’s phone number and he refused to provide it. The whole interaction was very disturbing. Use a different property management company because if you run into even a simple snag, the property manager does not have the capability to help with a resolution. If American Realty could give me the contact information for Garrett’s boss, I would greatly appreciate it.

Negative experience: I moved out of my apartment years ago and still feel the need to write this review. The good reviews are mainly skewed due to promotions that entice tenants to leave good reviews. This company still thrives because GV students and other renters have little to no other choices to when it comes to housing. They DO NOT care about their tenants and will do anything they can to make it seem that any issues are the tenant’s fault. I urge you to try and find a different avenue for rental housing in GR, you will most likely have a negative experience here. Customer service, maintenance, security deposit assessments, ALL of it is terrible ALL around.

Negative experience: I wish I could give American Realty zero stars for how poorly they treat their tenants. It seems they prefer to ignore major issues or shift blame rather than take responsibility for their mistakes. In the past, we had an incident where a random delivery person gained access to our house code and walked into our home. After weeks of back-and-forth with American Realty, they failed to explain how this happened and even blamed us, claiming that an Amazon driver isn’t a "stranger." Eventually, they sent maintenance to change our door code but charged us $150 for it. When we called to dispute the charge, their response was rude and dismissive. Only after we left a bad review—apparently the only way to get their attention—did they refund the fee. Now we’re dealing with another issue. Rent is due on the first of the month. One of my roommates uses autopay, while the rest of us pay manually. On December 2nd, the roommate with autopay logged into the portal to submit a maintenance request and discovered her portion of the rent hadn’t been paid, and a $50 late fee was added. She called American Realty, who claimed that another roommate removed her autopay. This is impossible, as none of us have access to each other’s payment settings—nor should we, as that would be a serious security breach. They also claimed they sent emails notifying us that the autopay was removed, but none of us received any communication. However, they were quick to send us text messages and emails today—two days after the incident—reminding us that rent was overdue. This company prioritizes taking advantage of its tenants over providing fair and professional service. It's truly unfortunate.

Fantastic experience: Maintenance requests are always handled quickly, and any problems are fixed right away. The team is very helpful and responsive, which makes the process simple and hassle-free. I really appreciate their hard work and great service!

Negative experience: **Update** management called and refunded the $150 fee that charged us. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY! Complete scam company that preys on young student residents. Company gives vendor/mail services the keyless door codes to young women’s apartments. Girls had a delivery person( man) enter their apartment without even knocking for a delivery. Management said they do this with all of their units and that delivery people are not strangers. We demanded they change keyless door code and not share with companies. And, then to add insult to injury they charged 3 college girls $150 to come change the door code. We’ve notified GR city officials that have opened a case against them.

Fantastic experience: As an owner of rental properties in Grand Rapids, American Realty is my top choice for management. They've managed my properties for years and keep everything completely stress free. Great communication year-round, and they work very to market properties to great tenants while limiting vacancy.

Fantastic experience: The team at American Realty is incredible! Anytime I have a question, they’re always available with helpful answers and make sure I feel valued throughout the process. Their commitment to great customer service really sets them apart and makes everything feel easy and stress-free. Highly recommend!

Fantastic experience: I've lived at an American Realty Rental property for 2.5 years and have had a great experience. Emily and Garrett are wonderful to work with, especially when it comes to understanding lease details and navigating renewal periods. The maintenance department is always fast and efficient, promptly addressing any issues that arise. I would recommend American Realty to anyone who needs to rent a nice home. An added plus is that most of their houses are updated!

Fantastic experience: I've rented from American Reality and never had any issues. Evan was great at explaining everything and answering my questions. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a great place at a good price, close to many amenities.

Negative experience: They opened a police case against me (lol) for telling them I would come down to their office if they kept harassing and being rude to my wife. As I told you scumlords before and will again, I really look forward to seeing you in court. I hope so so so bad for the opportunity.

Negative experience: The absolute worst people I’ve ever dealt with. Their management practices aside, the house was disgusting when we moved in, we could have waited if they still needed to clean the place. Then they told us “if we don’t like it we can move out,” making us find a replacement, charging us for cleaning their property for a month. Then they want to show our place 6 months before our lease Is up to try to pressure us and others into renewing early. Slumlords from you know where and horrible, rude, and disgusting people personally to boot. 100/10 would not recommend if looking for someone manage your property or to rent from. See attached pics of hypodermic needles left by previous tenants after manager, emily, of American realty said she personally went through the home, which also constantly smells like old urine.

Negative experience: Invasive and Predatory Practices American Realty is the worst property management company I’ve ever dealt with. They blindsided us with an unannounced "pre-leasing season," pressuring us to renew our lease early. Per their notice letter, "A fully signed renewal lease is the only way to stop showings and remove a home from our website." Starting November 1st, they plan to show our home while we still live here, disregarding our privacy and right to peacefully enjoy our space. Our lease doesn't end until early summer 2025, so it is likely that they'll show this property for 7 solid months at will while we live here. Their tactics feel predatory, focused solely on profit, with little care for tenants' well-being. If you value your privacy and peace of mind, steer clear of American Realty. Edit to add: American Realty also blatantly ignores & disregards ADA legislation as it pertains to Emotional Support Animals. They allow up to two “pets” per property. When I attempted to register my ESAs with them, American Realty responded that my ESAs would take the place of my previously registered pets on our lease. Anyone can read in the legislation that there is a distinction between pets and ESAs in that pets are pets and ESAs are considered working animals. ESA rules fall outside of any private business’s policy regarding pets. Federal law trumps business policy in all cases. Additionally, it is slimy and gross to try to take advantage of & exploit people who have disabilities.

Fantastic experience: Maintenance has been on point. They are friendly and address issues promptly. We had someone dump junk on our property and they were so fast to help us get rid of it. Very grateful!

Negative experience: People very close to me have been absolutely fleeced by this company following move-out, do NOT rent through American Reality. Minor holes in the walls from hanging decorations led to arbitrary charges of $900 per room, no proof of expenses were provided. They ate my girlfriend’s entire security deposit and are now asking for over $2000 on top of the deposit. They know that the many college-aged folks they rent to cannot afford the representation or time off work to take them to court to dispute these outrageous, arbitrary charges, so they pile them on expecting tenants to just give in. Luckily my girlfriend and her roommates have representation and will be trying to fight this, but many of my friends who have rented with them in the past were not so lucky. Extremely shady and immoral business practices.

Fantastic experience: Jason came to our property super quick and fixed our sink easily! He also gave us tips to help this not be a problem in the future!

Negative experience: House looked great from inside. But outside was like an apocalyptic wasteland. Dangerous place too live. We would've started the application fee but: Advertised price is 1300.00 They add on ALL UTILITIES! Outrageous pet fee of 350.00 plus an absolutely ridiculous (bank) fee of 400.00. Just too do your jobs?? Must be nice. Wish I got some shady commission, Like that. Or whatever you want to call it.. What has happened to our once great city and the honest people who used to run it...

Fantastic experience: Recently had the pleasure of experiencing outstanding service provided by the maintenance man Jason when our heating system went out. He was quick and efficient, making the entire experience hassle-free. Thank you for a job well done!

Negative experience: Very shady corporation unfortunately. I rented with them for 2 years. I rented a BEAUTIFUL house in uptown. Unfortunately, they don't care about the houses they own. They redid the roof in a single day with a company that left hundreds of shingle bits and nails all around the house and the yard, not to mention replacing the beautifully crafted roofing tiles with the cheapest they could find. What everyone says about their respect for your space is very true. They will run tours through your house 6 months before your lease is up with no respect for your working hours or sickness (as I lived with them during COVID). They told us mid lease that we had to start paying our water bills through them. Fine, it's all the same to me; however, the bills we received seemed unusually high. After digging into the issue, I found that they had neglected to send us the bills on time and charged us for the late fees they incurred. I went back and forth with them for months to get them to pay for their late fees. They blamed it on their high turnover rate of staff. When our refrigerator went out, they replaced it with a much smaller used one from their office. Any issues we had with the office would turn into massive blowups as they do not have professionally trained staff. The high staff turnover caused issues with move in and a loss of documentation. I understand that they own a massive amount of properties in GR and can be unavoidable. My advice to anyone going in is to keep everything documented and hold them accountable.

Negative experience: Rented from them for 2 years and it was a nightmare. My lease started in June, they started showings for the upcoming year in October. That means you are given 24 hours notice of showings and have strangers tromping your house for up to 9 months of your year-long lease. That is unless you decide to resign NINE MONTHS EARLY. I worked from home and by January, I was having strangers walk through my home up to twice a week. Multiple times they walked through my house with wet boots on. I had cameras set up and the leasing agent said “no need to remove your shoes”. EXCUSE ME? Wasn’t aware you made the rules IN MY HOME. If you need maintenance, you better be sure they can’t somehow blame you for whatever is wrong or it’s a $50 charge to your account each visit. The breaker switch wouldn’t stay flipped on for me. Wound up having my uncle repair it because they charged me $50 to “fix it” and the dude just flipped it, and it blew out again the next morning from me using my toaster. I lived in a multi unit home and they charged the house ONE giant water bill, split up by how many bedrooms you have. I lived alone and was paying on average, $150 for water a quarter. I paid more “because I had two bedrooms”? Make that make sense If you don’t have separate water meters, you don’t charge for water. Period. We fought and fought them on it. Kept noticing the bill tripled in the summer when they watered the complexes grass. Turned out there wasn’t a separate water meter for it, so WE were paying to water the GIANT lawn. They gave us a “refund” when we threatened legal action. I got one month back. After overpaying for 2 years. I could go on and on about why you should stay clear of American realty. Just do your due diligence and read the reviews. I was 27 years old at the time, working an 8-5 and was a great tenant. The literal only positive was that I got my full security deposit back, as I should have, given I did no damage. Just stay away.

Fantastic experience: I have lived in a house with American Realty for the last 3 years, and my experience has been fantastic. Maintenance has always been quick to respond to any issues we have, and the staff is always kind, respectful, and friendly to us. I would rent from them again in a heartbeat.

Fantastic experience: I've been with American Realty for over a year now, and my experience has been nothing short of exceptional. From the moment I signed my lease, their professionalism and dedication to ensuring tenant satisfaction have been evident. Their property management team is incredibly responsive to maintenance requests, addressing any issues promptly and efficiently. I've found the staff to be courteous, helpful, and knowledgeable whenever I've had questions or concerns.

Fantastic experience: Evan gave us a tour of a few houses downtown and they were great! We were able to find a place to live in next year and it was an easy process! American Realty works its best to communicate with you and we appreciated it.

Fantastic experience: I have rented from American Realty for three years now. I can be somewhat of a picky tenant, so I am always calling the second I noticed an issue, Especially a maintenance issue. Jordan in maintenance and Garrett in the leasing office have always been super helpful and making sure everything gets done in a timely manner. Over the years, I’ve been able to establish a professional relationship with my realtor company, I have enjoyed my time renting with them because they have always been super helpful even in the most stressful situations when it comes to House Maintenance, and resigning renewals.

Fantastic experience: Allison B. was great working with us in preparation to our move in. We had a couple requests the company honored when they didn’t have to. I’ve worked with a few real estate agencies and this one was by far the best. Very efficient with communication

Negative experience: There were aspects of renting with American Reality that I enjoyed. Nearly everything in the house that I rented had been updated, the walls were painted a pleasant neutral color, and the maintenance team responded quickly to issues. However, I didn’t have a great experience when it came to my security deposit. I was charged $300 and my roommate was charged $400, for nail holes that needed to be patched in our bedrooms. I understand security deposits are meant to be used to cover damages to the house, but I felt that this amount was unreasonably high for the repairs that needed to be done. I ended up contacting the company to dispute this and after going back and forth, I was told to mail a formal dispute letter. I did so and then was told that I would receive a phone call to talk through this dispute with someone at American Realty. I never got a phone call and was instead emailed from their no-reply email basically saying that none of my arguments were valid. I’ve rented and have friends that have rented through multiple other companies in Grand Rapids, 616 Rentals, Fulton Group, and United Properties being a few. I’ve never had or heard of someone having a negative experience like this with their security deposit. It is known that long term rentals can be very profitable and I found it ironic that American Realty boasts about having 500+ properties, but still needs to charge such high prices for minor repairs. In addition, I didn’t feel that I was treated with any respect throughout this experience and talked to someone different nearly every time I contacted them. I’m not saying that you should avoid renting with them at all costs, but do feel that there are other rental companies in Grand Rapids that are far more gracious and deserving of your business. After looking through other reviews, it’s clear that I am not the only one who feels this way.

Negative experience: Paying over 2k a month....you expect it to be cleaned when you move in. You expect walls to not break down. You expect a legal bedroom when they claim 4 bedrooms. You expect your utilities to work like garbage disposal, we have broken kitchen cabinets, broken wall/door, not a thing was cleaned when we moved in. We moved in and day 1 had an ant infestation. We contact the company and they say it's our problem because we must be dirty.... it's day 1? Imagine having the same number of 1 stars as 5 stars. And not changing the way they do business

Fantastic experience: This review is regarding the maintenance staff at American Realty. They are quick to respond to maintenance requests and do good work. I gave some feedback after I noticed a couple minor defects in a couple of the requests they had completed, and they were quick to respond and dispatch somebody to address the minor issues I found. Very professional.

Negative experience: As you can all see by the influx of 1-star reviews, this is by far the worst rental company. While normal landlords take off small amounts on security deposits for dings, American realty jacks up the prices for everything to screw you out of most of a security deposit. Over two years, there have been multiple instances my roommates and I called them to express concern about various issues about our rental property, and each time we have had the unfortunate experience of dealing with the absolute rudest employees. I have actually been laughed off the phone when calling about a very serious instance that was their mistake. Their employees are dismissive and have no idea how to provide a professional customer service experience. We were always in shock with how awful they treated us on the phone and I don’t understand how having a majority of 1-star reviews about how mean they are doesn’t warrant for any change from management. A little bit of kindness and grace goes a long way y’all :) <3

Negative experience: Location was good. Company was not... Multiple times I was told they would not fix things like missing screens, broken blinds, bug infestation, and breaking ground in the basement (minor flooding as well). These were all pointed out and documented among move in and though we just lived with the missing screens and broken blinds while we were there, we were told we had to pay for the bugs to be taken care of. I paid for the bug care for 3 months before they finally realized I had proof that they knew about the bugs before we moved in and I had threatened to involve the city for unsafe living conditions.They paid for 1 year, then said it was on me if I wanted to keep the service because the actual owner of the home doesn't live in this country and does not feel it is needed. (With my trust in them so low, I paid out of my pocket for the following year as well.) They first asked us to resign 3 months into living there, we told them we wanted to feel it out a couple more months (see how winter was in the house) before resigning. So they started hosting tours in our home almost every week until we decided. This means strangers walking through my home almost every week. The latter half of living at this home I gave up working with them as they have always been two-faced and unwilling to actually help when it comes down to it. Upon move out I did the traditional cleaning to tidy the place but had not received any move-out instructions from them, just a water invoice telling me my account was now inactive. I called to ask about the account (wanted to look at my transaction history and reread the lease) but was told no and that because I am no longer a tenant they cannot talk to me and hung up the phone. I would not recommended this rental company to anyone.

Negative experience: You would have to pay me to lease with them again- and I’m not sure I’d even do it then. They left rat poison out and under the oven when we moved in. We didn’t find the rat poison for months and when they were asked about it, they played dumb. I have a pet who could’ve easily died, let alone what could’ve happened with an infant or toddler. We lived with bats flying around our house and in our walls the entire year. Upon calling pest control, pest control told us that the bats definitely been there for quite some time and that they’ve never seen a management company make their tenants pay for the removal of bats. Upon the pest control company calling American Realty, American Realty was extremely rude to them and called us and scolded us for having pest control come out. American Realty never removed the bats, they just said they would come and clean the droppings. They came a couple times, but no one ever cleaned the droppings. Additionally, we found out that our insulation was extremely lower than industry standards, so we were paying extra every month for heat, AC, etc. because they can’t maintain a property correctly. They would schedule tours and give us last minute notice about them, and they would never tell you if the tour had gotten canceled. I had to postpone a job interview because they scheduled a tour that never even showed up. After moving out and THROUGHLY cleaning our house, we are yet to see or hear anything regarding our deposit. They will not answer our emails or our calls regarding our deposit and we moved out OVER three weeks ago.

Fantastic experience: Our maintenance issues were resolved within 12 hours of me placing my request. I placed the request on a Sunday night and our sink + dishwasher were repaired by 9:30am Monday! Super efficient and professional :)

Negative experience: My roommates and I had a horrible experience conversing with Emily, a manager at American Reality, after our home was broken into. She was inconsiderate, unprofessional, and failed to accurately read the incident report we brought in by her request. We were very disappointed with her lack of sympathy and communication skills during an already stressful time for my roommates and I Here’s my response: First of all of all, if you read the top left corner of the police report you would see “forced entry” because it was. In addition, the person who came out on the following Saturday admitted that the door frame and lock were not properly installed. And lastly, Emily, you did not cooperate with us or the instructions given by GRPD to waive the fee for proper security guideline’s immediately, as we had to argue about the $250 fee with American Reality for two weeks with a physical police report before the fee was waived.

Negative experience: **UPDATED** The customer service aspect does not exist here. Emily is the most disrespectful "manager" I've ever met. She was incredibly rude on the phone because I wanted clarification on a potential cost. She actually told me to never call back again and I'm only halfway through my contract. They have positioned themselves as a monopoly in Grand Rapids, making it difficult to find houses that are affordable for college students. Be sure to fill out your inspection sheet when you move in, otherwise, you will be charged for things you didn't cause. Just a few things that are occurring in our house: mold, missing window (and my cat got outside), leaking from kitchen ceiling, flooding in basement, missing screens, screen door is broken, holes and splotches on walls, and so much more. EDIT: In response to the comment American Reality left, that is a complete lie. I never asked to mount my tv, we wanted the walls painted because when we moved in, there were splotches all over the walls. Either they're lying like usual or they have the wrong call.

Negative experience: If you plan on renting in downtown Grand Rapids, please do everything you possibly can to avoid American Realty. They are the most unorganized and unprofessional realty group I have rented through. If you plan on renting through them, take pictures of literally everything when you move in because they will charge you for something earlier renters did (and they didn’t fix). Also the pictures they post of the houses are highly outdated and the houses look much worse in person. Other reviews state that they took almost the entire security deposit so that will most likely happen to you as well, which is not normal. The weirdest part, however, is they will take your whole security deposit, yet, they will not fix any of the damage so the security deposits just go straight to the owner’s pockets. If you choose to read through other reviews and read their responses to poor reviews, they will lie and say anything to to prevent their already terrible reputation from becoming worse. PLEASE save your money and find somewhere else to rent!

Negative experience: This company is by far the worst I’ve rented with. They were never helpful when issues arose, and consistently over charged us for maintaining their own property. Living in the same apartment for 2.5 years and they wanted to raise our rent by over $500. After moving out and telling the company what items were left there by the owner they still charged us to remove items that did not belong to me. I would recommend staying as far away from this company as possible.

Negative experience: They will steal your security deposit no matter what and give you no turn around time between renters. If you’re fine with this they would be great to work with but I give one star because there was nothing wrong with the house when I moved out and they took hundreds of dollars for fabricated issues. They also charged $150 to mow the lawn when the property is literally all surrounded by riverstones and they had never even had real grass. While living there I was fine, but they definitely stole over $1000 from me. In addition they charged me for water that was outside the time of my residence.

Fantastic experience: This review is only for the maintenance team - they are amazing and so helpful! Jason & Ethan have come to our property multiple times and done an amazing job fixing things from loose steps to replacing light fixtures.

Negative experience: DO NOT RENT WITH THEM IF YOU WANT TO STAY HEALTHY! I have been renting with American Realty for nearly three years now (2020-2023), two years in the same house ('21-'23). Last year, my roommates and I noticed we were all getting a little sicker than normal and then we noticed a slight discoloration on the wall in the basement so we did a mold test (which we were never refunded for) and it showed mold growing so we asked them to check it out and it was no surprise to use that they found TERRIBLE MOLD! They had to excavate the foundation of our house, forcing the person who lived in the basement to live elsewhere (which she was never compensated for either). After several months of construction to rebuild the foundation, they never sent a professional to check that the mold had not spread (they never sent a professional at any point during this entire experience just their maintenance men). THIS YEAR, I have continued to be sicker than I have ever been, going to the doctors what feels like nonstop for the same breathing issues that I have been struggling with only since moving into this house two years ago. So I did another mold test and was once again not surprised when it started growing more types of mold than I have ever seen (super gross). Anyways, I called, emailed, put in maintenance requests, reminding them of the extreme mold problem we had last year, and they're doing NOTHING!!!! Fortunately my lease is up in July, but it disgusts me that they would even offer to rent this house out next year potentially putting more people in an unsafe environment. I would LOVE to not be sick in the home I am spending so much money to live in and it would be nice if the management team at least acted like they cared about their tenants and future tenants.

Negative experience: I have been living with them as my reality company for almost 3 years now. They are just awful. Every year rent goes up, the "water" bill was recently added but I'm not able to transfer the bill to my name. The company just invoices you the bill, often only 1 day before rent and expects it to be paid or they will take it from your rent and send you a late fee. I have reached our several times asking for a copy of my bill and they don't respond, I finally looked the bill up and I live in a duplex and they only have 1 meter so I split not only water but the sewage bill as well work my neighbors. Here's the problem my neighbors have 5 people we have 2, so the water bill is 150 every 3 months the sewage is also 150 so instead of owing 50 bucks I owe 150. They will not respond to my efforts to resolve this issue. Stay away from American reality! They apparently think American is defined as shady

Negative experience: Currently renting through them. The first red flag was when we were trying to figure out to put a down payment down with them and they were really rude. Ok, no big deal, maybe someone was having a bad day. Maintenance has also been so absurdly rude to us, and it’s clear they cannot be bothered with any of our concerns. They just want your money and couldn’t care about the well-being or happiness of anyone living with them. Upon being so rudely treated I addressed it with multiple management staff and absolutely no one apologized. Wouldn’t be surprised if they apologized on here now that it’s public though. Be sure to pay attention to your lease cause it requires you to cover a lot of things out of your own pocket that other management companies and landlords otherwise wouldn’t. Additionally, they will start randomly scheduling tours at your house whenever they please and will not notify you if it gets canceled or they aren’t coming anymore. Have fun waistinh your time, money, and patience if you sign here!

Negative experience: Around a $2000 security deposit , we got $73 back. If I could rate a 0 star, I would. Whatever you do, DO NOT rent from American realty. If you are thinking about renting from them, please take the time to read this. To start, I have worked in housing/ rental properties for years & I have never encountered such an unprofessional business. We signed a lease when our start date came, the past tenants still hadn’t moved out. This was the least of our worries with American realty but we were without housing for a period of time due to this mess up. At move out we got nearly nothing back from our almost $2000 security deposit. They had no time to fix up the apartment from the previous tenants move out to our move in. This resulted in less fix ups to the walls, interior, etc. Even though pictures were given to prove this was from the previous tenants we did not get that back. My friends had a horrible mouse problem & American refused to help them. Please please please do not rent from them. I wish we wouldn’t have. They pretend to be so helpful until you are residents or you move out. I could go on and on with other issues I have had and friends I know have had. If you already signed a lease, good luck!! God Speed.

Negative experience: We moved in with a broken window last year and it was never fixed the whole year we lived there. Anyone could’ve gotten through the window since it didn’t lock, and it was falling out of the house. They charged us $600 for the window that was already broken after we moved out. We also had a water sewage and they said “you need to have a conversation with your roommates” about what you guys throw in the toilet, and told us not to use any water till they fix it. Then we called them back 3 weeks later, without using any water, and not able to shower at the house, and they said “oh sorry I thought we told u guys already that you can use the water, there is a tree root growing over your pipes, so it will take us couple months to fix it” (they never fixed it). The management never cared about any issues & they were always rude over the phone.

Negative experience: Upon paying a deposit to secure a lease for a house, we were never contacted if the house had already been taken by other leasers resulting in much wasted time. We are currently renting a decent house however after moving in we noticed there were multiple white spackle markings on the walls with no paint covering them. We also currently have issues with bats (have had 2 bats in the past week, 3 bats total this summer) in our home and American Realty does not seem to make this issue that high of a priority.

Negative experience: If I could rate zero stars I would. After renting from them for 3 years, they made it an absolute train wreck to no longer rent from them. We were never late on a single rent payment, were always extremely respectful, etc. They tried to charge us for water bills we had ALREADY PAID, and when we tried to contact them to dispute it, they did not answer multiple calls, voicemails, or emails. We then received an email saying all disputes must be done through postage, which they conveniently sent us AFTER the dispute date had already passed. They take advantage of young people and will nickel and dime you for every single thing they can. The best advice I have is to try to stay away from them and rent from literally ANYONE ELSE in Grand Rapids. Even with written and photo proof of everything we were being wrongfully charged for, they refused to eliminate the charges. Unless you want to live at one of their properties for the rest of your life, do not rent from AR.

Negative experience: They are the most difficult company to deal with. I used them a couple times and would not recommend them to ANYONE. Their communication is terrible, along with how they treat you. They never answer the phone, and when they do- everyone is “busy” and nobody can ever talk. I called today in hopes to talk to someone about our security deposit coming back with HALF the amount, claiming false reasons. I have proof of all of the “claims” from me filling out the check sheet prior to moving in. I asked for someone to call back today, and am still waiting. I have left multiple messages and didn’t ever get responses during my stay at their properties. The company as a whole is a mess and needs better management. I am so extremely disappointed with how they’ve treated myself and my roommates and will be sure to never recommend them!