Encore at Westgate

Extremely Disappointing Experience — Be Prepared to Fight Every Charge
My roommate and I moved out over the summer, and our experience with management was extremely disappointing from start to finish. We waited an unreasonable amount of time for our security deposit, only to receive it with approximately $900 in unexpected charges for carpet, cleaning, and painting.
The biggest issue? There was virtually no explanation or supporting documentation for these charges. Nothing was clearly… communicated to us during the move-out process, and we were not given a reasonable explanation for why these particular fees were being assessed. The apartment had normal wear and tear—not damage that would reasonably explain hundreds of dollars in charges.
I even spoke with my dad, who works in the industry, and he confirmed that the amount we were charged for basic carpet work was unusually high based on his experience. At this point, we are considering pursuing the matter further to determine whether these charges were actually justified.
What makes this even more frustrating is seeing other reviews describing remarkably similar experiences. When you start noticing a pattern of tenants reporting unexplained move-out charges, it raises serious questions about how these fees are being assessed.
The management office was also incredibly difficult to deal with. It often felt like nothing would happen unless we repeatedly called, emailed, and followed up. Residents shouldn't have to spend their time chasing management just to get basic questions answered or issues addressed.
The entire experience left us feeling like we were being nickel-and-dimed at move-out, particularly as young tenants who chose the property because we were looking for reasonably affordable housing. Unexpectedly adding hundreds of dollars in vague fees at the end of a lease is incredibly frustrating and, at minimum, deserves a clear explanation.
Future residents: document EVERYTHING. Take pictures and videos before moving in and again before moving out. Save every email, notice, and conversation. Read your lease carefully and ask questions about potential move-out charges before signing.
I genuinely wish we had known to expect this level of scrutiny and difficulty when we moved in.
Our experience has left us with a very poor impression of the property and its management, and we certainly will not be returning. Read More