Couple Says Their Apartment Building Forced Them to Move In Early to Accommodate a Holiday Scheduling Mistake and Then Charged Them a Fee for Doing So
What should have been an exciting move into a new apartment has suddenly turned into a frustrating fight over principle, timing, and an unexpected extra charge.
After signing a lease with a specific move-in date already locked in, the couple thought everything was set. Movers had been scheduled, work schedules were arranged, and they were preparing for the transition. Then the apartment building called with unexpected news.
The Building Suddenly Said Move-In Wasn’t Possible
According to the couple, management informed them that their scheduled move-in date happened to fall on Memorial Day, which meant nobody in the leasing office would be working.
As a result, they were told they would need to either move in earlier or delay the move entirely. The frustrating part is that this apparently wasn’t mentioned when the lease was signed.
Changing the Date Created a Bigger Problem
Moving later wasn’t really an option because they had already coordinated movers and work schedules around the original lease date.
With jobs the following day and logistics already arranged, pushing the move back would have caused even more disruption and additional costs. To accommodate the building, they agreed to move in one day earlier instead.
Then the Building Tried to Charge Them Extra
That’s when the situation became even more irritating. Even though the earlier move-in was being done to accommodate the building’s scheduling issue, management reportedly informed them they would still need to pay a per diem fee for the extra day. The amount came out to roughly $80.
It Stopped Being About the Money
According to the couple, the issue quickly became less about the actual amount and more about the attitude surrounding it.
When they pushed back and asked whether the fee could simply be waived given the circumstances, the staff member allegedly told the husband he was “doing them a favor” by informing them about the issue at all. He then reportedly added, “it’s only $80.” That response completely rubbed them the wrong way.
They Feel Like the Building Created the Problem
From their perspective, this entire situation exists because the property management company failed to properly account for the holiday when setting the lease and move-in date in the first place.
Now they feel like they’re being forced to pay extra money to solve a scheduling issue they didn’t create.
The Lack of an Apology Made It Worse
Part of what continues bothering them is how dismissive the interaction felt. They admit that if the building had simply apologized sincerely for the inconvenience and handled the situation respectfully, they probably would have moved on without much frustration.
Instead, the conversation left them feeling like they were being treated as difficult over something management caused.
Now They’re Preparing to Push Back
The couple plans to speak with the property manager directly to ask again for the fee to be waived.
At this point, they’re trying to figure out whether their request is reasonable or whether the building can legally enforce the additional charge despite changing the agreed move-in terms after the lease was already signed.
The Situation Has Left a Bad First Impression
What should have been the beginning of a positive experience with their new apartment has instead started with tension and frustration before they’ve even officially moved in.
Now they’re left wondering whether standing firm over the fee is justified or if they should simply pay it and move on despite feeling disrespected by the entire situation.
Featured on Happy From Home:
