4 — Wednesday, September 1, 2021
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The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

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Incoming tenants at The One ask for half off rent, free parking 
after construction delays push back move-in with days’ notice

Luxury student housing complex offering residents temporary housing, stipends, as they wait up to weeks to occupy units

Incoming 
residents 

of The One Ann Arbor, 
a 
new, 
student-oriented 

luxury housing complex, 
are calling for 50% off 
rent and free parking after 
construction delays pushed 
their move-in dates up to 
weeks behind what was 
promised in their leases.

Approximately 
175 

residents, many of whom 
are University of Michigan 
students, signed onto an 
open letter sent to The 
One management on Aug. 
23. 
The 
letter 
writers 

demanded the return of a 
$275 “no-hassle” fee and 
a new utility management 
system, in addition to 50% 
off rent and free parking 
for the entirety of the lease. 

The One Ann Arbor, 

which 
charges 
between 

$945 and $1805 a month 
per tenant, has been under 
construction for the past 
year with the intention of 
opening for the 2020-2021 
school year.

“We have been lied to, 

misled, manipulated, and 
treated inhumanely,” the 
tenants wrote in the letter, 
which was obtained by The 
Michigan Daily.

The 
One 
began 

publicizing 
itself 
to 

students during the 2019-
2020 school year, when 
they stationed employees at 
tables around campus and 
offered students gifts like 
free smoothies to garner 
interest in the housing 
complex. 

Using 
phrases 
like 

“you’ve never lived like 
this!”, 
the 
company 

advertised 
itself 
as 
a 

luxury 
alternative 
to 

other off-campus housing. 
The complex also hired 
ambassadors, 
many 
of 

whom 
were 
University 

students, to promote The 
One on their social media 
platforms. 

The letter writers said 

they are frustrated with 
the delays in construction 
and safety certifications on 
their townhouses, arguing 
they signed leases months 
ago with the expectation 
that 
the 
move-in 
date 

would be honored. 

Many 
future 
tenants 

were notified Aug. 19 — just 
days before the expected 
move-in date of Aug. 24 — 
that their housing was not 
ready, according to emails 
from The One management 
reviewed by The Daily.

Tenants 
were 
given 

three 
options: 
receive 

temporary housing from 
The One in addition to $50 
per day; arrange their own 
housing and receive $100 
per day; or terminate their 
leases.

Trinitas Ventures, the 

Indiana-based 
parent 

company 
of 
The 
One, 

wrote in a statement to 
The Daily that they are 
“deeply disappointed” by 
the occupancy delays and 
sympathize with residents 
and their parents.

“We are parents, too,” 

the statement read. “We 
are doing everything in 
our 
power 
to 
provide 

solutions for our residents 
to minimize the impact on 
the start of their school 
year. We are offering hotel 

rooms, daily stipends, rent 
prorations and rent waivers 
as 
well 
as 
increased 

shuttle service during the 
temporary 
hotel 
stays—

and ultimately, if that is 
insufficient, the option to 
terminate the lease. For all 
of those that stick with us, 
we look forward to serving 
them well.”

In the letter, the tenants 

said 
they 
were 
caught 

off guard by the last-
minute change after being 
repeatedly reassured that 
the 
complex 
would 
be 

ready on time. The tenants 
also wrote that these delays 
upended expensive travel 
arrangements, 
making 

the 
already 
stressful 

experience of moving even 
worse. 

“These 
actions 
are 

inexcusable,” the tenants 
wrote. 
“An 
unforeseen 

delay 
is 
one 
thing; 
a 

complete and utter failure 
to communicate with the 
residents, or show them 
the simple respect of giving 
them what they paid for, is 
malicious and intentional.”

The letter states The One 

management 
reportedly 

encouraged 
tenants 
to 

secure their own housing or 
“stay with a friend,” which 
they found irresponsible 
given the ongoing COVID-
19 pandemic. They also felt 
frustrated after being told 
“to pack less” when they 
asked for storage units to 
store their belongings.

The tenants said the 

hotels designated by The 
One as temporary housing 
until they can move in are 
in Canton and Livonia, 
making getting to class 
difficult. 
While 
tenants 

heard about the possibility 
of shuttles from the hotels 
to campus, they said the 
plans lacked clarity.

On Aug. 23, tenants were 

asked to sign an addendum 
in return for temporary 
housing 
arrangements, 

a 
copy 
of 
which 
was 

reviewed by The Daily, 
in part asking them to 
absolve The One and its 
parent company from any 
wrongdoing. Tenants said 
they felt this aspect of the 
addendum limited their 
ability 
to 
pursue 
legal 

recourse.

“Essentially, 
students 

had 24 hours to decide if 
they were going to accept 
The One’s new addendum, 
which released them of 
liability, or be homeless,” 

the letter reads.

Some tenants noted that 

they signed “under duress,” 
meaning they were forced 
or coerced, but the online 
signature platform didn’t 
allow them to specify their 
signature as so.

These 
tenants 
said 

their demands will help 
mitigate 
the 
“mental 

anguish” they face during 
the weeks leading up to 
move-in, a process made 
even more stressful by this 
year’s return to in-person 
learning.

The first of the expected 

move-in dates falls three 
days after classes begin 
for the fall semester on 
Monday, Aug. 30. Writers 
of the letter who are not 
staying in a hotel said 

they have had to scramble 
to 
find 
housing 
while 

also 
coordinating 
with 

instructors in the event 
they cannot be in Ann 
Arbor for the start of 
classes.

“All in all, the actions 

taken by The One are 
negligent, dishonest, and 
inhumane,” 
the 
tenants 

wrote. 
“Their 
lack 
of 

communication 
has 

imminent 
consequences, 

such 
as 
homelessness 

and food insecurity, for 
students who have already 
paid their first month’s 
rent.”

Daily Staff Reporter Alex 

Harring can be reached at 
harring@umich.edu.

ALEX HARRING
Daily Staff Reporter

ALLISON ENGKVIST/Daily 

Incoming tenants at The One sent management a list of demands after move-in was 
posponed up to weeks.

