4 — Wednesday, September 1, 2021
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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.