Hill AFB Property Management: SCAM or Good Policy???

Question

I am an active duty military member and and I live on base. I have been living here for about four years and it is time for me to move on to my next assignment. Here is my situation. I have talked to many housing residents and there is a regular fee between $1.5K and $3K for carpet about 90% of the time when residents move out. The process the property management company uses is to flip the carpet over and black light the underneath for urine stains. Any stain that glows in their black light is consider damage and needs to be replaced. There is depreciation that is applied the longer you stay in the residence, but only decreases to about 50% past six years. Also they state in their lease that we are not allowed to shampoo or clean the carpet, vacuum only. I have lived in privatized housing on two other installations and never had this policy or issue before.

What are your thoughts and thank you in advance.

Mike Dymski · Answer

not in the lease agreement = scam

in the lease agreement = no scam

Frank Geiger · Answer

@Jace Thornton I would file several:

https://ice.disa.mil/index.cfm

https://www.afpc.af.mil/About/Inspector-General/

I am in the Army and haven't lived on post but I would call IG. They should deal with this kind of thing too or point you in the right direction. The ICE complaint will go to the housing managers boss and they are required to address the issue.

Bryan Devitt · Answer

@Jace Thornton if carpet is depreciated a max of 50% does that mean that carpet has an infinite lifespan? The changes from state to state are such a wild swing that they're shocking sometimes. How can they prove the urine stain is from you if they have no evidence that it was 100% clean before you moved in via pictures or video? This sounds like a big scam without providing proof. Them charging you to get proof makes it sound even worse because if this wasn't a scam they would have pictures or video of it being inspected or receipts of the new carpet from before you moved in.

Jace Thornton · Answer

@Mike Dymski In your opinion is this something that could be challenged in court? I understand that things are in the lease but if I understand what you are saying I can put anything in the lease and it is the rules as long as both of us sign it? Thank you for your input.

Jace Thornton · Answer

@John Underwood The government has transferred all base housing to a privately owned company via a government contract. Also, it is against the lease to shampoo/clean the carpet.

John Underwood · Answer

I was in the Navy for 20 years and I can tell you this is way too much work for a government employee to do. People steam clean carpets all the time. I would consider just doing this. Get a second option from housing office about requirements.

Jace Thornton · Answer

@Frank Geiger Who would you file a complaint with? Thanks.

Frank Geiger · Answer

Pulling the carpet out and flipping it is not a quick and easily task. It would take hours to reinstall. The life/depreciation on the carpet somewhat makes sense to me.

File a complaint on the way they turn over units. You can't just refuse to pay because it's the military and they will find a way to get their money back. They can take it out of your LES or not let you clear the installation. I recommend stating something along the lines of "standardization across all on-post housing clearing requirements." Then explaining how they are different.

Jace Thornton · Answer

@Geordy Rostad To top it all off when we moved in, if I wanted to verify the carpet I had to pay their carpet installer $50 and they only showed us about 25% of the carpet in all of the rooms and there was no black light. Also they did not show me the carpet in the hallway and on the stairs. This seems like a way to defer all/most of the cost of keeping the carpet new to the tenant. Also I have to have fees paid off prior to having them sign off on my checklist for me to go to my next duty station.

Hill AFB Property Management: SCAM or Good Policy???

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