I loved my apartment and building owner but, with Equity as a property manager, I was unable to renew my lease after a year. Equitys employees are unprofessional and unresponsive. Two of the most remarkable experiences are (1) the fact that I lived without a working smoke detector for 6 months due to their unresponsiveness and negligence (2) I had water leak in my apartment for two days before it was stopped and then it took a week for someone to come check for mold even though I was assured they would come after two days. Id like to say that they were at least pleasant individuals to work with, but they were demeaning and abusive to young renters. It is not worth your health and safety to rent from a property managed by this company!

I had a truly unpleasant experience in my 6 months residing at the Equity-owned Brix at 26 apartment. A few of the experiences below underscore my entire time there. Ive lived in several apartments over my 15 years of adulthood and Equity has by far been the most frustrating and disappointment of landlords, showing little remorse and providing no recourse for their behavior.Safety concerns:I returned to my apartment this evening at 7PM to find my door left ajar with no members of the apartment management nearby. Per a letter we received this week there was an inspection to be done yesterday and today before 9AM-4PM so I can only imagine that my door was left open for the past 3 hours.As you know this is just one of a number of frustrations I have had with my living experience at the Brix these past 3 months. This unfortunately simply adds to the lack of professionalism I have received from this building and its management. I feel incredibly unsafe to have known that my apartment was left open with access to anyone. I have only begun to examine my unit to see if anything could have been taken and plan to file a report if there isnt any clarification received as to why my unit was left open. Thank you.Noise concerns:I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to bring your attention to a noise issue that I have been managing throughout my time in Apartment 212. As you likely know, the 3 Minute Fitness center is located right below the building, and seemingly right beneath my unit. The classes in the fitness center are helf throughout the day, starting as early as 6AM with the last class after 8PM. Not only do the lyrics and bass of the music in the class sound and vibrate clearly in my apartment but even directions from the instructors in the class.Over the last few weeks I have tried a number of ways to deal with the noise- ear plugs to sleep with, noise-cancelling headphones to work with and even sleeping in a different room - none of which have been effective in managing the sound. I am particularly concerned as to how I will deal with this when working night shifts and having to sleep during the day.Cleanliness on move-in:On Saturday, I had briefly mentioned to Adam that there were a few items left behind in the master bathroom (i.e Drano, toilet bowel cleaner, a toilet bowl brush and plunger). Unfortunately when moving around the apartment a bit more we were disappointed to see that in addition to the cabinets under the sink in the bathroom, the majority of the cabinets in the kitchens were also quite dirty, left with food residue and stains. What was especially discouraging was when attempting the use the washing machine we noticed a rim of what appears to be black mold.I understand it might be challenging to get a cleaning crew in now that I have moved some of my furniture into the apartment but I wonder if it would be possible to have the rim around the washing machine either cleaned or replaced as we were unable to clean it off the mold ourselves.Unresponsiveness to maintenance request:Thank you for your message. The sink works well and I appreciate Carls help. As I mentioned in my note I had made this request prior to you being away last week (on August 28th) and actually before then I had sent a message to Adam back on July 17th about the sink. I would still like to know if I will be considered for a rent reimbursement check? 3-8 weeks without any communication was quite a bit longer than the 24-hour service response guarantee.

My wife and I have had an extremely positive experience with Equity Real Estate. The administrative staff is kind and courteous when we call, and our building manager, Dave, has been extremely responsive when there have been any maintenance needs.My wife has lived in our current apartment for close to 8 years and we cant recommend Equity Real Estate enough!

My girlfriend rented from them last year. She got a decent enough apartment in Lawrenceville in a good location. I cant complain too much about the quality of the apartment itself. Everything was in working order.However, this company will gouge you on the security deposit. They claimed she cause damage to the stairwell going up to her third floor apartment. The lease said nothing about the tenant being responsible for the condition of the stairwell and they were renovating the second floor so it was probably the contractor who put holes in the walls.Secondly, I can attest to the fact that we cleaned everything in the apartment and wiped down the floors, floor boards, kitchen and bathroom. Somehow, they took money for a cleaning fee. We left the apartment much cleaner than when she moved in!! In all, they took about half of her deposit. Make a video when you move in and move out. Or better yet, dont rent with them unless you absolutely have to.

I have found the staff at Equity to be professional and courteous. They considerately made arrangements to extend a lease for only one month to allow a smoother transition to a new apartment for my daughter. Whenever a problem arises it is addressed and properly dealt with. That has been our pleasant experience with this company.

My experience with Equity thus far has been great. Ive been living at one of their properties for about three months now and have only good things to say. The leasing agent, property manager, and staff Ive been dealing with have all been very communicative and professional. I have had a couple small maintenance issues that were resolved well and very quickly. When I moved in, the property manager helped me out considerably with the timing of the move. All you have to do is talk with them and they are more than happy to help!The negative feedback Ive read here was rather misleading. There are two sides to every story after all. No doubt that there are some details omitted from said feedback.Give them a call. Dont be a schmuck. It will be a win-win situation for everybody.-Cheers(update: Three years later. Still happy!)

Horrible on all accounts. I dealt primarily with Dave and hes a horse thief in a business suit. Very friendly when I was a prospect but once I signed the lease it all changed. If I had any issues suddenly he was nowhere to be found. There are 2 secretaries who are both rude on the phone as well as in person. With the small amount of work the secretaries actually do I dont understand why they need any at all! Equity will STEAL YOUR DEPOSIT and laugh all the way to the bank. I was charged for the most ridiculous things: dirty dishwasher (I never even used it), dirty counters (impossible since I covered them with aluminum), dirty oven (I self cleaned it then wiped clean- Im pretty sure 800 degrees Fahrenheit is enough to clean something), etc. They mailed me a checklist at the end of the year that doesnt match the one I signed in my lease- they added a bunch of things (including a blank spot for Other, which they can use to dock anything). I confronted them about this blatant illegality and was told to take it up with a judge. Equity also has no respect for privacy. No notice is given before they show up, nor do they even knock when they come in. There are so many other housing options in the area, AVOID THESE SWINDLERS and spend your rent money somewhere else.

VERY BAD EXPERIENCE OVERALL!Terrible management people. They charge almost every maintenance cost to the tenant. If you call them to explain an issue with your apartment, the first thing that they will tell you is that they are going to charge the cost to you.They do not respond to some of the maintenance requests at all.They will steal your deposit no matter how clean you leave the building. They have a long checklist of items for calculating the cost. Even if you completed every item from the list, you can expect a $200 cost listed under other.I definitely do not recommend their properties.

I am not/have not been a tenant, but the interactions I had with this place trying to be one was awful. I was searching for a new apartment and repeatedly got emails suggesting their listing in Swisshelm Park. I called the same day, got a call back 2 days later (2nd week of June) saying that the unit wasnt ready to view and to call back in about 10 days, also that they wanted it rented no later than July 1st after I said I was looking to move mid-July. I called every single day for a week after the 10 days he estimated it would take to repair the unit, left voicemails, sent an email, and even talked to the receptionist who told me they only have 1 leasing agent (whose name I have still never gotten). Its now July 3, 2 weeks after I was told to call, 2 days after the latest they wanted it rented and I STILL have not heard back from anyone. Thankfully, I found a great place elsewhere. There is also a for sale sign on the building, Im guessing they arent putting the effort in to rent the unit until the building sells.

Unprofessional SCAM ARTISTS. Secretive and reluctant to give owners information as they request it. Staff is more or less family and dislikes receiving phone calls. Computer illiterate operation. Does not keep track of client concerns and argues to intimidate people so they stop asking for service. Jerry RUDE Jenny INEPT Dave LAZY

Rick has been nice to work with. However, the apartment building is above ramen bar-which In case no one knew...ramen bar is infested with cockroaches. As you can imagine, so is the apartment building. Management knew this too and each time any tenant told them about it they acted like they had no idea. They ended up sending someone to treat it. But had I known about this issue in the first place I wouldn’t have ever moved in. I learned that it has been going on for years. Very poorly managed. Apartments are run down. If equity would just put some time and money into these apartments they could be a really good place to live!

Weve been living in our apartment in Regent Square for just two months now, and have had nothing but problems with Equity. We met with the head of the apartment managers to go over the lease, and he was a complete pompous jerk, providing snide comments every time we had a question. Then, after moving into the apartment we found a long list of things that needed to be fixed, such as a balcony sliding door that had a lock that didnt work. It took them 3 weeks to come and fix anything, despite safety issues. Any time we would call the property manager for the site, she would either blow us off and when we would leave a message, wed never get a reply.We still need repairs done to the spiral stairs leading up to the second floor of our 2br apt. While they still work, they are very shaky in areas, which is a major safety concern. Over two months of repeated phone calls to the property manager, her supervisor, and the guy in charge of maintenance, and the problem still isnt fixed. Oh yeah, and our dishwasher is causing leaks to the apt below us (we stopped using it once the guy below us informed us of the leaks), and that happened over a week ago, and they havent been out to do anything.Both me and my wife have rented from other places in the past, and have NEVER been treated with anything close to this kind of disrespect. Equity clearly does not care about the people they rent property to.

Great landlord very helpful always available for any help or repair, you can ask for more. Thanks guys!

Jerry has always been great to work with - I am a professional certified home inspector and environmental investigator in the Pittsburgh area - my experiences with equity have been great - when inspecting theyve always worked allowing access to the building and have always notified the tenants appropriately - as a matter of fact, today I had an investor call looking for a management company in the Pittsburgh area - I referred them to Equity Real Estate because of my experiences with Jerry

You have to keep in mind that most of the properties they manage in Squirrel hill are old and deteriorating. There is very little upkeep. I lived in an old 1br that must have been lovely when it was new in the Dark Ages. When I moved in, many of the windows had been painted shut (instead of being replaced), the walls and ceilings were cracked. I froze in Winter (they told me.. the heat in (my) kitchen was 72F, who sleeps in the kitchen?!) and boiled in Summer (in my non a/c rooms). Coming from NYC, I was seduced by the space. Mgmt wise, they are responsive to service requests, though things are rarely fixed and they dont bother you as long as you are in good standing. I left the apt in far better condition (they didnt even paint between tenants! Is that a thing in Pittsburgh?!) than I got it and they still took ~$200 from my deposit.

One of the worst rental companies Ive ever dealt with. Impossible to get a hold of the actual agent we are supposed to work with as he is always out of the office and will not return phone calls when Ive left messages. When actually able to speak with them, they were short and did not answer my questions or provide help when we have had problems with the house. If there are no problems and you dont have to talk to them then they are great, but anytime there is a problem it is hard to get them to speak to you let alone fix it.

A lot of things broke that I had to fix myself, big things I pushed to the PM but somehow when they would fix it I would get a bill for something else strangely in the same amount of what they fixed.... My heat went out in January for 2 weeks and I was given a $10 space heater to compensate. BS - My washer died and destroyed my clothes, they replaced it, and magically the next week i got a bill for delinquencies with no itemization or clarity when asked. MANY MORE FINANCIAL BS situations and fixtures. Lastly security deposit STOLEN stating I owed MORE discrepancies when asked for clarity, no response which is what they are good at. Apartment was nice, conveniently located, out dated AF and micro fixtures were at least 300$ a month - windows dont seal and leak- one blows open in strong winds, 25 year old everything at least. Rant rant rant, will never rent from Equity real estate again and will never recommend for any business.Recap: broke : Washing Machine, HVAC, Dishwasher, Insinkerator, Ceiling fans, Fuse box, door locks, windows, Water out for 2 weeks, heat out for 2 weeks, Power brown outs constant, brown water, mice rampant in the building, only help on the 5th ask - and threatened when you goto the office asking to see a manager for help - all for $2200/month without parking

I have rented a few places from Equity and have been impressed with the timely service and professionalism of their staff. The apartments have clean and as promised. I would do business with them again.

This company is terrible. They do not care about their renters whatsoever. Their priority is only getting money. I have had nothing but problems from them over the years whether it was for repairs, billing, or simply just getting a hold of somebody. They charged me for problems that existed long before I moved in. I would not recommend them to my worst enemy. If you are looking to rent please listen to my advice and stay away from their units.

Had a very professional experience. My property manager - Victor Newman - was very swift and helpful

I WAS TERRIFIED when I saw the reviews here just before signing my lease with equity about six months ago. I am really happy that I didnt give in to those fears. The apartment is great, the maintenance is responsive, and our building manager (Rick) is absolutely great. Really great guy, very polite, and always very responsive and responsible.Like any other rental home there are problems, for example we didnt have heat for a couple of weeks during November (I know, a big deal). Something was broken in the boiler room that had to be purchased, shipped and installed. This took some [cold and frustrating] time, but they did what they could, IMHO.I obviously dont know about other properties managed by this company, but I would definitely recommend anything that is managed by Rick.

I have had very good experiences with Equity - renting in Squirrel Hill. I want to agree with the reviewer who mentioned how good Rick is - he is very responsive and helpful and gets things done!

Jesse and Rick have been so, so helpful. This is my second apartment with them (increased size) and I have never been this happy with a rental company before.

This company is a total scam. The place I lived should have been condemned. They didn’t address maintenance issues, had several leaks that never got repaired (I took videos for proof). Take photos before you move in and when you move out. The billing for the electric is questionable, we were billed for lights in the common areas that were constantly on. They rarely sent invoices for the electric bill so it was never clear how much was owed. Terrible communication. My advice to you- avoid them at all costs.

In all honesty this rating is really 0 stars. From my experience with them they do not even deserve a half. I moved in 2years ago, this being my first apartment ever so I was pretty excited. BUT what I failed to do is really look at what a crappy place I had committed myself to. Upon move in, one of the ancient windows in my room would not close. There was also a huge hole in the wall that may have come from a cable cord or something that had not been patched until I called about it. BOTH winters I had issues. First winter the entire building did not have hot water for 3 to 4 days. When I called the first time to report it I was told to turn the heat on & leave my sink doors open so the heat can circulate (which didnt fix the problem at all). I called back twice Day 3 (when my shower water went completely cold) & demanded someone come out immediately after my neighbors came knocking at my door saying they were having the same issue. When the second winter came around I called sometime before Christmas about a broken heater in my bedroom and waited 2weeks for a tech to finally come out and replace it. Since I am on heat, let me not fail to mention that the heater I am referring to was just that, a heater! This company literally put two spaces heats ON the walls which turned on from the power unit. There was no thermostat at all lol smh. It would get so cold I had to put plastic on my windows the second winter. I honestly wish I could show pictures of what I endured the past two years. Not to mention during year two I ended up with a neighbor from hell! That literally sealed the deal. I know a few will say well why did you stay two years? I was nursing student that had to cut my hours in order to go to school and this was affordable for me at the time. I also didnt want to go back home either. After these two years, I was willing to risk going back to my parents. My experience with this company and neighbors has been a nightmare! And to think these are a small few of my issues. I also had issues with the lighting, dirty halls, no snow removal, broken bathroom door (that had to be fixed THREE times because it kept being done wrong), leaking toilet (was told if its not flooding me out I have to wait until Monday, I called Friday), clogged sinks, old wooden windows without screens, peeling wallpaper, the list goes on. Lastly, my proper manager SUCKS! Anytime I called to report something he acted as if I was bothering him. So with all that being said, I would NEVER EVER recommend this company to anyone. I learned the hard way and wouldnt want this to happen to anyone else. From reading other reviews, this company needs to hire a team to update all their units. For all the money we pay we should not be experiencing anything like this. On a positive note, the location of my apartment was wonderful but thats where it ends.

DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES RENT FROM EQUITY REAL ESTATE ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE A STUDENT LIVING IN OAKLAND.Equity Real Estate is not only the worst landlord Ive ever had but they are easily the worst company I have ever dealt with. First and foremost you should understand they do not care about you at all. It doesnt seem to matter that you are handing them thousands of dollars you will receive no customer service and you will be treated rudely every time you contact them.When I moved into my apartment several of the windows were broken, as well as few other things (drawers, towel rack, etc). It took them over six weeks to finally send someone in and it was only after we threatened legal action. In the same vein it took them two weeks to fix our furnace in the middle of winter and, again, only after we threatened legal action. Despite this extremely slow and poor service, if your rent check arrives a single day late you will be charged the $50 fee. Fees are the only thing they are on top of at this company.We moved out a few days early which gave them time to pain the place (something they didnt do for us). The place was cleaned top to bottom before the painters arrived. The painters made a mess of the place and I alerted David Tkacik of this problem and I was assured that they would clean up after themselves. When we received our deposit back they had taken over $650 out and marked that nothing in the place was clean. Additionally they charged us for bulk item removal which could only be referring to the electric radiators THAT BELONGED TO THEM that were brought over when our heat broke (again after legal action was threatened). And to top it off they charged us $75 to re-key the place. I turned in the keys 4 hours late which is, apparently, unforgivable. I would almost be okay with this except THEY DIDNT RE-KEY THE PLACE!!! I had an extra copy of a key which I made myself (because they didnt provide us with enough keys for all of us until over a month into our lease). I went back to the apartment, knocked on the door, and got permission to try the old key in their lock. The locked turned over. That $75 went directly into their pockets.These people are crooks. And let me underline, again, how unbelievably rude they are. I dealt with both David Tkacik and Victor Novotny. If you live in Oakland these will likely be who you have to deal with. They treat you as though you are an idiot and without any rights and make petty and nonsensical threats when you confront them about their robbery (i.e well we found an empty one gallon plastic gas can in your house so were all lucky there wasnt a fire which they told me after I complained about the ludicrous charges on my bill as though we could be charged for damage that didnt occur). This company is disgusting. Do yourself a favor and steer clear.

I would not recommend any of my friends to rent the units under this real estate company since I had a very bad experiences with them.We lived in an apartment on 5552 Covode st. This buildings landlord is Margie Ungar. She is a private landlord but with at least this building is managed by the Equity real estate.Because of the switching location of my work. I have to move to another city and when I know this, it is already less than a month from my starting date. Then, I have to terminate the lease because of this. That is where my nightmare starts.After I told my landlord that I have to move out because of the work, she starts to ask a two month rent payment as a penalty for early termination (BTW, the security deposit is two month rent, and it is higher than most other places). After I check the lease, it is listed on it and I think it is reasonable. I also did a little research about the lease of other leasing contract from different real estate companies, it seems like a two-month penalty is quite normal.Then, the next day, my landlord reply another email says she needs two month payment as the penalty plus a third month charge for the late notice. I check back on the lease again, it does say that I have to inform them 30 days ahead and simultaneous pay two month penalty. But it does not say anything about paying the 30 days if we fails to inform her ahead of time. After consulting my lawyer friends, they also think the lease presented a penalty of two months and this was consistent with the penalty of other leasing companies. Obviously, she needed more money. We just want to pay two month as the penalty.This is not the end of the story, we moved out, cleaned everything. Later she reached out for us and told she wanted to charge us for 600 to 700 bucks for cleaning, We are shocked!!!!!!! We did clean and took picture, but she said it is not clean enough. She needed professional cleaning personnel and that will cost a lot. She also said the carpet needed to be cleaned and it will at least $250 in total for two carpets. The thing she called carpets were actually two pieces of rugs placed on hard floor, one in living room and one in bedroom, which you buy at price about $50 for a new piece in Walmart or HomeDepot. We have nothing to say but offer her that we will come back from another city to clean in front of her.The equity real estate company seems just want to sell their products and later they will not be involved in the issues between you and the landlord.Such a bad management style and harsh leashing contracts. That is what taught me to review any contract before I sign it with anyone.I hope you guys keep an eye on this. If it is possible, not rent any service or place from this Equity real estate, especially the landlord named Margie Ungar.

Horrible Property Management. Unresponsive, outdated practices, shortcuts, bad legal judgment, nobody does it worse. You have been warned!

Terrible experience as an applicant and not even a tenant. Stay far, far away from these crooks.

Terrible experience as a tenant. Stay far, far away from these crooks.