A woman got charged $750 for having a dog in the pool at a Greystar apartment complex in Austin, Texas. In a video with 1.2 million views, @girlyswipe explained how having her guest’s dog, which had its “paws in the pool,” caused her to get a fine for violating resident safety.
In her TikTok, she films her conversation with one of the property employees, who tells her that she was in violation of her leasing contract. She then asks about another incident, to which the employee has no response. The employee proceeds to go outside and call the police despite her just asking questions about the incident.
“I didn’t get to film the whole interaction, but the way they treat people is so upsetting. I wish they gave an ounce of this energy to the massive safety issues in the building,” she added in the caption.
What even is Greystar?
Greystar is a property management company that manages multifamily and student housing. They have a variety of properties across the country, but they’ve come under fire multiple times for hidden fees. A lawsuit from the Federal Trade Commission recently accused Greystar of not being candid about trash and service fees.
Greystar sits as the largest property manager in Texas. Despite many attempts to control or mitigate some of the company’s bad practices, they’ve continued to increase their rent prices.
As one Reddit user on r/Austin put it, “All Greystar cared about was getting [residents] to court. They price gouged and inflated rent so high and then eagerly kicked out everyone out who stumbled.”
Is a $750-dollar fee normal?
In a lease agreement, a fee relating to an incident such as @girlyswipe’s would be labeled under the rental property’s rules of conduct or use of amenities. While there’s no access to her specific lease agreement, apartment complexes often issue warnings or smaller fines than $750.
It’s important for @girlyswipe to look at the fine print of the rules and regulations for this incident to ensure that the fine is actually applicable. For a minor incident such as a dog jumping into a pool, a $750 fine could seem outrageous. However, if she agreed to such an agreement, it would still stand.
@GenerousQueen wrote in the original video’s comment section, “Y’all don’t thoroughly read your leases and it shows. Every company has different terms and policies.”
Other incidents at Greystar
The creator also claimed that other incidents with Greystar weren’t investigated or looked into.
She wrote in the description of her video, “A few months ago, my car was broken into and they were so rude about it. [They] refused to look at camera footage and kept providing portions of my lease agreement to support their position that they are “not responsible for resident safety.”’
Apartment complexes usually aren’t liable for theft on the property, but it can be helpful when they are willing to provide assistance with criminal investigations. If there’s proven gross negligence with regard to resident safety, the apartment complex can be held liable, however.
She also claimed that the apartment complex cut into mold while an infant was present, and that they do not address other concerns for resident safety. Ultimately, each issue depends on the leasing agreement with the apartment complex. Renters have specific, tangible rights when it comes to mold in Texas. An apartment complex has to consider the health and safety of its residents when removing mold.
@girlyswipe Since Greystar deletes and filters online reviews I need to share. A few months ago, my car was broken into and they were so rude about it and refused to look at camera footage and kept providing portions of my lease agreement to support their position that they are “not responsible for resident safety.” I let that situation go and tried to avoid them altogether. Fast forward to this past weekend, I had a guest over who took my dog to the pool area of the building. That’s not allowed, they asked him to leave and he left right away. Seconds later, I was charged $750!? I wasn’t even there and there was literally no damage or anything at all. I went to the leasing office to discuss the charge and I was immediately met by this horrid person who was pointing his hands in my face saying “you need to leave” “you need to leave” and then called the police because I said I’m not leaving until we discuss this $750 charge. Him telling the police that they don’t feel safe is unreal as there were three grown men in the building and me. I didn’t get to film the whole interaction, but the way they treat people is so upsetting. I wish they gave an ounce of this energy to the massive safety issues in the building. They cut into mold while a residents infant was present!!! They are diabolical #greystar #greystarapartments ♬ original sound – girlyswipe
The Mary Sue has reached out to Greystar and @girlyswipe via email.
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