Choosing the right property management company is one of the most important decisions a landlord or tenant can make. A good company can make life easier, ensure properties are well cared for, and provide peace of mind. A bad one can create financial losses, stress, and chaos.

We’ve compiled 9 unfiltered reviews from real owners, tenants, and applicants to show what can happen when property management goes wrong. Each case study includes the full review, word for word, and the key lesson to take away.

Case Study 1: The Investor Who Lost Trust

 

Full Review

I invest in real estate in SC and have owned and managed rentals all over the state. As such, I have interacted with numerous management companies and had many positive and negative experiences. With that said, I hope that whoever reads this understands that I am not criticizing with a of lack of experience or because of unreasonable expectations. In fact, I recognize that residential management can often be challenging and thankless.

3 Stone took on our 34 unit complex in Florence after making all sorts of promises regarding being hyper responsive, robust and accurate financial reporting, the ability to execute repairs quickly and affordably, as well as the ability to fill units at the market rate we discussed in a reasonable time frame.

They failed to deliver on literally every promise.
Their reporting was limited, vague and impossible to make sense of. To their credit they did make somewhat of an effort to improve reporting. I think their main issue here is there do not fully understand GAAP or have data entry processes in place… the disorganization comes through in the reporting.

They dodged our request for info multiple times, and rarely gave straight answers.

Their repairs were extremely expensive and they put O effort in to quality control. For example, we had a sewer line back up at one of our properties… we were charged several thousand dollars for someone to not address the back up, but simply spread lime on the ground outside where the backup occurred.

When a unit was finally ready, they took forever to fill units. I think in the entire 6 months of management, they only filled 2-4 units and left us with 8 vacants at the end of their management.

I would recommend any rental owner steer clear of this management company. They are incompetent, lazy, and unorganized and there are better options out there.

Fortunately, we now have competent management in place and revenue has increased 24% in just two months of being intentional. The tenants have verified that during the 6 month tenure of 3 stone, they could never get ahold of anyone and maintenance issues went unaddressed.

Takeaway

Mismanagement leads to financial losses. Demand transparency and proven track records.

Case Study 2: The Customer Who Was Hung Up On

Full Review

I spoke to Jennifer today regarding a maintenance issue for my mother in law and received the worst possible customer service. Jennifer was rude, was not helpful and hung up on me. Their website talks about receiving great customer service and how they work with vendors to complete repairs in the home but none of that is being done.

Takeaway

Customer service isn’t optional. A single rude interaction destroys credibility.

Case Study 3: The Applicant Who Faced Chaos

Full Review

Was nice at first when seen the realness of this company quick. Unprofessional…unorganized…. and completely chaotic. And let’s keep it honest in the reviews and stop playing victim. The emails from my self and my agent was going in your “junk file” yes or no? Nobody failed to pay you failed as company to keep up with it. It’s funny they went in your junk file but yet you communicated with myself and my insurance agent the day before you filed. Completely ridiculous But hey the cases write themselves see you in court to get that off my record and for all the troubles and emotional distress you caused my family with this process of moving and applying.

Takeaway

Applicants need clarity and professionalism to avoid disputes.

Case Study 4: The Rule-to-Vacate Error

Full Review

the worst company to rent from, please do not rent from these people. they filed a rule to vacate in error against me and my girlfriend which is hindering us from getting a house now. we have to move out in literally 1 week and can’t get approved no where because of them. if i could rate them no stars I would. we been calling and they have not be answering the phone. giving us the run-around. and until we get the letter we been requesting I will not be taking down this review!

Takeaway

Administrative errors have life-changing consequences.

Case Study 5: The Deposit Dispute

Full Review

3 Stone Rental LLC is a joke! I paid a 1200 deposit for a townhouse move in date October 2023 but I  hanged my mind so now I can only get half of my deposit back! If I  had signed a lease I would agree with it. I’m being penalized for changing my mind because those townhouses are more like studio apartments. I had to called them almost a month before I could get my money! So if you knew how to conduct business you would have mentioned about keeping the additional money when a refund was requested. Instead you sit behind a window talking about you checked the box!! I  don’t care what you say you are stealing money from people!! I said what I said!!!

Takeaway

Deposit policies must be clear, fair, and upfront.

Case Study 6: The Last-Minute Cancellation

Full Review

Not a good experience. Notified 3 days before unit was scheduled to be ready to move in that it was not ready nor would it be ready. Be careful trying to rent units that are not already empty. 3 days to be told I have no home to go to.  I did get my deposit back quickly that was the only good that came out of this.

Takeaway

Failing to deliver promised move-in dates leaves tenants scrambling.

Case Study 7: The Longtime Resident’s Frustration

Full Review

I have been a resident at one of the properties for over a year. The service is the worst I have ever experienced. When speaking with the team, they are always friendly but follow up and execution are a serious issue. Any maintenance problem, big or small, takes months to remedy. This is not what I would expect from a “luxury” development.

Takeaway

Friendliness without follow-through doesn’t cut it.

Case Study 8: The Overgrown Yard

Full Review

I live in a duplex apartment and they have promised for over a month to maintenance our lawn and never come out to do it. It is the middle of the summer and my yard is like a jungle. They don’t keep their promises about any repairs either! Bad experience and I think its because we are black tenants!!!

Takeaway

Neglect fuels frustration and potential legal risks.

Case Study 9: The Short but Damning Review

Full Review

They close at 4 plus the workers are rude smh👎

Takeaway

Sometimes the simplest reviews say the most.

Conclusion: Patterns of Mismanagement

Across these 9 real reviews, the same themes appear again and again:
– Broken promises (repairs, lawn care, financial transparency)
– Poor communication (dodging calls, rude staff, last-minute cancellations)
– Disorganization (application chaos, reporting issues, deposit disputes)
– Negligence (delayed maintenance, unfair treatment, unkept commitments)

For property owners, the lesson is clear: do thorough due diligence before handing your investments to a management company. For tenants, know your rights and document everything. And for management companies—reviews like these are proof that professionalism, transparency, and accountability aren’t optional; they’re the foundation of trust.