Homeroom is not a typical property management company. I've been here nearly 2 months out of a one-year lease, and now see reality. As soon as any repair or maintenance issue is reported, I/we get a message like this last one (this is the 4th I've received so far): "We are reaching out to determine if the cause of the damage can be traced to a particular roommate. Otherwise, repair costs are divided among all tenants."
What happens then is that no repair is made and we are sent an obviously inflated bill for work that is never occurs. I'm not exaggerating. No work is done and no estimate from the repair person is ever provided.
At the house I'm in, there is zero (honestly, zero) maintenance - the focus is on repairs that can be charged to tenants.
It is a unique business plan that HomeRoom has developed. The home I'm in is falling apart, aesthetically and structurally, and, unlike the pictures, looks more like a tenement. Broken blinds, holes in the floor, roaches downstairs, no painting (obviously) in years, rotten wood, peeling paint, entrance stone steps broken off, sections of filthy carpet, ancient appliances, cracked sinks, broken shower heads, roof problems with interior leaks, general, long-standing stains - I could go on.
I signed the lease based on their website description and pictures, and, believe it or not, one in-person visit. It amazes me what I didn't actually 'see' in my brief tour.
I don't fault HR for trying to make as much money as possible - after all, they are a business. But, I have rarely seen such blatant greed. As I am new to this area, I assume that their practices are barely legal, including, upon my request, refusing to present copies of actual bills from utility companies to back up the obviously inflated amounts they charge me/us.
I'm guessing that tenants in newly built HR homes might not have as many issues, but I'd advise that, if you're an owner or renter, expect no maintenance or repairs, and be prepared for all kinds of "overages" and random bills that make these rooms as expensive as renting your own apartment.
Side point: My roommates are awesome!