Honestly most of these reviews seem to me more like frustrated/expectant folks than anything. I have lived with Duerksen for years, moved around the area (Coldwell Banker, Kampfer, and privately owned apartments) and Duerksen is, in my opinion, one of the better options. In fact, I'm preparing to move back into a new rental with them. The thing is, I feel like people expect a lot out of a property management company. My experience is that if you take care of your place, clean it up pretty decently, and read through the terms of your deposits/fees/lease, you'll be fine.
They have a mandatory carpet cleaning fee which is charged regardless, because, well - they clean the carpets after every tenant moves out so that they know a new tenant will have a "like-new" place. They charge you for repairs/removals that are your fault (for example, I took a fire alarm down to replace the batteries and forgot to put it back up when they did the inspection a few days later - they charged me for a new one). Things like that are to be expected. I didn't call them when a lightbulb went out or I popped a breaker - I just do those kinds of things myself! Repairs can be a little slow, admittedly, but they're not intentional about it and I really only had to have them come out once or twice in a few years.
They offer many different types of leases - month to month, school leases, etc - by property. They also have tons of pet friendly homes, and although the pet deposit is hefty, they really are pretty great when you have pets. Also, when I moved in the first time, they were really friendly about everything - letting me know that the neighbors had been in the unit next door for quite some time (I was young at the time and a little nervous living on a ground-level house). They also run background checks on their tenants, so I'm sure that's a plus for concerned parents.
As far as how they treat you, sometimes over the phone they can be a little short, but I don't take myself seriously enough to get mad about that. They're always professional, and relatively polite, and usually are actually really friendly as long as you're not obnoxious. I paid my rent on time, every time, called them when I had questions, and was just polite to them. I don't think it's that hard. When I moved out, they sent me a detailed list that followed the move-out-packet guidelines for how much they charge for cleaning/etc - with photographs of what they'd cleaned/done. I think it was pretty reasonable and still got a chunk of my deposit back (which, after about 3 years of living there with pets and tons of company, is pretty good).
I would recommend Duerksen - just understand that you need to be responsible for the care of the property you're renting, and that they aren't always the fastest at repairs (it just really depends). Your deposit will be returned to you (sans carpet cleaning fees) if you just keep the place in good shape and follow the move out instructions. Hell, I didn't even clean it THAT well, just vacuumed and wiped down the fridge/etc - but I was fine. read more