JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville woman says she lost nearly two hundred dollars in application fees when she was immediately rejected for a rental with JWB.
The woman says she was upfront about her credit score and was told she was a perfect fit before paying that non-refundable fee.
Megan Edwards said she paid the application fee, but then was denied minutes later.
This TikTok video about a woman’s experience with trying to get a rental with JWB Properties went viral.
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“53,000 views right now. It’s got 500 comments. I just wanted to warn people,” said Megan Edwards.
She and her boyfriend thought they’d found the perfect JWB rental home.
That changed in minutes.
“We paid the $170, and we were denied within 4 minutes of sending the money,” said Edwards.
She says she was upfront about her credit, told she was a “perfect fit,” and assured that approval wouldn’t be an issue.
“I felt lied to.”
A rental application denial letter shows that she was declined.
“They just said it was credit-related and you could call. I asked why we were told on the phone we’d be such a good fit, if in 4 minutes you could tell we weren’t,” said Edwards.
JWB said, “It has a nearly 89% approval rate for our applicants.”
The TikTok post resonated with hundreds of people who posted similar complaints and concerns.
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In a statement, JWB says, “JWB never told Megan her ‘bad credit’ would not matter– only that ‘bad credit’ is one part of our approval process. Unfortunately, Megan and Nathaniel have been unable to produce any positive rental history related to any lease or property to overcome negative credit history.”
JWB says it has tried multiple times to get in contact with Megan but has not been able to reach her.
It also says applicants are clearly warned multiple times that application fees are non-refundable.
Edwards has now filed complaints - over the $170 fee - with the Florida Attorney General’s Office and the Better Business Bureau.
To her, it’s worth it.
“Everybody is working multiple jobs, too. That money is important whether it’s a dollar or a hundred seventy dollars.”
Edwards said JWB only started reaching out to her after Action News Jax started asking questions.
JWB disputes claims that applicants are encouraged to apply when denial is likely.
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