TreePad Property Management - Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

Zhimin X.

One of the most unprofessional and manipulative rental services I have ever dealt with.
This company completely lacks integrity in their operations. They misled me into believing the property was available for long-term lease, only to inform me less than a year later that I had to move out because the house was being sold.

Despite this, I cooperated fully with their sale process and moved out earlier than required. But during the move-out inspection, they unfairly charged me about $3,000 for full repainting of the walls—something that should be considered normal wear and tear. On top of that, they deducted additional costs from my deposit without proper explanation.

What’s worse, they only allowed me to move out early (to accommodate the sale) under the condition that I rent another property from them—one with a higher rent. This kind of manipulation not only exploits tenants but also hurts landlords, who may be unaware of how their properties are being handled.

Their business model prioritizes profits over ethics and shows no regard for either tenants’ or landlords’ best interests. I have already filed a complaint with the Residential Tenancies authority and hope others will be warned. Avoid this company at all costs.

Deacons D.

Company presented me with "Background Check Request Fee" which I have had verified is against the Nova Scotia Tenancy Act as it bans any form of payment of an application fee while applying for an apartment that is not a Security Deposit specifically.

Company broke off communication with me as "owner changed mind" after less than 24hrs earlier being sent an email that I was "Extremely likely to be the successful applicant".

Gee, I wonder why.

Unprofessional, avoid if possible.

In response to the reply:

"We take compliance with the Nova Scotia Residential Tenancies Act seriously. The credit check is optional and conducted by SingleKey, not TreePad, and any fee associated with it is paid directly to them—not to us."

First, the credit check was never called a credit check, you kept referring to it as a "background check". Single Key, as well, is not a Credit Check website either, it is a Rental Application website. It makes you fill out an entire rental application, calls itself a rental application in the email and says rental application at the top of every page.

Second, at no point was this "optional". I was just told "It's up to you.." If you would like to refute this further, I can post screenshots of the conversation as well.

Third, I have spoken with Residential Tendencies and they have assured me that it does not matter who is taking the money or what it is for (other than a security deposit), you are in violation of the Act. *See attached document*

The document below was presented to Kate of Treepad, she ignored it, refused to wait for me to verify that you guys are indeed conducting banned practices in this province. I "wasn't selected" immediately after this as the conversation we were having had Kate stop responding to messages at 7pm but at 6:30am had conversed with the landlord and changed their mind on me. The only thing that took place in this timeframe was my informing you that you should not be charging these fees, however much you want to deny culpability on that.

I am frustrated I lost an apartment but I am more frustrated that companies that so blatantly ignore the law get to operate with impunity.

Continue to deny your actions instead of apologizing and I will post messages from your employee proving all this.

Have a good one

James G.

Highly recommend TreePad! One of so very few property management companies I've ever worked with that actually cares as much about my property as I do. Excellent team, really open and honest communication (which I especially appreciate), and are super organized and on the ball. I really struggled to find an even halfway to competent property management company before I connected with TreePad, and they are so far ahead of anyone else I've worked with. Highly recommend, great company and great team!

Chelsea R.

I recently stayed at an Airbnb property managed by Treepad Property Management, and I couldn't be happier with my experience! From the moment I booked, their communication was prompt and friendly, ensuring I had all the information I needed for a smooth check-in.

The property itself was beautifully maintained, clean, and exactly as described. The attention to detail was impressive, with thoughtful touches that made my stay even more enjoyable. The location was perfect—close to local attractions yet in a peaceful neighborhood.

What stood out the most was the level of hospitality. The hosts were incredibly responsive and went above and beyond to ensure I felt at home. They provided great local recommendations and were always available if I needed anything.

Overall, I highly recommend Treepad Property Management for anyone looking for a fantastic Airbnb experience. I’ll definitely be booking with them again for my next trip!

Autumn T.

My family was relocated across the country for a military job assignment and used Treepad as our property managers. I’m sure we can agree to disagree on many topics, but this info would have been helpful for us when shopping for a management company and knowing what to expect.

Pros: They took us on in short notice and we received rent payments on time.

Cons: Passing off keys and responsibility for the house at the beginning of the contract felt unstructured and loose, which was unnerving. Be sure to ask a lot of questions and clearly list your expectations up front. Ask for a thorough walk through of your property with your manager and explain everything to them. They charge 12 percent of monthly rent, which is the higher end of normal, so get a solid explanation from them about why and what you can expect from them.

All of the repairs treepad orchestrated during the year were expensive, as expected, but also poorly done and incomplete. Be sure to ask for photographs or videos of work before and after and try to have direct contact with tenants as to the efficacy of repairs when possible. It’s also probably a good idea to have a list of your own trusted maintenance people and have treepad use them when needed. Follow up regularly with treepad for updates and ask for copies of all paperwork.

It seemed employee turnover was high at treepad and the point person for our home changed 3 times during the year. This isn’t a problem in itself, but it negatively affects communication within the company. Treepad informed us in July that our tenants lease was up for September 30 so we arranged our move to coincide with being back home for October 1. We were then told in September that the tenants lease actually went through October 31 (we had never seen a copy of the lease) but at that point we were unable to change our plans with the military movers on either end. We ended up forfeiting September rent on our house in order to help treepads tenants with moving expenses and offered to pay for moving trucks etc to make it easier for treepad to remedy their mistake, as this was cheaper than trying to find storage for our things and a rental for a month. It is my feeling that if treepad intentionally does not involve their homeowners in signing the lease with tenants and does not give them copies of all paperwork, then they assume responsibility for the information they have agreed to with the tenant, and any problems arising from miscommunication issuing from their office.

It feels like there is a conflict of interest between treepad agents representing both the tenants and the home owners, leaning in favour of the tenants, which is probably good for renters, but feels bad for the home owner. Aside from all the normal wear and tear, which we expected, we were also left with hex head lag bolts and tv hardware in the walls, cat urine smell and fleas to deal with, and a broken window casing which will require replacing the whole window, all of which easily lie outside the expectations for normal wear and tear, but which treepad told us wasn’t a problem or they didn’t notice and decided not to file the paperwork for. What is considered wear and tear and what is considered damage is not complicated, and also not for treepad to decide, and there is clear information online defining both. My advice would be to do any walk-through or photo taking before and after tenancy yourself if possible.

We didn’t have a good experience with Treepad, but we learned a ton about property management. If treepad wants to schedule a meeting to discuss these issues in person I will amend this review to reflect any changes in perspective.

Helen M.

I cannot recommend TreePad enough! I have had a great sense of security and relief with the staff and management. They have found excellent tenants, who pay on time and keep the property in good condition. There is an annual survey of the maintenance needed, and the home is kept in good condition. TreePad has an interesting and new property management model, that works! Thanks to Holli and Libby and Josh, and all the team at TreePad. You have made my life so much easier.

Kathy &. T. M.

Treepad is a very friendly, professionally run
Property Management company. They work for both clients: The landlord AND the tenant. They find the perfect match for both and are always just a phone call, text or email away, so problems do not arise for either side. Very easy to work with.

Carolyn M.

Treepad Property Management took us on when our previous property manager passed away. They had no problem helping us sort out issues that came with our two rental properties . Any time we have questions they have been answered promptly . Treepad is very customer focused and we are happy to recommend them to friends.