Disclaimer. I moved out over a year ago, so the situation with the administration might be slightly different these days.
I share the sentiment of few people here regarding the attitude of the staff. In a nutshell, good location, nice scenery and overlooking the park and I-35. HOWEVER, Staff is there to take every penny they can get our of poor residents, and they are NOT your friends.
1. When me and my friend first moved in Mid 2014 to our 2BR apartment, few hours before we actually moved in they called us that our apartment was "NOT ready" because of prolonged cleaning. Since we had no where to go as our original lease ended, they gave us a temporary 1BR apartment. Obviously, such info should have been communicated WAY earlier than night of our big move. We had to move to that 1BR for an ENTIRE month 07/2014, before we move back to our original 2BR. When I asked why we can't just move to another vacant 2BR from the get go, we were told "It just does not work that way".
2. We moved to the 2BR in 08/2014, after their "through cleaning". Initially, everything was nice and peachy. Few days into our stay, we realized the horrible fact. The kitchen was INFESTED with small roaches!!!. That is right. Infested. They had to gas the place, but apparently the job was not complete. We told them immediately, and they sent some one with "sugar traps" or whatever. Not to be graphic, but these little roaches got into everything in the kitchen. We spent weeks going back and forth with them, until they sent an exterminator TWO MONTHS after our move in.
3. I left my roommate and moved in to my own 2BR in 11/2014. No roaches, thankfully. I signed a year lease and did online Automatic Renewal for my rent. Everything was perfect until one year later. I had a paper by my door for "Late Rent" PLUS $50 Late fee. I called them immediately, and they said you are 5 days late. I check "THEIR OWN" online portal only to find out that the system drops the recurring charge after 12 months. No notice. No Phone calls. NO updates. Just BAM. Late fees. The argument I heard was "Well, it is your responsibility to make sure you pay your rent". AS rude as it can get!
4. My final experience. I renewed my lease for 6 months (12/2015 to 5/2016), as I was GETTING MARRIED and moving in with spouse. Office KNEW my lease was ending 05/01/2016. They even congratulated me on engagement and my upcoming marriage. And yet, I failed to provide them with a formal "written" vacancy notice 30 days before my lease ends!. So I email them on the April 19th that I am leaving, and they email me the form. After I leave -> Automatic 05/2016 charge by their system!. I decline the charge from my Bank and update them it is not correct -> They want $600 (prorated 20 days for my late notice) PLUS $50 Return Payment fee (For me declining payment) PLUS $200 (Late Charge fee). They take my $350 Deposit, and they file $600 to me as a bill!!!!. I refuse to pay all these add-on and hidden fees -> Collection in 2 months. Even the big guys (Hickok-Dible, parent company) were of no help to intervene!
So there you have it. I believe no stars would have been a more realistic evaluation. For the record, three of my friends who lived there experienced more or less similar heavy fees on lease ending. Mind you, I am a physician as well as my 3 friends, and we all value professional communications and appreciate clarity. This... is something else.
Ahmed Elkhanany
January 29, 2018
