Review History for vinnieferrara

Place One Apartments


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vinnieferrara

Resident ā€¢ 2012 - 2013

10/24/2013

READ BEFORE RENTING!!! Sorry in advance for the length of this review. I am a current resident of Place One Apartments. I live on the 10th Floor, which is the top floor. I am not posting this review anonymously as I want to make myself available for people to contact me with questions regarding Place One. We moved in December 2012. We originally chose Place One for it's large apartment size, ample closet space and affordability, which I'm sure many new residents base their decision on. The leasing staff was very helpful and knowledgable. They answered all of our questions and made sure all of our requests were met before move in. The first thing that struck me as odd, however, is the fact that you can only reserve the service elevator Monday-Friday and if you wanted to move in during the weekend it would be $250 to reserve the elevator. (Not sure if this is still the case) The reason, we were told, is because the service elevator is the only access tenants have to the parking garage and it would inconvenience tenants on weekends to reserve the service elevator. However, if you think about it, they have no problem collecting $250 to inconvenience tenants on the weekends. We only lasted one full month before the first major issue was brought to our attention. When we received our first full month electric bill, we were charged approximately $485 and another $500 for February and March combined. I thought this to be a completely outrageous seeing as one of the two bedrooms was empty (we were in the process of converting it into a nursery) and my wife and I work Monday through Friday and use very little electric when we are home. We made sure to shut heaters down when not in use as well. After a month and a half of fighting with the property manager, who was very unresponsive throughout the process until I obtained legal representation, and replacement of our electric meter three times, we were told this was the normal charge for our apartment in the winter. However, management did refund portions of my electric bill. The electric charge dropped to below $100 in April, and there was no way of telling wether it was in fact faulty metering or if this is normal for Place One apartments in the winter. While I've talked to others in the building who complain of high electric costs (as other reviews show), no one has had quite as high of a charge as we got. When we toured Place One we did ask what peak utility usage was and we were told approx. $150. So prepare for an additional $400/month in the winter months tacked onto your rent just in case. After that everything was going good until we got a notice in the mail that Place One was performing maintenance to the risers outside the building, a process that would take 2-3 weeks. The process involved workers jackhammering throughout the day to chip away old concrete. Of course this happened right when my wife had the baby and was home all day and unfortunately instead of the 2-3 weeks as first communicated, lasted 4 months. We were never told that the project was going to take longer than anticipated. That was five days a week for four months (weather permitting) of nothing but jackhammering, and of course it was happening right outside our window. We had to leave the apartment during the day because the noise was so bad. I was finally fed up and emailed management. Only then did they send a letter to everyone with an update as to what was happening, and that it would take another two weeks to complete the project on top of the 12-14 week overrun the project had already taken. So while this is going on we get another letter in the mail that Place One is shutting the electric off for an entire day to update the electric systems (no surprise), which forced us to move contents in our refridgerator to someone elses house for the day and left us with no elevator access on the 10th floor. That's a lot of steps to climb. Finally, the riser repair work is completed and wouldn't you know, we get a letter in the mail that they are replacing the roof and to expect "loud noises and vibrations" for 4-5 weeks. AND as a courtesy to the residents, to speed up the work, the roofers will be working 7 days a week from 7:00am - 6:30pm. Again offering nothing but the community room to sit in if the noise is too unbearable. And trust me the noise makes you crazy. Again, we are forced to leave our apartment during the day. After emailing management again that we really can't stay in the apartment and this has been 5 months of constant noise, we aren't offered anything, we are only told "We are sorry for the inconvenience, there is nothing we can do." To top it off we get the renewal letter in the mail for our lease, and of course they have raised the rent to $1,602 (from $1,450) for twelve months OR $1,492 for 11 months. Now you gotta ask yourself "Why would it be that much more for a longer lease?" That's usually the opposite of what happens. It's because, yet again, they don't care about the tenant, just the money. If you forget to return the renewal within 60 days, you are automatically renewed under the twelve month lease, and it locks you into the higher rate. That's what they are hoping for. Now, granted, once the repairs are done to the building future tenants won't experience the problems we had, but it just goes to show the lack of care management has for the tenants. The planning around these projects was horrible and we are paying. While these projects may be done before you move in (hopefully), if you ARE looking to move here for piece and quiet, THINK AGAIN! The building was built right smack dab in the middle of the landing approach and take-off of Wings Field Airport. So throughout the day expect the constant sound of jets and prop planes buzzing your balcony. The train isn't too far away so you will definitely get the sound of railroad crossings and there is a fire station not too far away, which is good if there is a fire in the building, but apparently they get a lot of calls because they sound the alarm every half hour it seems. Nothing Place One can do about it, but it needs to be noted. Now, the apartment itself. As I mentioned before, the apartments are spacious, probably the biggest in the area for price but a little outdated. The upgraded kitchen is nice (make sure you ask about that or you may be stuck with an out of date kitchen) although the cabinet space is deceiving so you may need to get a kitchen cart or pantry for additional storage. The bathrooms are very outdated and the sink faucets have a shower style spray that makes it really annoying to use. Floors are typical commercial carpet in tan. Floors and Ceilings seem to be slanted pretty bad, which makes your furniture always look crooked, and popcorn ceilings are always an eyesore. Exterior walls are concrete and interior walls seem to have aluminum beams which makes hanging a TV impossible. You can hear noise from neighboring apartments, but luckily our neighbors aren't loud, although, I do feel bad for them when the baby cries. The main hallways on each floor are extremely outdated. I've read in past reviews that you pay for the electricity used for the 'always on' hallway light by your front door, although I can't confirm that. The halls haven't been updated since the building was built in the 70's. Some people get dizzy when they walk down the halls because there is a lot going on. Parking has never been a problem, but I am told they will be starting a resealing of the parking lot soon, so I'm sure that will be a headache. The front door staff and the leasing staff are awesome. Very friendly and helpful. Maintenance is OK. Usually takes 2-3 for your request to be completed and generally done pretty well considering the out of date apartments. You can pay your rent online for free, but just be aware, you will be paying your rent, plus a $7.00 fee every month for them to send you your bill (thanks a lot), a $10.00 trash fee every month, a portion of the entire buildings water bill, and your metered electric. Electricity in the spring for our 2 bedroom apartment we have paid $40-$70 and in the summer $70-$150. I'll be interested to see what happens in the winter again. Water generally runs about $40/month. We've renewed our lease for another 11 months out of necessity as we still haven't found a house yet. That's the only reason. Of course every experience is going to be different depending on where you are located in the building and when you live here. I can only tell you how my experience has been. If you are planning to move here make sure you do your homework and ask questions. GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING. I can't stress that enough. For some people this may be a great place. But not for us. Again feel free to contact me with questions. Hope this helps in your decision making.
    Manager

    10/25/2013

    Place One Apartments
    Dear Resident, Thank you for your comments and concerns. We appreciate your patience while we are working to improve the property to enhance your quality of living. As always I am available to meet and discuss any concerns. Respectfully, Place One Management

    Review 126 out of 236

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