Hi! I'm writing this review because, like other responsible renters out there, I believe in consumer's rights and would like to be guided by good sources of information when deciding which rental property deserves my business. And, while I recognize that some apartment reviews are possibly written by disgruntled and irresponsible renters who won't admit they were at fault, it is also possible that some of the glowing, but defensive and strangely unspecific positive reviews could be written by apartment management staff.

The following is my objective, and I believe, fair assessment of Canyon Chase Apartments (formerly Canyon Arbors) in Westmister, Colorado.

PROS
- Walking distance to Wagon Road Park and Ride
- Easy access to I-25
- Nice, mature trees
- Apartments received a new coat of paint summer 2008
- Not sure if this is a Pro, but now has a new name. Used to be Canyon Arbors.
- Very affordable rates
- The apartment was clean when I moved in. I was pleased.
- Nice, large windows
- Maintenance staff is courteous and responsive.
- Management seems to have sincere community efforts (i.e. Holiday open-houses, birthday cards).

CONS
- Early morning Interstate noise
- Not enough evening lighting. Neighborhood looks a bit creepy and ghetto-ish in the evening. There was also an armed robbery incident in the neighborhood on Dec. 23, 2008.
- The colors clash with the outer brick walls
- Same management.
- You ll share the neighborhood with some renters who will just move out without paying the rent next month. I have seen two eviction notices in my building during my first six months as a renter.
- Loud plumbing. You can hear your neighbors flush their toilets.
- Outdated and very old appliances in some units.
- Lots of dog poop on the apartment grounds. Not enough dog poop bag dispensers.
- Management staff is somewhat uncoordinated and do not give adequate notice when announcing mandatory apartment inspections.
- Management will promise prospective renters certain details about the apartment but will conveniently forget about these after you sign the lease.


WHEN YOU VISIT
I would recommend Canyon Chase as an affordable but temporary place to rent if you've just moved to the area and need a place fast. It's not the best, but it's not the worst either. However, be aware that the management staff's goal (just like most apartment management staff) is to put people in the apartments and generate revenue, sometimes at the cost of a breach of trust.

When I first visited the office a few years back, my agent was very pleasant. They all were, of course. But the demeanor changes after you've signed the contract. Now, I'm a trusting person and I guess I learned my lesson. But the important thing to remember when transacting with Canyon Chase is to have all agreements in writing and signed by the staff member you were dealing with. Here are a few other tips and suggestions for your first apartment visit:

- You will probably be shown the model unit. Ask to be shown the actual units for rent. Be suspicious if they refuse. It really is not wise to sign an agreement to rent an apartment you have never seen before. If they refuse, walk away.

- If you do rent a unit, conduct a walk through with a staff member present. Have her sign the walk through document after you're done. Take lots of "before" photos. This will save you a lot of money when you move out. If they refuse to sign or witness your walk through, walk away.

- If you are viewing the actual unit, turn on faucets, check for clogged sinks, test the fire alarms, see if garbage disposal is working properly, flush the toilet, check if the bathtub drain is clogged, see if the fridge door handle comes off (a neighbor's did), check fore moldy cabinet space under the sinks, check your doorknob (mine fell apart a week after I moved in). Make a comprehensive list of things you need to check on your first day. Have staff sign it and schedule repairs as soon as possible.

- Ask management about any scheduled inspections. In the summer of 2008, Camden Staff and the City of Westminster entered our apartments six times in the span of two months. Residents were not allowed to make appointments. It was agree, or move out. Needless to say, it felt like a major violation of privacy. If you're not comfortable with this sort of arrangement, walk away.

User Responses
From: Anonymous	Date: 01/02/2009
I moved out of our apartment at Camden Arbors a couple of months ago and I believe this is a fair review. The biggest thing I will second with is the inspections. We had eight in 3 months. They were totally absurd. They would check them, say something was wrong (on Camden's behalf), maintenance would have to come in and fix it, they would inspect it, the city would come back, say it was never fixed and so on and so forth. This happened a few times whether it was just an inspection from Camden Arbors, the city or the mortgage company. It really got out of hand. I never had anything to hide, but it really began to feel like an invasion of privacy. One time they came in while I was sleeping and I had no idea (quite creepy since I was home alone!!). I think overall, we had a pleasant experience at Camden Arbors. No apartment is perfect, but they did an adequate job for my needs.

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