I started looking for a new place awhile ago. I wanted a place that was not a fortune and yet, still had the space and quality that I wanted. However, most of all' I needed a place that would accept my large dog. We moved here from out of state (where we owned a home) and moved into a temp. place on the beach. We aren't ready to buy a house so finding a place that allowed big dogs was a must. We read all of the reviews on Portofino and were convinced that this place would be horrible. We visited the property not once, not twice, not even 5 times. We went there a total of 8 times. We visited the property in the morning, late at night, on the weekend...and yet, somehow we missed what people were saying in the reviews. We didn't see any roaches. No mold in the pool. No outrageous parties. Where were the 10 drug dealers outside' The security gate was not left unattended. The leasing agent that we dealt with was awesome to us even after we had already tied ourselves into the lease. We asked several (I mean several) residents what they thought of the property. None of them said anything negative. This community is huge so if you are not into that type of thing then maybe it isn't for you. There are five buildings - they are doing some renovation which includes ripping up the carpet and buffing the floors. Our apartment is a two bedroom- still we are paying less here than what we would have payed in Aventura for a SMALL one bedroom. The floors in the unit are new and yes, they look like the model minus the furniture. The people that complain about the large amount of dogs should perhaps realize that this is the most popular apartment for big dogs in Miami-Dade county. Do not expect everyone to be friendly-this isn't a miracle place. It's a complex. The leasing office is not responsible for different personalities. Point blank, the reviews on here seem harsh and unfair and you should see it in person like I did. Ask actual residents that live there-they won't lie or hold back:)

User Responses
From: Anonymous	Date: 04/05/2009
I've lived here for two years and yeah at first I thought it was great too. Now I realize its only a good place to live if you have extremely low standards and you don't have to work because thats the only way you can miss the horror of the broken elevators, loud neighbors all hours of night and dirtiness of living in a huge overcrowded complex.
From: Anonymous	Date: 04/06/2009
I don't have low standards, I have reasonable and realistic standards. They don't except section 8 residents so I am unsure as to what you mean by "don't have to work". Sorry, I didn't see the broken elevators. I noticed two elevators that were being renovated. Lastly, it's unfair to state that the complex is overcrowded when Miami is overcrowded? I missed the dirtiness, however, if you find it dirty-you are a resident which makes you partially responsible for how clean your environment is. I know that if I had such a huge problem with where I was living, I'd move instead of renewing my lease for another year. Best wishes.
From: PortofinoHell	Date: 04/20/2009
Enjoy your 'honeymoon' phase....We all had it. I can't help but warn you, though. I was warned by a local that it is a ghetto with a facelift. I didn't listen to him because, like yourself, I was blinded by the appearance, office staff was friendly at first and I too visited the grounds at different hours of the day. THEN I MOVED IN. The police that came when I called them that my apt. had been broken into told me that it had been the 5TH apt in that bldg that had gotten 'hit' that week. They also told me that the office is the most likely suspect, 'inside job'. Take extreme precautions by securing your apt and don't let your guard down. I suggest a very mean dog, like a rott or pitbull in addition to multiple deadbolt locks an alarm system. If nothing else, at least make sure you have renters' insurance because it is only a matter of time before your place is 'hit'. Trust me, I have nothing to gain from this except that I should've listened to those who told me what the complex is REALLY like.
From: Anonymous	Date: 04/21/2009
I must point out that one of the most common criticisms of this complex is the way the management deals with deposits once you end your lease. We lived there for 2 and 1/2 years and although we didn't like it (loud neighbors, roaches, poor maintenance), the worst part came when they refused to refund our deposit after we left and moved to another state. They came up with fraudulent charges in order to refuse to pay us the money they owed us. One was a charge that our last rent payment was late--even though the date they claimed to have received the check was 5 days AFTER they cashed it from our bank. They claimed we had never returned our keys or key card, even though we placed those in the same envelope as our final rent, which they admit they received. Every time we called them on each of the charges, they tried to come up with new and different charges--which only goes to show that they these fees are all made up. This happened after we were perfect tenants--quiet professionals who were never late on rent and left the place spotless. So before you give this place such a rave review and question the authenticity of the claims made by previous tenants, maybe take these issues into consideration. They rely on the fact that people move far away or don't want to pay thousands in lawyers fees just to argue over a few hundred or thousand dollars. But it is unfair and duplicitous and seemingly illegal. I suggest that everyone renting here get official receipts or use certified mail to have the best legal documentation of all payments, notice to end your lease, condition of the apartment once you are ready to leave, etc.

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