No apartment complex is perfect but considering what Camden is asking for rent, you should be aware of the following before you sign a lease here. I will NOT be renewing my lease and I've learned my lesson about the questions you should ask and the things you should look at before signing a lease. Hope this helps you.

RENT/FEES/CHARGES
- $34.95 for cable (they say it's "included" in your rent but when they present the rent quote, it's itemized as a separate charge and it is NOT optional)
- $30.00 for "valet" trash (again, it's "included" in your rent but itemized as a separate charge, NOT optional) This means that you can place ONE bag of trash outside your door each evening (Sunday - Thursday) and someone will pick it up for you. They claim it's because too many people were leaving trash in the hallways. They should be FINING those filthy people instead of making everyone pay for a service they may or may not use.
- Water/Trash is a separate bill here, too. The bill is generated by Camden's corp office and paid directly to Camden - NOT the Hillsborough County Water Dept. Another kicker: the bill is based on your square footage, NOT your usage. So if you're thinking you can keep your expenses down because you're not home much or you're good at conserving water, think again. You're going to have a hard time swallowing the water bill each month, which is HIGH IMO. There's a "Management Fee" on your water/trash bill, too. Forget asking the office staff for an explanation of charges - anyone I talked to acted like I was asking them to solve a quadratic equation.

NOISE LEVEL/SECURITY/PARKING
Over the past several months, the noise in my area has increased. There's a lovely group of females that arrive home late each evening (midnight) and have conversations with each other ACROSS THE PARKING LOT. I can't tell if they really like each other or not - every other word is "b*tch" or a variation of the F-bomb. There's been an outbreak of "car surfing" as well. I can hear every footstep my neighbors upstairs take, I know when they plop down on their couch, when they're throwing a ball around the apt with their dog (bowling ball'!), when they are not getting along and which nights of the week they usually have "relations." The couple across the hall hate each other, fight and scream at their kids constantly. I have NO idea what security is at this complex. Personally, I've never seen any "security."

The main gates have been out-of-order and open for most of the last several months. Then there was the recent night when the gates were closed and not opening for ANYONE. You had to wait for someone to come out of the exit gate and haul butt through it before someone else drove up to leave. The gate by the mailboxes for foot traffic has been busted and open for a while, so anyone can walk in at any time.

MAINTENANCE
On average, it takes three phone calls and an eternity to get anything handled. They can't seem to keep maintenance staff here. Notes aren't left in the apt to tell you the status of your repairs until you call the office for the 3rd or 4th time. They will actually tear something apart, not finish it and not leave a note. The geniuses they hire to paint will paint over anything and everything. In my apt, there is paint spray on the light switches, the carpet edges in every room, the bathtubs, the light fixtures, the kitchen counters, the stove elements (smells great when you're cooking), the floor tile, etc.

There's a vacant apartment in my bldg and it's been unlocked every time I check it. I noticed a bunch of flyers were accumulating at the front door of the vacant apt, so I picked them up to throw them away and noticed the door was cracked. Turned the handle and it was unlocked. I informed the office and I've checked it almost every day since... still unlocked. Squatters welcome!

User Responses
From: joakesss	Date: 08/27/2008
Agreed with this poster. I didn't renew my lease for the reasons they will nickel and dime you FOR EVERYTHING. My rent started at 770 and ended up being almost 900 after all of their charges.
From: Anonymous	Date: 08/28/2008
We totally agree with this poster. We have had our car vandalized 2 times, the office has now tried to say that TECO charged them money for our electricity and they are trying to put it on our water bill. We called and TECO knows nothing about it. They try to collect money for things that aren't even the renters responsibility! The maintenance, well this poster said it perfectly. What is it around here, we pay for security and don't get any, gates always open for anyone to come in!

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