I realize this website is often used to bash apartments, so I will try to remain as truthful and unbiased as I can. I moved to Melbourne from the northeast to attend FIT and only had a short weekend to visit apartments before the big move. The first thing I noticed about Grand Oaks is the view. Landscaping is nice, the outside of the apartments and hallways are generally well kept and it pretty quiet. On visiting the one bedroom I was struck by how big it was inside - I think this is what lured me in. This isn't a tiny one bedroom - if you live here by yourself. The office staff seems genuinely friendly as well. Appliances are newer looking as well and the pool area is nice too.
That being said... (here come the cons)
Parking is first come first served and if you plan to arrive home after 5 or 6 PM on a weeknight you may have to walk a little. When we arrived there was a laundry facility on site that was a short walk from my apartment... that suddenly disappeared to be replaced (which is has not yet!) with a "game room". Our choices were now find a laundromat (which I and my working girlfriend have no time) or rent a washer and dryer - an expense that we don't have on our budget. They gave us very little notice for this and to be frank, we wouldn't have moved here if laundry was going to be this inconvenient.
If you have visited, you'll have noticed the "gate" in front. It has NEVER worked. We were given card keys after several months of living here and told it would start closing at night. Never happened.
Another thing we quickly found out was how inefficient the air conditioner is (possibly in this particular apartment). After asking around, I realized I was paying nearly double on some months than my friends in other apartments in Melbourne were paying! The area is not so nice as well (the city that is). Almost every day there's been the sound of police car sirens in the distance. I've heard rumors of drug trade ON PROPERTY - I have personally called the police on what was almost certainly domestic violence occurring in a nearby apartment.
Maintenance has been a disaster. At least twice they've walked into the apartment while my girlfriend was in the shower and I was not home. Our leaking toilet could not be replaced because "it wasn't in the budget" (according to the maintenance guy). He preceded to visit twice to cement the toilet - never really fixing anything.
All these things aside, it's a decent place - but I can't get over the experiences that I've had here and I'm moving out as soon as my lease is up in a couple months.

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