UPDATE: 6/18/2009: Exactly a month ago today, my air conditioner started acting up. It ran continuously, it wouldn't shut off...and it started to wet the wall behind the unit (in the bedroom corner). I was seriously alarmed, so I notified the staff. Someone came out the same day and "fixed" it.

I say "fixed" in quotation marks, because yes, the AC would shut off, and yes, the wet patch went away (even though the wall is now stained and water-damaged, which I'm sure they'll try to charge me for). But my AC hasn't worked since.

It is now June. In Atlanta. And my AC doesn't work.

I've submitted 4 different maintenance requests, and every time I go to the office, there's a different person in there, all seemingly surprised when I tell them how many times I've given the same complaint: my AC works less and less. The air flow is fine, but it's blowing out HOT air an ever-growing majority of the time. It used to work 60% of the time...then about 40%...now it hasn't blown any cold air in the last 24 hours.

I had given up on getting them to fix it. Like, honestly given up. But it's now in the 90s every day.

My apartment is UNLIVABLE in this heat, y'all! Sweating makes me break out, and honestly, I can say that their negligence is officially damaging my health.

I returned to the office--the fourth time--yesterday, because I couldn't bear it any longer. At first, the lady tried to assure me that she'd send Randy, "the head maintenance guy," to my apartment first thing this morning. But I told her that wasn't good enough, because Randy was the one at my apartment last time, and nothing changed after his visit. Her response:

"Oh, well, do you think we should get a real HVAC guy out here'"

...a "REAL" one would be super. Seriously'

She told me that Randy would be out this morning anyway, and that after his report she'd call a "real" HVAC technician.

I waited all morning at my apartment, even though I knew that wasn't necessary, and lo and behold, no Randy. At noon, I marched down to the leasing office and told the lady in there today (again, a different person) that I want her to call an HVAC person immediately.

Furthermore--here's the worst part--I looked at the AC unit myself yesterday. First: it was covered in cobwebs! None of their "maintenance" people have even been near it, because it's in bushes that are covered by cobwebs. Great work, guys!

Secondly, the problem is so obvious that I figured it out. The line that carries the cold freon up to the apartment needs to be insulated so that it's still cold by the time it gets there. Well, the "insulation" ring is half-gone, half hanging off the line, not covering or protecting it at all. The freon gets hot by the time it reaches my third-floor apartment, and thus: the hot air coming out my vents.

Duh!

I don't think any of the staff care enough to fix it, because if they did, this would have been fixed A MONTH AGO. I'm about to march down to the office and wait until I watch the lady call an HVAC person. I'm not leaving until she does so; otherwise, I'll just have to sit here and sweat until my lease is up.

I loved this complex at first, because Mike would have NEVER allowed this ridiculousness. He cared about his residents. But these people...this is absurd.

In short: DON'T move here if you like air conditioning, staff that care about their residents, or maintenance staff that are competent!

---

Original Review: 8/28/2008

Briarcliff Apartments has been a great place to live. I just re-signed my lease and will have lived here from 2007 - 2009. The price is absolutely reasonable for this great area.

Sadly, Mike has left our leasing office for another Greystar development. My interactions with the newer staff that remains has tended towards the negative. Example: They're painting the breezeways at the moment. We got a notice (a WEEK after it had been written and the project began) saying that they'd be pressure-washing, then painting the breezeways, but no other details. Naturally, I assumed this meant they'd be painting the siding inside the breezeways. So I work afternoons and evenings, and I was going to have to leave my apartment midway through when my breezeway was going to be painted. I called the leasing office to make sure that I'd be able to exit my apartment during this time. The girl on the phone didn't appear to have any idea what I was talking about and promised to call me back.

She never bothered to call me back, and I was nearly late for work as I came to find out that they were painting the concrete floors themselves, meaning no one could come or go. The notice that we had received about this said nothing about that, and the timing was not what it had said on the sheet. I was very nearly late for work because of their failings here.

Also, if you get home after 10pm on any weeknight, be prepared to walk a long way from your car to your apartment, especially if you live in Buildings 2 or 3, where it's especially bad. Not all residents in Building 1 opt for the covered parking (and it's only offered to them), so as a result the regular, non-covered parking is always full as a result. The regular addition of more and more storage containers sitting in our valuable parking spaces is NOT helping.

Furthermore, DO NOT live in Building 2. The trash compactor is right out in front of Building 2, and it does not get run on weekends. As a result, by midday Sunday, not only is it unsightly as it inevitably overruns with garbage, but the smell is pervasive and sickening. I feel so bad for the folks in Building 2. Long weekends are the worst.

All of that having been said, those are really the only negative points. The apartments themselves are very nice and reasonable. If you have roaches, it's your own fault for living in a first-floor apartment in Atlanta--they're everywhere, just look at other apartment ratings in Atlanta. Personally, I've been here over a year and have never had qualms with insects or noise, for that matter. I intend to stay here until I'm ready to move further away from the city.

User Responses
From: lady220	Date: 08/25/2008
Im moving there Sept 08 and this review was very helpful!! Thank you, I have asked to be in Build 3 as well because of your advice. Thanks again = )

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