MDI owns a lot of rental property in Manhattan. My husband and I lived in Brittany Ridge and also in Wildcat Inn during our years in manhattan. The star/recommendation system is for Wildcat Inn, since we lived in it most recently; Brittany Ridge would get 4-5 stars in most categories.

Our impressions of MDI: overall they are pretty good. They own a lot of property in the area, and they are honest and well-organized. Our deposit was returned swiftly, and they prorated our rent based on the fact that we had to leave a few days early. Maintenance was pretty timely most of the time. BUT when they check you out, they have these little red stickers they put on stuff to indicate that it needs fixing. Well at the end of our stay at Brittany Ridge, before we went to Wildcat inn, they saw a paint chip or something in a bedroom they tried to charge us for, but it still had the sticker from when the last people checked out! So moral of that story is, if you see any red stickers, don't peel them off or you are going to get charged! And it's true, they do charge you for carpet cleaning after you leave no matter what, but they did tell us that before we signed the lease. I for one was relieved to know that we were coming in to a freshly cleaned apartment. They change your furnace filters for free and spray for bugs every month and they never enter your apartment without having a second person there.

Now to the specific properties:

DO NOT LIVE IN WILDCAT INN! At least, don't live in the basement. There are a billion roaches and giant crickets that just fall in the ground-level windows and crawl under the doors because everything is insulated so incredibly poorly. (This despite the fact that they spray for bugs once a month) The windows and doors are so drafty in fact that it cost almost as much money in gas to heat and A/C our one-bedroom place as it did to heat the four-bedroom place we had at Brittany Ridge. Also, the floor noise from the apartments above was incredibly horrible. However, the noise from the blaring radio across the hall was markedly decreased once you shut the door, and zero when you moved to the bedroom. There are 2 overpriced washers and dryers for the whole building. Really I think the only good things about this place are the fact that it is across the street from KState and that it has a dishwasher. BUT 420 a month is high for Manhattan rent, especially for a one-bedroom, even if they do pay water and trash. Oh and one more thing, the parking lot is atrocious. There aren't enogh spaces, especially with students illegally parking, and the cement is in dreadful shape. They do give you parking 2 permits though.

Brittany Ridge is a lot farther away from campus, out on the west side of town. We stayed in a four-bedroom apartment with some roommates, and it was really great. There are two living rooms downstairs, 2 1/2 baths, and we never saw any bugs except some ants around our front door which were soon vanquished. The apartment manager there was much easier to get ahold of. There was very little neighbor noise and the parking was ample, so they didn't make you have parking permits. There was a washer dryer in the unit and a dishwasher, all of which are great.

Summary: MDI has a lot of property, and they are a good property management group. I recommend renting from them, just be aware that not all their properties are created equal. Even Wildcat Inn is a lot better than a lot of places around, especially if you don't live in the basement, I;m sure.

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