I lived in Bonnie Ridge many years ago, so naturally I thought it would be great to live here again when I moved back to Baltimore last August. So, I was a little bit concerned when, on the day I moved in, a resident of 18 years introduced herself and commented, "This was a much nicer place to live before Home Properties took over."

First the good news:
The owners (Home Properties) appear to be spending a lot of money renovating the complex. New windows, new sidewalks, etc.

The complex is located within 1 mile of light rail and in a really nice part of Baltimore.

The rent is reasonable, considering the location and the amenities.

The apartments are nice, if undistinguished.

Sadly, the bad news:
1. I've had serious problems with mail delivery at Bonnie Ridge. The mailboxes are too small, so packages and journals get left in a common bin - all too often, never to be found.

2. The towing policy is the most predatory I have ever seen. One car I know of was towed within TWO HOURS of parking at Bonnie Ridge, even though the tags were still within the grace period allowed by the owner's home state. Most complexes at least issue a written warning and give you time to correct the problem.

3. The towing company itself is run by truly scary dudes that you would NOT want to meet in a dark alley at night. If your car is towed, DO NOT go to their compound after dark, or if you do, be sure to request police escort (which, as it turns out, is available in Baltimore County for towed vehicles). My friend found out the hard way.

4. Less than 3 weeks after I moved in, my apartment was turned upside down so they could replace all of the windows. I asked them why this wasn't done when the apartment was still vacant. Their attitude was, my convenience isn't their problem.

5. Because of all of the renovations, my section of Bonnie Ridge is noisy during the day. This turned out NOT to be a good for someone who works night shift and needs to sleep during the day.

6. The trash collection corral is too small for the size of the complex. Garbage and recyclables commonly spill out onto the sidewalk / street / etc. In fairness, the situation has improved in the past 2 months, since the installation of a new collection bin.

7. The property manager is useless - hands donw, the least competent manager I've encountered in any place I've ever lived.

8. The dryer is not vented into the outdoors, which means that my entire apartment ends up damp and smelling like a laundromat every time I do a load.

To sum up: Not recommended, at least until Home Properties hires competent management.

In Baltimore, tenants have a right to peaceable enjoyment of the premises. My experience at Bonnie Ridge has been so far from quiet enjoyment that I finally settled with management for an early termination of lease.

User Responses
From: livedhere2long	Date: 11/26/2006
I totally agree with the above review. The management of this complex behaves like slumlords. If you want to know what it feels like to be treated like you are a Section 8 resident, move here. Otherwise, look elsewhere. Caveat emptor.
From: Anonymous	Date: 03/20/2007
Thank god this guy is gone. He was my neighbor. The worst neighbor i have ever had. He is a doctor or at least thats what he said. Ever seen a doctor drive and escort.
From: Anonymous	Date: 06/10/2007
I vastly agree with his write-up, I don't care if he is a doctor or not. He speaks the truth. I, too, work at night and have had to deal with endless extreme noise. This place was much much better years ago. Not just a difference since Home Properties took over, but also with the new local management. That person makes the IRS look and seem like an angelic lamb. Maybe they worked for loan sharks before.
From: liv612	Date: 07/20/2007
i've lived at bonnie ridge for 2 years and have absolutly no complaints. the staff here is amazingly professional and friendly. as for the complaint written about regarding the new windows and why they weren't installed while you're apt was vacant is an easy question to answer. the property used an outside contractor to come in and do the upgades. they were only on the property for two weeks and they did every apt in that time frame. what were they supposed to do? come out early and get yours out of the way? they gave plenty of notice that this was going on. i made plans on that day and when i returned i had lovely new windows and a freshly vacuumed carpet throughout. some people just love to complain.
From: Anonymous	Date: 12/07/2007
The place is honestly not "that" bad. I only have a few complaints: 1. The garbage area really is too small...there is garbage spills onto sidewalks and there isn't enough parking to accommodate numerous cars dropping off trash. 2. The maintenance and residents must be uptight --------, because I have been reported three times for driving "too fast," when I have NEVER gone over 20mph. True, the speed limit is 10mph, but have you ever actually tried driving that slow? My bet is that NO ONE goes below 10mph, and if you live in the back, it would take you 20 minutes to get from the entrance to your apartment if you did. Lighten up, people. 3. Having the driers vent into the apartments is low class and makes for uncomfortable living. I remedy this by wearing dirty clothes. 4. Any repairs are done by incompetent fools...there was a leak in my bathroom ceiling for weeks, and when they finally came to look at it, they said it was from "splashing in the tub from the apartment above me." Still leaks 2 months later. I've learned to live with it. (the person living upstairs must be a fish, because apparently they never leave the "tub.") Overall though, these are minor inconveniences. The location is nice, property is safe, and they've made improvements. Very reasonable for the rent in my opinion.
From: Anonymous	Date: 11/02/2008
I'm not sure I'd call the rent at Bonnie Ridge "reasonable." For $1100 per month, you can rent a fairly nice townhouse in Baltimore City and a very nice place in Baltimore County (though not in Mt. Washington). And odds are, you won't have to put up with the screwballs that pass for management at Bonnie Ridge.
From: Anonymous	Date: 11/02/2008
I was a resident at Bonnie Ridge, loved the apartment, until the mice took over!! Had to move ASAP!!!! There is an infestation, letters were send to residents. There were three caught in my apartment.

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