When I first moved in everything went well and I can't say anything bad about the maintenance staff or the office staff. I've lived in apartments all over Baltimore for the last 20 years and at first this one was fine. Then the wheels fell off. First know that if you don't give 90 days notice to move out by the end of your lease ,they will automatically renew you for another year. Sounds illegal doesn't it' Well Home properties managed to find a loop hole in the law and Maryland is the only state where you can legally do this. So now your stuck for another year. Your rent gets increased by something crazy like 12%. So now your stuck for a year and your paying about 200 dollars above market for the zip code for an apartment. Don't bother trying to save money on your utilities. Give it up. You're forced to do business with this insane company called Ista, which must be run by thieves ,for a one bedroom apt. they will charge you around 200 dollars a month during the winter, now thats on top of BG&E for electric. Ista has no idea what they're billing for what their policy is and they will blast your credit report if you don't just shut up and pay them, further more after you do realize that theres nothing you can do but bend over and pay it( even if you didn't use the gas they claim) they report to home properties that you owe them money and home properties immediately will fill for eviction on anything over 100 dollars. This is not a joke. You will never have anytime to dispute any fee that Ista charges you. I have a Masters Gas fitters license for the state of MD and I 'm qualified to read natural gas measurements and I can tell you with all honesty that everyone here is getting hosed. Watch your credit report.
Now lets get past all that. Theres been and explosion of kids here recently. My car has been vandalized three times and broken into once. The grounds are usually dirty in the back apts. I've been looking at the same beer bottle for the last six months, your doors leak air terribly and the washer and dryers are vented inside the apartment. Most of the appliances are older. The office staff is nice I just don't think that they have any authority to do much. I sent emails to the office with concerns and even sent emails to the corporate office ,yet none of them were ever returned.
All in all what you are doing is paying for a higher end apt. community but living in a mediocre one.

User Responses
From: soozeality	Date: 06/24/2008
I've lived here for 12 years and I have to agree with this resident's complaint about how the heat/sewer/water bill is calculated. The ISTA company isn't the problem, they only bill what Home Properties tell them to bill. I have a 2 bedrm/2bath apt. When I am required to pay $69 for the HEAT portion of my ISTA bill in JUNE(!!!!), yes, an extremely WARM month this year, I'm told that it takes fuel to operate the stove and keep the hot water heater going and that I have to pay for fuel for the general areas as well, as part of "the forumla." It is an evil ripoff. I can't (as the sole occupant) begin to consume $69 in fuel costs in June!!! (and the sewer and water fees are on TOP of that amount; no, I did not read my bill incorrectly). So this apt complex went from not charging for fuel at all (heat was included until a few years ago), to some crazy formula that has nothing to do with reality, and probably subsidizes costs that should be paid for by Home Properties. It would have been easier to just up the rent to continue to include heat but it would have priced the apartments out of the market (they are, after all, between 25&35 years old). Home Properties is too cheap to do it right and install separate meters in each building. Instead they build a $6 million new clubhouse to impress folks coming to look at apartments. I even asked who pays for heat/water/sewer on the empty apartments and was told that they are eliminated from the resident formula and that portion is paid for by Home Properties. I'd like to see the figures on that one. Exactly how much is paid for by Home Properties for the empty apartments (where heat and a/c are routinely left on along with the lights). We're getting gouged. Don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raining. I think a class action suit would be a nice gesture. Afterall, BGE, Comcast, Best Buy and other large corporations had to pay back consumers. I think Home Properties owes its residents because there's no way that the amounts charged for heat/water/sewer equate to what is actually used by each resident. Not even at the higher utility prices. The increases cannot be explained just by rising costs. I owned a 4 bedrm, 3 bath house. I KNOW what was consumed in heat/fuel for 3,500 sq ft. If I divide the amounts I'm paying now for heat/water/sewer, the uages is off the charts for a 1,200 sq ft space. It just doesn't equate. Is there a legal firm out there that wants to take on the Home Properties giant? They are one of the biggest in the country (in number of properties). If this is happening here, I'm sure it's happening other places. Truly, they've gone too far this time.
From: Anonymous	Date: 07/14/2008
Ista's formula for the way they bill is this. They charge one big bill to Bonnie Ridge/Home Properties. Then Bonnie Ridge/Home Properties splits up the bill among how many renters are living at Bonnie Ridge for that month. Everybody should get the same amount on the bill, give or take some change. That's why you pay when your home for the month or not.Now if everybody is like the hell with it and use up more water/heat, that bill will be more for all.That's how ista works.
From: Anonymous	Date: 08/12/2008
Donnie, this is not going to make anyone think better of Bonnie Ridge. And I thought you still work for Home Properties, in Owings Mills?
From: pikeyone	Date: 08/12/2008
So what parking lot? Again you FOOL, I didn't say anything about a lawsuit. Read a little more carefully. However ,you are the one starting with the name calling of the person that posted below me. This is a site for voicing your opinions. Not just taking shots at someone and calling them an IDIOT. Shows how mature you are. Now piss off.
From: jmichaelz02	Date: 08/26/2008
If you're not happy, move out. If you want to move out, play by the rules...of which you signed. Try reading a contract before you sign it; you'll be surprised at what you might learn.
From: bgancamping93	Date: 08/29/2008
My wife and I was looking at this apartment complex. (it was on our short list of 3 in Baltimore). After reading Donniewil's rebuttal, I've quickly changed my mind. I don't want to live in an environment where agents of the organization are threatening tenants with physical violence. Yes Donnie, you've represented yourself as an agent by indicating that you are a prior employee.

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